Cup medal the perfect tonic for Derry’s living legend
Another cup final has been a long time coming for the legendary striker.
The last time he danced on this stage was five years ago, when defeat in the final meant Derry failed to clinch the double. Since then, the club has sailed through the roughest seas in its colourful history. Only two years ago, the ex-Northern Ireland international thought the club he has given so much to, was going out of business. Any chance of grabbing a third cup medal seemed a long way away, at that point.
But, now here he is, weaving his way through his long, successful career and arriving back at another final.
Last year, after Bohemians defeated them comprehensively in the semi-final, Coyle thought his chance was lost: “You always think it’s going to be a while before I get to a final again, even when you see young players coming through. I think the club has learnt a lot over the last couple of seasons, taken things that have happened on board, showed great experience and great resolve. The club has become stronger because of nearly going out of business, I think the cup final is a direct consequence of that.”
Last season's semi-final defeat was the most bitter pill Coyle had to swallow: “When Bohs beat us in the semi-final, I thought that was it, I am not going to get there again. Especially this season, when I was injured early on. I thought I wasn’t going to get playing in it, but I came back at the right time and we beat Pats in the quarter -final and Cork. Now, there is one more hurdle to go. And there is no point in overcoming all those obstacles if we don’t go out and perform on Sunday.”
Sunday couldn’t have come at a worst time for Derry, though. Injury has stripped them to their bare bones. The absences of Peter Hutton and Sean Friars are major blows that few Eircom league teams could be expected to recover from. Coyle remains upbeat, though: “One man’s misfortune is another man’s gain. You have to take your chances whenever they come along. And there is going to be nowhere to hide come Sunday. It is a cup final, the whole of Ireland is watching and you have to go out and enjoy it. If there is any youngster coming in, if I do have a word in their ear, it will be just go out and enjoy the occasion, because you never know when it will happen again.”
Such is Derry’s plight that some local youngsters, plucked from the youth team, have been making the squad in recent weeks, and Joe Harkin, out of the game for the past year and a half, is pushing for a place on Sunday. But, Coyle is unconcerned. There is a new-found spirit at the Brandywell. And Coyle feels this is only the start of bigger things.
“It is a start, the cup final. We still have to find some consistency in the league. I know there is more glamour in the cup than there is in the league, but if you ask player what they would prefer to win, they would always say the league. So, that is our next aim.”
Still, Derry have always had the reputation as a cup final city: “cup Finals always held that wee bit of magic for the City, even going back to when the club were in the Irish League and getting to the Irish cup final, it always held a certain allure for the club and city. It’s a day out and, if you win, it is even better, because there will be a celebration back in Derry.”
“Your aim always at the start of every season is to win the league. If a cup comes along, well and good. Fortunately, a cup final has come along quicker than we expected, but here we are, and although we have injury problems going into Sunday’s game, we still feel confident.”
As he enters the twilight of his career, another medal will put an extra bit of shine on Derry’s living legend.
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