Ex-Ireland U21 international Thomas O'Connor speaks to paulfennessy21 about his hopes of inspiring another major FA Cup upset on Sunday -
Paul Fennessy IN NOVEMBER 2019, a Stephen Kenny-managed Ireland U21 side earned a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Armenia, in the process consolidating top spot in their qualifying group.Of that quartet, two — Nathan Collins and Gavin Bazunu — completed 90 minutes in the Premier League last weekend. One, Danny McNamara, started for promotion-chasing Millwall, as they earned an important 1-0 win over Championship rivals Cardiff.
He admits to not really knowing his famous owners on a personal level, though says that their ambition is part of what attracted him to the club in the first place. Wrexham may be in their 15th consecutive season playing in English football’s fifth tier, but last season, they came desperately close to promotion. Their second-place finish would have seen them go up in most divisions, but in the National League, it was only enough for a playoff spot, and they ultimately suffered a chaotic 5-4 extra-time defeat in the semi-finals at the hands of Grimsby Town.Nonetheless, the hangover from that frustrating near-miss was evidently not long-lasting.
The 23-year-old’s well-placed header put his side 3-1 up against Coventry in first-half stoppage time. “I think they’ll be even a step up from Coventry, they’re flying,” he says. “So we’ll probably be even more underdogs, but sure, you never know in the cup. We have a decent home record this season as well, so hopefully, we can cause another upset.”O’Connor is likely to be one of several Irish players on display.
He lined out for Tullogher-Rosbercon as a youngster and remains a dedicated follower of GAA from across the water, taking a keen interest in the recent club All-Ireland action. “You’re obviously playing with some of the top youngsters and best coaches around so it was a good experience. I don’t regret my decision or anything like that.
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