Darragh Burns fires Derry City to seventh FAI Cup title
Darragh Burns scored a 69th minute winner for Derry City against Waterford in the FAI Cup final. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
After all the hype in the build-up around one winger Michael Duffy, it was Derry City’s other flanker Darragh Burns who scored the only goal to claim their seventh FAI Cup.
In front of a crowd of 36,093, Waterford were unable to complement their great escape from relegation with a first Blue Riband since 1980, failing to trouble Brian Maher despite the goalkeeper’s early blunder.
Burns, who won the FAI Cup with St Patrick’s Athletic in 2021, only joined Derry in July but ensured their disappointing league finish of fifth was compensated with this silverware.
Too much time was afforded to the winger as he cut in past Benny Couto and Evan McLaughlin to get a sight of goal from the edge of the box.
Take nothing away from the finish, though, as the 20-yarder sped past Stephen McMullan at the near post.
Waterford, for all their spells of possession, didn't do enough on the day to test Derry. In Tommy Lonergan and Pádraig Amond, they had the league’s top scorers paired up front but they were starved of service as Adam O’Reilly and Ellis Chapman gradually bossed midfield.
Lonergan, likely to have played his final game for the Blues as UK suitors hover, may rue a first-half chance he missed from John Mahon’s flick on. For once, the sharpshooter couldn’t direct his header on target.
That chance was sourced through Couto’s long throw and it was from the former Cork City left-back’s set-pieces that the Blues got most joy.
A similar tale to how they bounced back from the basement to finish seventh in the table.
Only this time they couldn’t capitalise when the few chances fell their way.
They did almost avail of Maher's generosity when the stopper, preferred over Tom Norcott after recovering from injury, allowed Couto’s 15th-minute curling free-kick to squirm through his hands and onto the crossbar. His failed execution in turning the ball away from danger offered encouragement to the Blues.
Derry did try to involve Duffy but played into Waterford’s hands by conceding soft fouls in areas of danger.
Just past the midway point of the first half, Derry’s Chapman unleashed a 30-yard volley that strayed well wide before, at the other end, Conan Noonan wriggled free in the box only for Maher to be equal to the task, stooping low to his left to save.
The ball was in Waterford’s net on 28 but referee Kevin O’Sullivan had blown his whistle for offside. Replays indicated the call by the assistant was marginal but VAR has yet to visit these shores for domestic duty.
Then came Lonergan’s chance on 33. He’d finished easier chances along his trail of 16 goals in the league and two more in the Cup.
Duffy left Hayden Cann trailing in his wake just before the break but couldn’t keep his shot on the run under the crossbar.
It was all to play for heading into the second half until one moment of supreme execution was decisive.
Noonan’s nifty footwork had the Waterford fanbase in the south stand behind the goal on their feet shortly after the restart.
Sweeping past Cameron Dummigan towards the endline, his cross was batted away by Maher at the front post for a corner, from which Kevin Long took a booking to thwart a counterattack.
Lonergan then went close to breaking the deadlock on 56 minutes. From a sumptuous Couto corner, the striker rose highest in a crowded box to apply a header but Nick Twisk, including his arm pulling his jersey, jolted him off-balance and the header glanced wide.
Long had hauled Burns down for his yellow and his colleagues probably should have done the same when he dropped his shoulder with 21 minutes left.
Derry were content to operate on the break to protect their lead. Kevin Dos Santos offered a different dimension after his introduction, slipping inside his marker with seven minutes later from the left before missing the far corner with his sliced effort.
A minute later, Lonergan’s looping header – off course from a Couto cross – sailed marginally beyond Maher’s far post before there were two late spurious claims for a penalty. Not to be for the Blues.
B Maher; C Dummigan, J Stott, P McClean, B Fleming; N Twisk, A O’Reilly; D Burns (K Dos Santos 77), E Chapman, M Duffy; J Clarke (L Boyce 83).
S McMullan; J Voilas (D McMenamy 75), H Cann, J Mahon, K Long, B Couto; E McLaughlin (L Heeney 89), N Mawene, C Noonan; T Lonergan, P Amond.
Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).
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