Irish Cup: Mallards to consider participation in competition

The decision to play this season’s competition was ratified by the Irish FA Challenge Cup Committee last Thursday and IFA President David Martin is determined that their blue riband competition will be played this season. He said: “We have consistently said it is our intention to complete our marquee domestic competition.”

The issue though is that all non-Premiership clubs in the competition have had no competitive action this season due to them not being granted elite status with the Championship and Premier Intermediate leagues having been postponed having not started.

It would mean teams entering the Irish Cup under prepared to possibly face a Premiership side who, as elite teams, have been playing away in their league.

Already three Championship clubs, Queens University, Newry City and H&W Welders have withdrawn from this year’s competition but McConkey says the Mallards remain undecided at this stage with the key to their decision likely to be based around when they are able to return to training in order to prepare for the tie.

“Look, we don’t have to make a decision just yet, there has been no deadline set on it so we will wait to see how things go.We feel a more informed decision is likely to be a better decision.

“If, say, we get to March 16 and the NI Executive allow us to go back to train then that would give us over six weeks to get ready for the Irish Cup. It would allow us to get some friendlies in and work on things and, while not ideal, that is doable. But if we get word that we can’t get back until the middle of April then that is only a couple of weeks until the competition starts so it would be less likely that we would go for that as you simply wouldn’t have the time to prepare for it,” said McConkey.

The Mallards boss admits that there is frustration that there is a push on to get the Irish Cup played with the Championship clubs included but there wasn’t the same urgency when those same clubs sought elite status to get their league up and running.

“When the President came out with his statement that the Irish Cup would go ahead no matter what, I was quite surprised.

“What frustrates ourselves is that we do know that he is going to have to move mountains to make that happen because of the clubs that are involved - if he wants those clubs to be involved.

“What probably sticks in the throats of championship clubs is that suddenly things can be shifted and moved about where before there wasn’t the same desire and hunger to make this happen last September in regards to Elite status,” he commented.

And while McConkey acknowledges that for some it will be a point of principle not to play, he also understands players having a desire to just get out and play a game after so long without.

“There is obviously some who would feel that they are being used by the IFA and on principle wouldn’t want to play and I can totally understand that response.

“From a sports science point of view, what is proposed it is not normally something which you would be advocating, but we are in strange times and players are extremely hungry to return to playing.

“Most players simply like to play and that just comes from pure passion and love of the game.

“My job as a manager is to listen to my players, my chairman, my committee, my supporters and serve them well in the best interests of our club,” he said.

Ballinamallard have this week held talks internally to discuss the matter and will then meet to make a decision on that.

“The Chairman (Tom Elliott) has put out certain proposals that he wants us all to consider. The players have met, I have met with my staff and Tom has met with the committee and we will bring those to the table and that will have to be done this week.

The IFA had said that they need answers as to whether we are in it or not but there is still a number of things that need to be cleared up before we finalise things.”