'We feel on our day we can beat any team' - CSNI's Matthew Foster targeting deep Irish Senior Cup run
Matthew Foster admits CSNI are targeting a deep run in this season’s Irish Senior Cup as all six NCU teams involved in the last-16 hope it’s a case of second time lucky following last weekend’s washout.
The Stormont club have endured a mixed start to the 2024 Premier League campaign, winning two of the opening five fixtures to sit seventh, but have tended to save their best for cup action in recent times.
Over the past 10 years, CSNI have reached four Gallagher Challenge Cup finals, winning the famous tournament in both 2014 and 2016, and will be hoping to take one step closer to lifting the trophy once again when they face off against Muckamore in today’s quarter-final, which comes 24 hours before an Irish Cup showdown with neighbouring Instonians.
CSNI have never won the island’s biggest competition and if they were to progress past last year’s Premier League champions, they’d face a trip to Leinster’s Malahide later this month.
“We’ve had a positive start and hopefully we can have a nice run in the cup this year,” Foster told Cricket Ireland. “We had a good win against Newbuildings in the first round - Jordan Neill got some good runs for us, and then everyone sort of chipped in which then got us over the line, so it was a good result.
“Last week’s second round was washed out, so we’ll head to Instonians on Sunday for the reserve day. We obviously know them very well from playing in the NCU.
"We had a close game in the league just a few weeks back. So, we’ll be looking to get one back on them this weekend. It’s also at Shaw’s Bridge, so slightly different conditions, but we’ll be going out there trying to get the win.
“The Cup means a lot to us. As a club, we have been called a bit of a ‘cup team’ - we feel on our day we can beat any team. So, it would be nice to win the Irish Senior Cup – it’s something we haven’t won as a club. To be able to have that trophy in the cabinet, that would be great for us.”
North Down are set to face Balbriggan after their meeting last weekend was abandoned due to bad weather while six-time champions Waringstown face Pembroke and there’s another all-NCU clash between CIYMS and Muckamore.
In today’s Challenge Cup quarter-finals, Lisburn welcome Derriaghy, who are the sole Section One side left in the draw after their upset of Carrickfergus, to Wallace Park for a local derby and defending champions Waringstown travel to Woodvale.
It’s also a crucial weekend for both North Down and Instonians who meet in the last-eight at The Green before turning their attentions to Irish Senior Cup action the next day.
Elsewhere, Derriaghy will look to take the first step in defending their Irish National Cup crown against Strabane tomorrow and Laurelvale face Ballyspallen. Templepatrick also remain in the competition and will challenge Fox Lodge.