IN A CITY raised on songs and stories the 500 Derry City fans who took over a small corner of north Dublin last night will have a tale to tell the next generation.
Michael Duffy inspired the Candystripes to this year’s FAI Cup final with a sublime double against Bohemians.
The sounds that filled the Phibsborough air were of northern delight, with just a hint of mischief as they broke into their own version of The Auld Triangle.
They soon wished they were back home in Derry to continue the celebrations, cherishing those two Duffy goals as they made that journey.
The first will be recalled as one of the great semi-final moments, its lore already finding a fateful origin. The day before, Duffy’s manager sat down to show him previous goals he had scored against Bohs at Dalymount Park to help with positive visualisation.
“It’s important to remind players of special things they have done previously. Big games, special players and that’s what he is,” Ruaidhdrí Higgins said. “To be honest, I loved the angle. There was a small breeze behind him as well.
“When he catches it the ball can fly off his boot and that’s what happened. It was an amazing goal.”
The second strike came after the kind of jink and twist from the wing that Duffy has probably earned the right to try and trademark as intellectual property in the League of Ireland. He turned 30 in July and it was these kind of performances earlier in his career that had him close to becoming a Republic of Ireland international.
Stephen Kenny was in the stands to witness these two flashes of artistry. The former Ireland boss was sitting just in front of his successor, Heimir Hallgrímsson, although that chapter in time for such consideration has surely passed.
“He backs himself. He’s an absolutely brilliant footballer, we all know that. His time here, really, has been disrupted by injury. He had a terrible leg break against Drogheda a couple of years ago and he’s had a lot of setbacks since that,” Higgins said.
“You can see now with a run of games what he’s capable of and he’s a special player, absolutely special player and that’s why we tried hard to bring him to the club. Big players produce in big games and Michael Duffy has done it once again.
“I don’t know, people will say he’s had a quietish season but I think he’s near double figures. He’s on nine goals from a wide area and he’s missed quite a few games earlier in the season. It’s a really good return and he’s got six more games to get into double figures, which I’m 100% sure he will do.”
With Duffy in this form Derry will feel even more confident that they can end the season as Premier Division champions before the cup final on 10 November. They are currently second, four points adrift of league leaders Shelbourne, who travel to Shamrock Rovers tomorrow.
The champions are also still in the hunt for their fifth title in a row and will go second with a win after Galway United could only draw at home to bottom side Dundalk last night.
Rovers can move to within two points of Shels with victory, while Derry will drop to third and have two games in hand. Maximum points from those fixtures would then take Higgins’ side two clear at the top, while four from six would see them reach the summit on goal difference.
It’s a minefield, so no wonder Higgins was preferring to embrace this moment instead with a showpiece to come against either Drogheda United or Wexford.
“It’s about getting to the final of the cup and it’s about emptying Derry out once again. Cup finals are absolutely special, in an unbelievable stadium and with the fanbase we have, hopefully we can travel in similar numbers to what we did a couple of years ago,” Higgins said, having led the club to success in 2022.
“It’s special, very, very special but I repeat it’s not about me, it’s about a city, about bringing a city back down to Dublin together, players and supporters together and we showed how powerful that can be our last time in Dublin and I want to urge all our supporters to do the same again and more if possible.”
Bohs, on the other hand, were left bereft and manager Alan Reynolds did not carry out post-match duties. “The overriding feeling is disappointment at going out, ultimately we feel regrets and went out with a bit of a whimper as the second half wore on post the second goal,” assistant Stephen O’Donnell said.
“Our body language slumped a little bit. Here, especially, we should always feel that we are a goal away from flipping any game on it’s head, even if we are two down, but we just didn’t give off that impression and that’s the most disappointing thing.”
Just part of the story on a night that belonged to Derry City.
