Fairview Rangers & North End United are set to compete for the 2024/25 FAI Junior Cup at Turners Cross this Saturday. 

Both clubs have a brilliant history in the competition, Fairview Rangers looking to lift the title for the tenth time whilst North End United last won the trophy in the 2017/18 season. 

It is set to be a brilliant game between two strong sides as both teams have had to come through difficult paths to the final to reach Saturday's showdown in Cork.

Match Details

Fixture: Fairview Rangers v North End United 
Competition: 2024/25 FAI Junior Cup Final
Date: Saturday, May 24
Kick-off: 3pm
Location: Turners Cross, Cork
Tickets: Tickets must be purchased online here
TV: Live on FAITV - Link above

Match Officials

Referee: John O'Connor
Assistant 1: Gabriel Darcy
Assistant 2: Garry Small
Fourth Official: Joseph Hession

Fairview Rangers AFC - Road to the Final

Round 1: Shelbourne AFC 0-2 Fairview Rangers AFC
Round 2: Fairview Rangers AFC 4-2 Kilmallock United
Round 3: Regional United 0-4 Fairview Rangers AFC
Round 4: Fairview Rangers AFC 4-1 Ballyheigue Athletic FC
Round 5: Fairview Rangers AFC 3-2 St. Ita's AFC
Round 6: Fairview Rangers AFC 1-0 Mervue United FC
Quarter-Final: Fanad United FC 2-3 Fairview Rangers AFC
Semi-Final: Lucan United FC 0-2 Fairview Rangers AFC

North End United FC - Road to the Final

Round 1: North End United FC 5-1 Lions AFC Durrow
Round 2: North End United FC 2-1 Freebooters AFC
Round 3: North End United FC 7-0 Thomastown United
Round 4: North End United FC 7-3 Stella Maris FC
Round 5: St. Columban's SYC 0-6 North End United FC
Round 6: Avenue United 0-2 North End United FC
Quarter-Final: St. Michaels AFC 1-3 (AET) North End United FC
Semi-Final: North End United FC 1-0 (AET) Salthill Devon FC

Manager Interview | North End manager Gary Dempsey

"It's been a long season, a lot of long, hard battles in certain games to get us here. But the end game at the start of the season was that this final was one of the ones that we had our eye on. Everybody knows in junior football, this is the big one.

"I think when we beat Avenue down in Avenue, that was a big one. To go down there and beat them two-nil on the day, that really, all of a sudden, there's a little bit more heightened expectation. The semi-final wasn't easy obviously against Salthill, with that being delayed with all the stuff that went down. I think it was the Avenue one, to go down there, especially in their own backyard and beat them, you sort of think, 'Could we get there?'

"The message from me will be enjoy the day. You know, enjoy the day and what will be, will be. I think it is going to be a game on, you know, again, old football cliches, whoever turns up on the day. But I think once we settle into the game, if we're at it, I think we'll give ourselves a great chance."

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE 

Manager Interview | Fairview Rangers manager Mick Shiel

"It’s five years since they were there, so, you know, they’re kind of used to it down there, to be honest. They've been in nine finals now and they've won all of them. So, you know, there's obviously expectation, but they're well aware that this competition is very, very difficult to win. They'll be going up there confident.

"We went the day before (to Fanad). You really have to do that; it’s basically a six-hour trip. For some reason, on that day, it was the most beautiful day. It was the most magnificent setting for a football pitch you could ever imagine. We went 1-0 down, so that wasn't a great start. Then we came out second half and we did well, got to 2-1. Then they scored with basically the last kick of the game. We tipped off, there was another minute and a half, one of the lads got on the end of something, and it went in. It was probably the best day that I've had in this competition.

"The message on the day is, obviously you want to enjoy it, but we want them to perform. There's nothing worse than going to a final and not performing."

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE

Captain Interview | North End captain Paul Murphy 

"Since we won the semi-final, it's really evident around the club how excited everyone is. Luckily, we were there seven years ago, but I think this year is actually bigger. In fairness, Salthill were very good in the semi-final; it was a tough game, and realistically, it could have gone either way. We got a penalty in extra time, so we were fortunate in the way we won the game.

"I think when we beat Avenue of Clare away, that's when we kind of realized we might actually get there again. This is a totally different group now, a lot younger, so the excitement is a lot more. We'll play football; it goes against our principles not to. 

"Regardless of where we're playing or who we're playing against, we'll play the same way as we always do. Because it's the final, we won't go long or change anything that we haven't done all season. The club are doing Trojan work, and we’ll bring huge support with us, like we did to the Aviva, and hopefully, we can come back out with the same result."

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE

Captain Interview | Fairview Rangers captain Shane Duggan

"Yeah, look, it's a massive occasion, especially with a club like Fairview; they've a huge tradition in it. They're going for their 10th title and I think at the start of every season, it's definitely a competition the club always targets to go far in. This season we managed to go all the way to the final, so hopefully, we can go one further now and win it.

"The cup run brought us up to the top of the country. That's the thing, you go to all parts of the country, whoever you're drawn. This year, some of the trips we went on, as I said, up to Fanad, and the way that game went, that's the magic of the cup. 

"We were one-nil down, we went two-one up, they scored in the 92nd minute. We went down in the 95th minute and got the winner, so that definitely made that trip worth it. The way we won it, it was fantastic, and that's the magic of the cup."

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE

Fairview Rangers Squad 

Goalkeepers: Josh McCarthy
Defenders: Daniel O’Neill, Blake Curran, Jake Dillon, Jason Cross, Conor Kavanagh, Rubin McCarthy, Gavin Mellerick
Midfielders: Jeffrey Judge, Shane Duggan, Cian McNamara, Josh McCarthy, Shane Carmody, Aaron Haugh
Forwards: Gbadebo Habideen, Brian Aherne, Oleg Vysochan, Adam Dore, Darragh Rainsford

North End United Squad

Goalkeepers: Jason McGuire, Sean Allen
Defenders: Craig McCabe, Gary Delaney, Reece Murphy, Joey Jackson, Donal Porter, Dale Flynn, Ayman Yousif, Todd Hynes
Midfielders: Alan Rhodes, John Peare, Niall Connelly, Shane Dempsey, Paul Murphy, Darragh Moloney
Forwards: Eoin Rhodes, Ciaran Paige, Robbie Kane, Darby Purcell