FAI Cup final: Dundalk 1 Cork City 0 (after extra-time)
DUNDALK boss Stephen Kenny was over the moon after his side completed a historic double when they finally got the better of a spirited Cork City outfit in the FAI Cup final yesterday.
Played in front over 25,000 fans, the Lilywhites deservedly took the cup to county Louth thanks to Richie Towell’s 29th goal of the season in the 107th minute of what was largely a disappointing affair at the Aviva Stadium.
Towell, who has been linked with a move across the water in recent weeks, had een fairly muted until then – like so many of the attack-minded players on display in the showpiece final.
“The players every single week have been exceptionally and they are a credit to themselves and they deserve the FAI Cup,” stated Kenny.
Midfielder Daryl Horgan, who admitted before the final that he didn’t care if it was a horrible game as long as they came out on top, was delighted with the success.
“The last two years were we have won everything has been brilliant,” said the ex-Cork man.
“The hunger is still in the squad and it’s games like these why we as a squad work so hard for each other.
“We had an unbelievable travelling support from Dundalk, it was incredibly and I was shocked when I came out for the warm-up, so it’s fantastic for them.
“Richie has been fantastic for us, it was another good goal, a different type of goal but he’s so efficient when he’s in and around the box and I’m absolutely delighted that he scored, because I felt he worked hard all game.”
The first real effort in the final not surprisingly went to the champions, but after some neat passing Ronan Finn saw his 25 yard drive fail to trouble Cork’s Mark McNulty and flashed wide.
After somewhat of a shaky start the Rebel Army slowly started to get a foot hole in the game and Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers was called into action on 20 minutes as he parried away away Billy Dennehy’s in swinging right wing corner from underneath his own crossbar.
Just before the break Dundalk were forced into a substitution with the experienced midfielder Stephen O’Donnell replacing the injury defender Sean Gannon, the change meant that Chris Shields slotted into right-back.
In a disappointing first half it was probably Cork who slightly shaded things, with crosses into the Dundalk penalty box, their main threat.
Stephen Kenny’s side were inches away from taking the lead on 48 minutes after a flowing move ended with Dane Massey’s pass finding David McMillan, but his effort from the left hand side of the box flew just over.
Just on the hour mark Cork replaced one former Republic of Ireland international with another with Colin Healy coming on for Liam Miller.
However minutes later it was Dundalk who had another strike at goal this time Towell’s 20 yard drive was comfortably saved by McNulty.
Neither side created much in the final quarter as both defences were on top, with Brian Gartland in particular solid as rock for Lilywhites as the dreadful final entered extra-time.
The deadlock was finally broken on 107 minutes after a fantastic run by Horgan ended with his left wing cut-back finding Towell, who took a touch before firing home past McNulty from close range.
Soon after the woodwork came to Dundalk’s rescue when after a goal mouth scramble Darren Dennehy’s header, which had Rogers struggling, clipped the top off the bar and went over.
Meanwhile in the Women’s FAI Cup Final there was penalty joy for Wexford Youths Women, as they completed an impressive double seeing off Shelbourne Ladies 4-2 in the shoot-out.
After the final finished 2-2 thanks to goals from Siobhan Killeen and Dearbhaile Beirne (Shels) and Ciara Rossiter and Maria Delahunty, before the unfortunate Noelle Murray and Shauna Newman missed for the Dubliners.
