One of the favourites for this season’s Friends Provident International FA Cup will exit the competition on Saturday as Rushen United host Corinthians at Croit Lowey.

Both are among the five leading sides in the Canada Life Premier League that on their day could lift the trophy on Easter Saturday.

The Whites are the competition holders, but travel to a United side that has only lost once since October, when Danny McMahon’s won the pair’s league meeting at Ballafletcher.

Rushen bounced back from their recent defeat at St George’s with a 3-0 win over Douglas Royal last weekend.

Corinthians had beaten Royal the previous week 10-2 in the Ballafletcher derby and might just head into this one as marginal favourites.

Mike Williams remains suspended for the Spaniards, but Ste Riding returned to the starting XI against Royal after missing the Geordies game.

Corinthians, who have hit 23 goals in their last three games alone, should also be at near full strength for what should be a cracking tie.

St George’s will be favourties to advance past Royal in the pair’s tie at Glencrutchery Road.

Geordies won the league meeting 7-0 and have seen strikers Ciaran McNulty, Calum Morrissey and Furo Davies all return to form in recent weeks.

St Mary’s will also be eyeing a quarter-final spot with intent having been drawn at home to Division Two outfit Union Mills.

The Saints will, however, have to keep their focus against a Mills side that will work hard for the full 90 minutes.

A tie that looks more finely poised is the all-Division Two affair between Colby and Foxdale.

After a poor start, the southerners have been a side transformed in recent weeks and it’s fair to say their 11th-place standing in the second tier is a false one.

Indeed, when Adam Fretwell’s Moonlighters took on promotion-chasing Dale a couple of weeks ago in the league, the southerners won 3-2.

This will be equally close, especially with Dale heading into the match off the back of a 9-1 thumping of Gymns, John Roberts’s side’s second biggest win of the season so far.