VIDEO: Liam Kearney’s tale of two FAI Cup finals
The bad day came first, in 2005, when an exceptional City side, in which Kearney was a wing wonder, was denied the double by Drogheda United, having lifted the league trophy just two weeks earlier.
Was it a case that the champions had simply gone off the boil by the time the cup decider came ‘round?
“I definitely think so, whether the players were aware of it or not at the time,” says Kearney, “because when you look back you do think we probably let ourselves down going into that week. Certainly, on the day, the performance wasn’t up to standard. So it’s something you look back on and think you definitely could have done better.
“But then a lot of those players went into the 2007 final probably more determined and more focused than they might have been if they hadn’t had the bad feeling of 2005.”
Yet, even that 1-0 win against Longford Town two years later was something of a bittersweet occasion, with the triumph at least partly overshadowed by the awareness that, under the club’s new ownership, league-winning manager Damien Richardson was about to depart Turner’s Cross.
“There’d been rumblings going on and talk in the dressing room before kick-off that it would be Damien’s last game and for that to be the situation was crazy,” Kearney recalls.
“But I think it made us all feel that if he was going to be leaving, we’d like him to leave with the cup. At the same time, our focus, having lost before, was on winning the game anyway.”
Having seen the two days himself, Kearney is clear about how the current team’s first-timers should approach tomorrow’s big occasion.
“When you think about it, it’s a one-off game so if the first half or even the first 60 minutes doesn’t go well for you, there should be no fear,” he says.
“There’s no better occasion for just going out and playing the game, so I’d say to people don’t be overawed by all the buzz and hype going into it.
“Enjoy it but, at the same time, remember what you’re there for – and don’t be coming off the pitch with regrets.”
While Kearney accepts that most people have Dundalk as favourites, he also knows – again from personal experience – just how hard it can be to do the double.
“Yeah, the thing about it is that you have all that expectation on you and it takes a good manager to make sure he can keep getting the best out of you and keep fellas focused.
But you can see with Dundalk that they’re a bunch of lads who are working for the manager and who play the kind of football people like to see. Hopefully, in time we’ll get our standard up to that on a consistent basis and I think, if we could win tomorrow, mentally that would give a lot of lads the confidence to really push on next season.”
And for Kearney, who is already hard at work doing his coaching badges, there’s an awareness that tomorrow could mark his final bow as a Cork City player.
“I haven’t really thought about what would happen after it,” he says. “I wouldn’t say I’d probably have too many more seasons left playing. The coaches are getting a lot younger these days as well so probably the earlier I start the better.
“I haven’t committed to definitely saying it will be my last, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
And, without wishing to rush Mr Caulfield out the door, you understand, would Liam have ambitions to one day manage City?
“Oh absolutely yeah. I mean I’ve a lot of work to do but, at the same time, I am very ambitious and I feel I’ve got a lot to offer in terms of coaching anyway.
Managing might be a different side of it but, yeah, definitely, I’d love the opportunity in time to be involved with the club.”
One small bit of advice: it might not be the wisest course should the East Cork man the supporters revere as the ‘Conna Maradona’ opt to try and emulate Diego the manager.
“(Laughs) Probably not no, but then I don’t think I emulated him on the pitch either. I think people were very kind.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
