OUR WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE MAY JUST DO 'TRICK

Young guns are relying on the Rebel veterans to fire them to a shock victory

- BY MARK MCCADDEN

CORK CITY will lean on any experience going when their young squad takes on an experienced and successful Shamrock Rovers side in Sunday's FAI Cup final.

And within Ger Nash's dressing room, there is a fair bit of knowhow.

There's midfielder Greg Bolger, who has four FAI Cup final wins under his belt, including one with Sunday's opponents in 2019. He was also a Premier Division winner with St Patrick's Athletic (2013) and the Leesiders (2017).

Striker Seani Maguire also knows what it's like to bring silverware back to Leeside.

Josh Fitzpatrick remembers watching him score the 120th minute winner against Dundalk in the 2016 final. Now 20, Fitzpatrick wasn't even a teenager on that occasion.

"I was at that cup final," he said. "It must be a whirlwind moment for him. I went to watch them. A good few of the lads watched that game.

"Now we get to play with him on the same occasion. It must be a mad feeling for him."

If that makes Maguire feel old, imagine how assistant manager David Meyler feels.

He hung up his boots in August 2019 after a career that saw him win 26 caps for Ireland, and play in the Premier League for Sunderland and Hull.

Meyler experienced some big occasions during his playing days - including captaining the Boys in Green to a crucial World Cup qualification win away to Wales in October 2017.