Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty pays emotional tribute to late father after securing FAI Cup final spot

Kevin Doherty paid an emotional tribute to his late father Liam after Drogheda United marched into the FAI Cup final on the back of a five-goal thriller.

Drogs were 1-0 down to Wexford at half-time after Aaron Dobbs scored the first of his two goals to put the First Division outfit in the driving seat.

But first-half sub Adam Foley stole the show, initially with an equaliser and then - after Douglas James-Taylor and Dobbs traded late, quick-fire goals - a 92nd minute winner.

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Foley’s winner sparked chaos at Weavers Park and fired Drogheda into the November 10 final against Derry City.

And Doherty’s men will be up for the fight having only beaten the Candystripes in the league 10 days ago.

For Doherty, it will be his second time to be involved in an FAI Cup final having lost the 2007 decider at the RDS to Cork City when he was a Longford Town player.

Drogheda United manager Kevin Doherty celebrates with fans after the game
(Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

The night his dad passed away four years ago, Doherty was at his mam’s house when his sister-in-law showed him a video clip of his father that he had never seen before.

“She had a video of him singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, in a pub across the road from the RDS after we played in that Cup final,” said Doherty. I remember going in there after the game and I was disappointed as we’d just lost the game.

“I always wanted to try and please my dad, but he said ‘my son has just played in an FAI Cup final, how could I be disappointed.

“That was the first day I actually met my sister-in-law, as my brother had only started going out with her, but she sent me that video when he passed. Singing ‘You'll never Walk Alone”, the significance of it (now). He's not a Liverpool fan but my dad was a big football man.”

Speaking minutes after this semi-final win, Doherty opened the case of his mobile phone to show a photo of his dad, who he always chats to while driving to games.

Doherty added: “I made a promise to myself, or my dad, that no matter what happened today, whether it’s penalties, the worst, the luckiest, refs, as long as we’re in the final.”

But Doherty revealed how he needed to tear strips off his players at half-time after an all-too passive first half in which they were second best in all departments.

Wexford were bidding to become the first First Division side since Shelbourne in 2011 to reach the FAI Cup final.

Drogheda United’s Luke Heeney and match-winner Adam Foley celebrate after the game
(Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

But Foley’s brilliant brace either side of James-Taylor’s 77th minute lead goal - before Dobbs equalised with his backside two minutes later - sealed a dramatic win.

Foley turns 35 at the end of the season and the local lad admits the chance to play at Aviva Stadium is - for him - a ‘pinch me’ moment.

Drogs hero Foley beamed: “It’s the stuff of dreams because I’m a season ticket holder for Ireland. Me and my mates have been going to matches for years since I’m a kid.

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“I’m in Row P, seat 144 behind the goals, and you’re always looking at it thinking it would be unbelievable to play here. I’ve gone to every FAI Cup final and I said to my wife that we’ll be here some day, not just watching but part of it.”

Foley bagged the injury-time winner by popping up in the right place at the right time to latch onto James Bolger’s flick on from Ellicha Ahui’s long throw into the box.

He flicked a leg at the dropping ball and sparked pandemonium at Weavers Park with some fans barreling over the advertising boards to invade the pitch.

Foley continued: “Those last few minutes were emotional and I was talking to Damien (MacGraith, the referee), saying ‘c’mon, we just want this over’. Walking out there in an FAI Cup with your hometown team will be special. It’s hard to think about because of the massive game against Waterford on Friday but we have to enjoy today.”

HEARTBREAK FOR KEDDY

James Keddy admits it will be hard to get over the heartache of missing out on the FAI Cup final.

The Wexford boss - who won two FAI Cups as a player - saw his team lead at half-time and then battle back to level the game at 2-2 with 11 minutes to play.

But Drogheda had woken from their first-half slumber and were pushing hard for a winner when Adam Foley made the decisive intervention in injury-time.

As a player, Keddy also won the league with Drogheda United in 2007 but was gutted to see his former club beat his current team in such gut-wrenching fashion.

Keddy said: “It's going to be hard. It'll take us a while to get over that. It’s a difficult day but that's football. I'm in it long enough to know you just have to go again.

“But I don't think we did enough in the second-half with the ball. We didn't pass the ball as well as we should have.

“There's probably a little bit of nervous energy around there with young players. That's the way it goes. That's part of their learning.

Wexford goalscorer Aaron Dobbs celebrates with team mate Divin Isamala
(Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

“If they want to grow, if they want to get to the next level, they have to be able to play under pressure. Unfortunately, we didn't do enough with the ball.

“Our lads are part-time, their lads are full time. It's livelihoods at stake so that's the small difference with having that ruthless streak.”

Thomas Oluwa was a menace raiding down the left flank and provided the assists for both of Aaron Dobbs’ goals.

But Keddy feels Oluwa has plenty to learn and said: “He's playing in my (old) position but if Thomas wants to go to the next level he's got to be up and down both ways.

“He did fantastically well for both goals today, but you need to have everything if you're going to go up a level.”

Drogheda and Wexford could still face each other in the promotion-relegation playoff decider and Keddy added: “We wouldn’t be afraid of them.”

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