Watch: Jake O'Brien scores against PSG in French Cup Final after Macron meeting

The Cork defender has been one of the surprises of the European club season and ended his campaign on a personal high note as Lyon missed out on cup glory

RISING THREAT: Lyon's Irish defender #12 Jake O'Brien (R) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the French Cup Final football match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Denis Charlet / AFP) (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images)

As if one Corkman scoring in a major domestic cup final in Europe on Saturday wasn't enough, Jake O'Brien doubled the dose late on as his dream season in French football finished on a fitting note. 

Mere hours after Adam Idah had sprung from the Celtic bench to score the only goal in an Old Firm Derby Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, his fellow Rebel County export duly delivered in the French Cup Final. 

With O'Brien's Lyon side trailing Kylian Mbappe and PSG 2-0 early in the second half in Lille, the Youghal native strode forward for a corner kick. Having scored four times in 31 appearances in a remarkable debut season in France, O'Brien rose to the occasion again, shaking off PSG's Fabian Ruiz and rising at the front post to power a header past Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma. 

Earlier O'Brien had been given a special extended introduction to French President Emmanuel Macron during the pre-match ceremonies with a Lyon club official noting how O'Brien had surprised everyone at the club this year: "Jake O'Brien. He did a two-week trial, to see if he was good enough and now he's a starter."

"Jake O'Brien. He did a two week trial, to see if he was good enough and now he's a star."

Jake O'Brien up against Mbappe tonight. What a man #CCFC84 🤣🤣 ☘️ pic.twitter.com/taJTXAX1vQ

— Wayne (@1FCKobe) May 25, 2024

Alas O'Brien's campaign didn't finish on a winning note with Lyon unable to find an equaliser and Mbappe lifting the trophy in his final match in PSG colours. However a first international cap in the June friendlies would surely make for a solid consolation prize. 

O'Brien and Idah's collective heroics weren't the only Irish contributions on the business end of European seasons on Saturday with Troy Parrott scoring a spectacular 28-minute first-half hat-trick to help Excelsior's bid to avoid relegation from the Dutch top flight. Parrott took his tally to 13 in 28 games on loan with Excelsior who saw off ADO Den Haag 9-2 on aggregate in the promotion-relegation playoff series.