FAI Cup final: Drogheda boss Kevin Doherty says 'it's absolutely ridiculous what we've gone and done'
Drogheda United stunned Derry City to win the FAI Cup at Aviva Stadium
Amid all the razzamatazz around this clinical takedown of Derry City, it’s mad to think that Drogheda United still have a bigger prize to fight for.
Their Premier Division status is on the line next Saturday when they walk the promotion-relegation tightrope against Bray Wanderers, so the underdogs-come-good narrative around this FAI Cup win is merely bonus territory for now.
Admittedly, it’s quite the bonus as Drogheda reclaimed a trophy they last won in 2005, not to mention sealing a lucrative return to Europe - worth at least €525,000 - no matter what division they are operating in next year.
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But while the celebrations will have gone on into the night, Kevin Doherty and his players - who are all part-time - are back on the training ground at 1.00pm on Monday as focus shifts to their fight to survive in the top flight.
An emotional Doherty, bearhugged on the final whistle by his teenage daughter Issy, and who was thinking of his late father Liam as the tears welled up, said: “We’ve had some really good performances this year, and beaten some big sides, but hopefully we’ll have an even bigger one next weekend.”
Doherty continued: “I didn’t plan on crying on national TV. You can’t hide from your emotions, especially when you’re true to yourself and I was dying for her to get on. I was sitting over the far side last year, looking at Jon Daly with his daughters when St Pat’s won the cup and I texted him afterwards. There’s no point saying the family stuff doesn’t matter, because just look at it out there.
“The sacrifice your family makes, my wife Laura is a tower of strength. Her father has not been well, but she can smile and be happy for a while with this.”
And Doherty added: “The players have been so focused and there’s not a harder working group. These lads are working day jobs, but they come to Aviva Stadium and win a cup final like that? It’s absolutely ridiculous what we’ve gone and done.”
The same can’t be said of Derry City whose spectacular unravelling reached a fitting conclusion here, ending the season completely empty handed when the opportunity to win a double was there for the taking just two-and-a-half weeks ago. Not only that, there will be no European football next year either.
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The Candystripes had faced taunts of ‘bottling it’ after blowing their Premier Division title bid, but streaming out of Aviva Stadium, even some of their own fans were saying the same thing and questioning how manager Ruaidhri Higgins can survive this?
Derry rolled the dice late on by throwing injured striker Pat Hoban into the mix with 25 minutes to go, but it was a desperate measure on a day when their whole approach smacked of desperation. Drogheda never allowed them to play with any conviction.
Instead, the likes of Elicha Ahui stood tall and picked up the man-of-the-match honours by keeping Derry’s star turn Michael Duffy under wraps. Conor Kane, the other wing-back, was immense too having missed the 2022 final for Shels through injury.
And so was Shane Farrell, hooked by Damien Duff in that same final defeat to Derry two years ago and then binned altogether in July this year, but who is entitled to pick up a league winners medal to go with this FAI Cup one, having made 17 league appearances for Duff’s champions.
But Doherty warned: “We have to stay in the league. That was our goal at the start of the year. This is a bonus, a really nice bonus, but it will be very tough against Bray.”
The opening half failed to ignite in the same way as the stream of pyro that delayed the start of the match and the restart after Quinn’s vital intervention before half-time. Derry shaded possession up to then, but did nothing with it and squandered two early efforts, not least from Sadou Diallo.
Drogheda always carried a threat and Quinn pounced for the all-important opener in the 37th minute. Farrell floated a free-kick into the Derry box and Quinn ghosted in at the back post to volley a low effort home. Derry’s Mark Connolly, a PFA Ireland Team of the Year pick - had no idea his fellow centre-back was there.
Derry’s misery was compounded further when skipper McEleney was forced off before the break after a clash of heads with Drogheda captain Ryan Brennan, who was patched up with one of those ‘don’t mess with me’ headbandages.
Chasing the game, Derry brought on Collie Whelan and Sean Robertson 10 minutes after the interval, but they were completely down and out within a minute after Ronan Boyce fouled Kane and Douglas James-Taylor stepped up to fire home from the spot - his seventh goal in the FAI Cup this season.
Thereafter, Derry never looked capable of getting back on track. Drogheda were so disciplined in their defensive duties and while they were playing so deep in the closing 15 minutes, they had the Candtstripes’ number every step of the way.
“It’s such a great day,” beamed Doherty before the lights turned out at Aviva Stadium, but he knows it will be a truly special week if Drogheda United can produce the goods one more time and maintain their Premier Division status.
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