The Road to the FAI Cup Final 2014

So here we are, the FAI Cup Final between Derry City and St. Patrick's Athletic. Both teams will be desperate not to fall at the final hurdle. Ahead of the game in the Aviva today, we have taken a look at how each team navigated their way along the Road to the Final. 

 

Derry City 

It all started for the Candystripes back in early June with a game against First Division side Cobh Ramblers. The Brandywell men comfortably dispatched of the outfit with a 2-0 victory. In the following round they came up against the Leinster League outfit Malahide United. It was another simple enough task for Peter Hutton and his men as they defeated the Dublin side on a 3-0 score-line. A relatively easy beginning to the Cup campaign but that wasn’t going to last.

 

Derry were drawn for a tricky away fixture against Drogheda United at United Park. The game got off to a great start for Derry with Ryan McBride putting them in front however just after the start of the second half they found themselves in bother and they were down 2-1 to a resilient Drogheda side who despite being down to nine men found themselves leading. Derry did pile the pressure on but despite Drogheda then going down to eight men, they struggled to break down the defence. They did eventually rescue their cup campaign through Philip Lowry with just six minutes to play. The replay at the Brandywell Stadium was a much simpler task for Peter Hutton to negotiate as Derry thumped a weakened Drogheda side 5-0. 

 

On to the semi-final it was for Derry. They were drawn to face Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium. The game was an even affair but Dean Kelly put the hosts ahead with 13 minutes to go and it looked like Derry were staring at the cup exit door and not for the first time but talismanic striker Rory Patterson put an end to such doubts on 87 minutes to book yet another replay for Derry at the Brandywell.

 

The replay came just 48 hours later and Derry were to be victors coming out on top of a 2-0 scoreline. The game looked certain to be going to extra time but Mickey Duffy popped up with just two minutes to go and put one foot in the final for Derry and just to be sure that man again, Rory Patterson, secured the big date at the Aviva Stadium for Derry on 90 minutes. 



 

St. Patrick's Athletic

The Saints' Road to the Final started in the beginning of June were they faced St. Patrick's CY. Pat’s were too strong for their namesakes and booked their place in the next round with ease winning 3-0.

 

Next up for St. Pat's was a home fixture against First Division side Shelbourne. Somehow, the game was brought to a replay at Tolka Park when Shelbourne overcame an onslaught at Inchicore to gain a 1-1 draw. However, last year's champions got the job done and came out on top as Conan Byrne scored the only goal in the game in the replay. 

 



In the quarter-finals, Liam Buckley's men came up against Bohemians in Richmond Park which would prove to be a nervous affair. The Saints seemed to be cruising to a 3-1 victory with thanks to a brace from Christy Fagan. However a dismissal for Greg Bolger sparked life into the Bohs' cause and they grabbed another goal with nine minutes to run on the clock but St. Pat's just did enough to hold on and claim their place in the semi-final draw. 

 

The semi-final draw was made and The Saints were to face another First Division side in Finn Harps at Richmond Park. As expected, the hosts went a goal up but it appeared that Finn Harps could possibly cause an upset when they equalised stunning the home fans. However, the class of St. Pat's shone through and they ran out 6-1 winners thanks to braces from Conan Byrne and Killian Brennan. The 6-1 rout saw The Saints cruise into a November date with Derry at the Aviva.

 

History of this Final fixture

In the last two FAI Cup Final meetings between the pair, 2006 and 2012, there has been no fewer than 12 goals and with many faces from the 2012 final still remaining in the two sides, you can't be blamed for expecting more of the same. 

 

Derry will be hoping to lift the cup for the 6th time with their first win coming in 1989 and their last coming in 2012 incidentally against St. Pat's. Whereas, The Saints haven't been as lucky and will be desperate to end a monumental 53 year wait for the FAI Cup and add to the existing two they have presently.  

 

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