With Trench Cup football on the horizon next season DkIT will be hoping to extend their Sigerson Cup romance with a victory over GMIT in Glaway today ( Wednesday).

Paul McShane and Cathal Kearney's side were relegated from Division 1 before Christmas, so will ply their trade in the second tier next term, but they are ready for one last hurrah in the third level blue riband competition.

'We just couldn't get lads out before Christmas for a number of reasons and we were in a very tough section,' Kearney revealed yesterday ( Tuesday).

'We're in with the northern teams like Queens, Jordanstown and St Mary's and we lost a relegation play-off against DIT.

'It's a pity, but maybe the Trench Cup is the level we should be at.'

Ironically, Cathal feels this current team is one of the best the college has had in quite a few years, boasting a heavy inter-county infuence.

'We have Derek Maguire, Andy McDonnell and Declan Byrne from Louth seniors and from the 21s we have Kevin Rogers, Jason Clarke, Barry Flanagan and a few more.

Paddy O'Rourke - the Meath goalkeeper - is probably our best known player and we also have Andrew Collins, who is a Meath under-21 and played full-back for Seneschalstown this year.'

Other inter-county names on the panel include, Damien Reilly (Cavan), Rodney Gorman (Monaghan) along with Crossmaglen defender, Ryan Carragher.

'The thing is this is such a high level of football,' Cathal continued. 'It's a step up from U-21 level so if you feel you have a good U-21 side like we do, you're still not at the level some of the universities are it.

'GMIT would have serious aspirations about going a long way this year. We actually beat them a few years ago in Dundalk, but they were a very young team then and they have come on a lot.'

The fact that the game is over in Galway will only add to GMIT's advantage and Cathal also questioned the appointment of a Galway referee, Gerry Kinneavy.

'We would have serous concerns about the referee. He's a Galway ref and it's a Galway team.'

Putting the referee issue to one side, DkIT have a decent record in the western capital, only losing by a point on two separate occasions to NUIG, with weaker teams than they have this term.

'We'll be underdogs again, there's no doubt about that, but we're looking forward and at this stage we think we'll be travelling with a full panel for the first time this season.'

- John SAVAGE