IT’S CUP FINAL day at the Aviva Stadium as Derry City and St Patrick’s Athletic meet in the country’s premier cup competition.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail ben@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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Derry City 0-2 St Patrick’s Athletic – St Pat’s are FAI Cup champions for 2014
Good afternoon and welcome along. As part of a double-header at the Aviva Stadium, Raheny United have claimed the Women’s FAI Cup final with a 2-1 win over UCD Waves after extra-time thanks to a winner from Siobhan Killeen.
Read Barry Landy’s match report on that game here. Katie McCabe’s 35-yard cracker is also worth checking out.
In the main event, it’s Derry City v St Patrick’s Athletic. FAI Cup finals have been hugely-entertaining games in recent years and this should be no different.
Skipper Barry Molloy, Aaron Barry and Barry McNamee come through late fitness tests for Derry. Molloy and Barry both star while McNamee has to settle for a place on the bench.
No surprises in the Saints starting XI with 20-league goal Christy Fagan leading the attack.
Here are the teams:
Derry City: Doherty, Jarvis, Molloy (c), McBride, Ventre, McEleney, Patterson, Duffy, Lowry, Dooley, Barry.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Clarke, O’Brien (c), Bermingham, Bolger, Byrne, Fahey, Fagan, Brennan, Browne, Forrester, Hoare.
You have to go back as far as 1961 to find the last time Pat’s have won this competition having lost out in finals in 1967, 1974, 1980, 1996, 2003, 2006 and, most recently, 2012.
Two years ago, substitute Rory Patterson came off the bench to claim victory for the Candystripes in extra-time.
Here’s a quick recap on that game:
The anthems are over and done with and we’re about to get going. Derry are in their traditional red/white stripes, with black shorts and white socks while Pat’s wear a change kit of red/blue and blue shorts and socks.
We’re just two minutes into the game and Pat’s defender Sean Hoare has picked up a booking for holding the shirt of Rory Patterson.
From the resulting free-kick, Ryan McBride heads over the bar.
Neat play from Killian Brennan and Christ Forrester on the left but Forrester overhits his ball down the line while trying to get Ian Bermingham away.
Referee Padraigh Sutton has handed out his second caution of the day as McBride is booked for a tackle on Christy Fagan.
The ball drops to the Pat’s striker in the box moments later and he forces Ger Doherty into a good save before blazing the follow-up across the goalmouth.
Stephen Dooley is player number three into the book thanks to a late challenge on Bermingham.
Big chance for Pat’s! Hoare finds the run of Fagan with a terrific through-ball and the striker takes a first good touch but is met by the onrushing Doherty, who makes a superb block.
The ball comes out to Conan Byrne and the former UCD and Sporting Fingal winger tries his luck first time but shoots well off-target.
Byrne over-runs the ball in a promising area and Derry break at pace. Michael Duffy goes past Hoare and gets the cross in, albeit via a deflection, and Patterson meets the ball to head over.
Doherty’s long ball is headed backwards by Kenny Browne and Patrick McEleney takes a chance to volley with Brendan Clarke caught stranded off his line. The contact isn’t accurate enough, however.
Derry have been let off the hook there. Fagan collects in a central position before turning his man and slipping Bermingham in behind the Candystripes backline. The full-back pulls the ball back but Barry gets a vital interception in.
When it is cleared as far as Brennan, he has a pop from long range but Doherty is behind it all the way.
We’ve played half an hour now.
Hoare and Fagan combine again and the latter lets himself down with a slightly heavy touch inside the Derry box — allowing Doherty to smoother the ball.
Minutes later, Byrne’s shot is deflected off a defender and rolls out for a corner.
Derry have come into the game more in the past couple of minutes but, as I write that, Pat’s break through Fagan. He sets Bermingham free in an advanced area but Dooley’s pace allows him to recover to happily concede a throw-in.
A succession of headers on the edge of the Derry 18-yard line results in another big opportunity for the Saints as Fagan fizzes a shot past the wrong side of Doherty’s post. It may be on his weaker right foot but you would expect him to hit the target after the season he has enjoyed.
Fahey drills a shot from all of 35 yards out but it’s a couple of yards wide of the post. That is likely to be the last of the action as we’ll have one minute of additional time.
Half-time: Derry City 0-0 St Patrick’s Athletic
GOAL! Derry City 0-1 St Patrick’s Athletic (Christy Fagan 52′)
It had to be him, didn’t it. Pat’s break in numbers and Fahey gets in around the back before cutting the ball back to the six-yard box. Fagan takes a touch then adjusts his body to get a shot on. It doesn’t have a huge amount of power but catches Danny Ventre out and trickles in.
That’s 26 goals in all competitions for Fagan.
Rory Patterson hasn’t been given the support he needs at all today but he is still a significant threat. The Derry striker gets a yard and looks to take the shot early but can’t keep the volley down.
Dooley has been brought down by Bolger and he has earned himself a yellow card. Unsurprisingly, Derry are pushing bodies forward in search of a goal and they have a decent chance here.
McEleney steps up but can only crash his shot at the wall.
Oh dear, that should really be a second for Fagan. The goalscorer pulls away to the back post and is found by a brilliant Fahey pass but side-foots wide with his left foot.
Ryan McBride has picked up an injury and has just been replaced by Barry McNamee, meanwhile.
Pat’s playing a sport of keep-ball now with Fahey and Bolger pulling the strings from the middle of the park. There are still 20 minutes on the clock, however, and sitting on a 1-0 lead is a dangerous game.
Derry get a rare shot on goal and McNamee will be raging he hasn’t worked Clarke more. The ball is flung into the Pat’s box and McEleney lays off to McNamee, who shoots low where Clarke can get down to collect.
That was so, so close from Patterson. A Duffy cross from the right is a good height but he glances just over the bar.
Ger O’Brien isn’t moving very well and has been withdrawn with Conor McCormack set to fill in for the final minutes.
Meanwhile, The Bunk has spoken…
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Nervy times for Pat’s who are guilty of sloppy play and concede a free-kick 25 yards out from goal…
Patterson hits the wall but Derry have a corner. It’s whipped in but Pat’s have a free-kick for pushing in the area and Patterson picks up a yellow card.
Four minutes of additional time to play.
Two late substitutes – Lorcan Fitzgerald for Forrester and Sean Houston for McEleney.
Pro14 2021 season if CVC get their way –
The Leinster Heinos v Munster Murphys Irish Stout XV
Connacht (powered by Buckfast) v Harp Larger Ulster
I was going to make a joke about Cocktail named rugby franchises but it’s actually so harmless next to the gambling sponsorship of soccer team shirts
@Daniel J Brady: Go on, tell the vote anyway
Brilliant news that MLR continuing to grow. LA will be a massive draw for players who want to give playing in the US a go. Seriously exciting development!!
Well they will effectively replace glendale raptors in the league
This seems like a very cynical fan grab of the gay community. Hope I’m wrong.
@Armchair Follower: why in the world is it cynical? If the market in venice beach is largely gay then you obviously try and appeal to them. Beyond that the more inclusive and diverse they can make the sport the better it is for everyone