Shamrock Rovers complete historic double with FAI Cup final win over 10-man Cork City
RED ALERT: Rory Gaffney of Shamrock Rovers, second from left, celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's second goal. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Two Corkmen won the FAI Cup but Josh Honohan and Matt Healy helped slay their hometown club for newly-crowned double holders Shamrock Rovers.
This clash of the teams that sat bottom and top of the Premier Division was settled by a second-half brace in the space of six minutes from 36-year-old veteran Rory Gaffney but the final was far from predictable and straightforward.
Cork City boss Ger Nash had highlighted key moments as being pivotal to their relegation season since he arrived in May and a couple before a crowd of 35,252 at Lansdowne Road were integral to the outcome.
The first of those was a needless red card incurred by Harry Nevin, on his first start since August, as the clock towards half-time with the game in stalemate.
Even with 10 men, the Rebels remained in the mix to salvage their season and it took an exceptional save by Ed McGinty from Freddie Anderson to deny the Stoke loanee the lead goal five minutes into the second half.
Defeat deprives City of the trophy and European football but the Rovers victory will be rejoiced across Dublin at their neighbours Bohemians. Arising from the double success, the final Conference League place is awarded to the Gypsies.
League runners-up Derry City are bumped up to the Europa League, with the parachute of a second tie in the Conference League.
Key battles soon emerged in the decider.
Deploying Darragh Crowley as Cork City’s central midfielder partner of Greg Bolger was clearly a ploy at stymying the impact of Rovers talisman Graham Burke.
Referee Paul Norton soon had a word with both of the City players after challenges on Burke he deemed overzealous but it was the another Ireland international who fashioned the best chance.
Alex Nolan has fond memories of winning the FAI Cup with St Patrick’s Athletic and his 12th minute dribble on the left created a chance that Seáni Maguire latched onto . His swivel opened up a sight but his shot was well saved with one hand by McGinty.
Fiacre Kelleher’s assignment of shadowing sole Rovers striker Rory Gaffney has led to a couple of physical exchanges, one in particular off the ball which left the City captain clutching the neck of his shirt in pleading with the referee.
An evenly-contested first half then swung the way of Rovers following the Nevin flashpoint. There was no need to lunge into a tackle on Honohan with studs raised, leaving his fellow Leesider writhing in agony holding his ankle.
Norton was positioned nearby and didn’t hesitate to brandish the red card from his back pocket.
Protests from City were non-existent, the staff more interested in organising a team with 10 men for the remaining two minutes of the half – plus the additional two.
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The recently-crowned league champions has begun to take a foothold leading up to that turning point, forcing a sequence of corners.
City goalkeeper Conor Brann, after initially looking nervous with poor distribution, finally had his first stop to make on the half hour from Burke.
It wasn’t until stoppage time that he was extended by the same player, diving to his right to bat away his 20-yard free kick.
Nash and David Meyler had work to do inside the Lansdowne Road dressing-room, planning a second half while a man light.
They could take encouragement from some early forays and the fact Rovers will surely feel the effects of a tiresome trip to Greece on Thursday night, when they drew 1-1 at AEK Athens in the Conference League, but Nolan was sacrificed for Conor Drinan.
Unfortunately for Anderson, the teenage City defender was involved in two contrasting major incidents of the second half.
Firstly, there was the header from Josh Fitzpatrick’s cross and, on 65 minutes, his hesitation in dealing with a left-wing cross allowed Dylan Watts to nip the ball of his toe.
Watts still had to stand up the cross but at the back post Danny Grant came flying in to square the ball back for Gaffney to tap into the corner from close range.
The Tuam native, who was a late call to have his contract extended at the start of the season, grabbed his second with typical predatory instinct.
Kevin Feely’s stray flick was intercepted by the veteran who drove on a diagonal run towards goal. Although it seemed he was destined to tee up Burke, he spotted a gap to angle his low shot through the legs of Brann.
The game petered out with Rovers, on the verge of a first double since 1987, rotating their squad by introducing a slew of substitutes.
Another City sideline huddle needed to work wonders.
It did conjure a chance that Feely swiped over and a Fitzpatrick shot which McGinty turned around the post but there could be no complaints about the outcome.
: E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, C O’Sullivan; D Grant, D Watts (D Mandroiu 78 – inj [C Malley 84]), M Healy, J Honohan (L Grace 88); A McEneff, G Burke (S Kavanagh 88); R Gaffney (J McGovern 78).
C Brann; F Anderson, F Kelleher (K Kamara 71), R Feely; H Nevin, G Bolger (M Murray 71), D Crowley, J Fitzpatrick; A Nolan (C Drinan 46), E McLaughlin (R Keating 75); S Maguire.
: 35,252
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