DOUBLE UP; Frost: Promotion was the priority.. now we're focused on next stage of the plan.

Byline: PAUL O'HEHIR

FAI CUP SLIGO v SPORTING FINGAL

HAVING secured promotion to the Premier Division, Sporting Fingal are bidding to cap a remarkable week by lifting the Ford FAI Cup on Sunday.

The fledgling club secured their ticket to the top flight on Monday night following their two-legged play-off win over Bray Wanderers.

Those games were of utmost priority for the north Dublin club, and only now can the players allow themselves to dream of cup final glory over Sligo Rovers.

For full-back John Frost, this will be his third appearance in a final - and he's also praying that it's third time lucky as both previous occasions ended in gut-wrenching defeat.

In 2004, he was playing for hometown club Waterford United who were 1-0 to the good at Lansdowne Road until Longford Town turned the tables late on for a dramatic 2-1 win.

And then two years later, he was part of the St Patrick's Athletic team that duelled with Derry City in a stunning final that ended 4-3 in the Candystripes' favour.

EPIC

"They were two epic games," Frost recalled.

"The first one, we were very disappointed, especially how we lost with the calamity of the second goal.

"The second one was a very good game but we were caught at the end. Hopefully it is third time lucky.

"But going into this game, I won't even be thinking of the other two games. It's not going to play on my mind at all."

He added: "This season has been fantastic.

"We were hoping to get promoted, so to find ourselves in a cup final is a bonus. You don't have anything to lose in a cup final.

"Sligo are a Premier Division team but there is no hype about us."

Frost is loving life at Fingal. He was released by St Pat's at the end of last season and admits the decision to move down a division was one that initially played on his mind.

He had no interest in trying his hand back in England, having previously been at Tranmere Rovers and Leicester City for spells.

Frost admits having a real love for home life, and even regarded living in Dublin as a massive step to take for a Waterford lad.

But once he met Fingal boss Liam Buckley for talks, he knew that accepting the club's full-time offer was the right decision to make.

With clubs all over the league going broke, the Santry side appears to have solid structures in place to offer long-term stability.

Frost added: "When I was with Waterford, Liam tried to bring me to Shamrock Rovers. So he must have valued me in some kind of way.

"When the Pat's stuff happened, Liam got wind of it and got back in touch and sold me the club. I was happy to come here.

"League of Ireland clubs a habit of have a habit of saying 'five-year plans', but they don't really come through with it. But Fingal have come through on everything they said they would.

"We're not on massive wages. They're realistic and not throwing money around foolishly. They're trying to open up an academy, they've some great youth players coming through.

"So they're not flashing cash like others have done where you have a team that isn't doing well and the next year they've loads of money and win a league.

"This club is progressively getting there."

CAPTION(S):

Liam Buckley persuaded John Frost to drop down a division and sign for Sporting Fingal DAY IN THE SUN Sporting Fingal's John Frost and Gary O'Neill with the FAI Ford Cup