FAI Cup Final Preview: Cork City - v - Dundalk

Cork City and Dundalk will meet in the FAI Cup Final for the second time on Sunday afternoon with both sides looking to round off memorable domestic campaigns on a high (kick off 3.40pm).

CORK CITY

In another decade, this Cork City team would have won all around them in domestic circles. However, such is their misfortune that John Caulfield’s team have had to try and overcome the most dominant League of Ireland side since the Shamrock Rovers side of three decades ago in Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk.

City have been ultra-consistent under the stewardship of club legend Caulfield. Despite finishing in second-place three seasons consecutively, the club’s record goalscorer’s helm will not reflect success if he fails to collect a major piece of silverware, something which has so far eluded him.

Unlike Dundalk, the Leesiders have had no distractions in carefully preparing their tilt at a first major trophy since the 2011 First Division win.

It looked recently as if the Rebels were going to reel Dundalk in as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division came to an exciting conclusion. However, the Rebel’s 2-1 loss in Oriel Park three-weeks ago scuppered their league season’s efforts with the Lilywhites claiming the title days later.

Another thing to urge City on is their agonising defeat in the 2015 decider when a Richie Towell goal early in the second-period of extra time saw Dundalk claim the double at the expense of the Leesiders.

City’s last FAI Cup win was in 2007 with Denis Behan scoring the only goal in their 1-0 triumph over Longford Town in the first final post the closure of the old Lansdowne Road. Alan Mathews’ team claimed the cup for Longford on that occasion at the RDS in front of 10,000 spectators.

More than double that is expected to pack into the Aviva Stadium for the 2016 showpiece with tickets available on the day competitively priced at €10 for adults and €5 for kids.

You could mount a strong case for City to bring the cup back to Cork having watched them defeat the league champions on three occasions already this season. Although Dundalk tend to win the crucial games, especially against the Rebels as we witnessed several times in 2014, 2015 and in their recent league meeting.

“Everyone is looking forward to the cup final,” Caulfield told CorkCityFC.ie. “We know that, if we bring our best performance, we can win the cup and that is what we are hoping to do.

“There is a fantastic buzz around the city and county, (and) as a club, we have progressed a lot over the last couple of years and it is great to see the local soccer community rallying behind us ahead of the game.”

DUNDALK

It is yet another three-day turnaround for Stephen Kenny and his Dundalk troops as they revert their attentions to domestic action and Cork City in Sunday afternoon’s FAI Cup Final.

Dundalk will be seeking to replicate the Shamrock Rovers outfit of the mid-1980s by winning the league and cup double two years running as their incredible season nears its climax.

The Leesiders will provide a stern examination of the Lilywhites’ history-making credentials at the Aviva Stadium though, especially seeing as Dundalk only returned to Ireland on Friday night following their three-day Europa League commitment in St. Petersburg.

Dundalk were, once more, very unlucky not to have taken something from Zenit. In the Petrovsky Stadium on Thursday night Patrick McEleney came oh so to rescuing a point for Kenny’s team at the death with his dinked effort rattling the woodwork.

Giuliano’s brace was enough for the Russians to take the 2-1 win; However, the goal of the night accolade belonged to Daryl Horgan who ran from half way to coolly knock their 52^nd minute equaliser into the net.

Victory in the cup decider would mark the end of an incredible week for Horgan and his team mate Andy Boyle who were named in Martin O’Neill’s 35-man Irish international squad for next week’s Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier with Austria.

Dundalk winger Horgan spoke to extratime.ie following the game in Russia and he expressed his delight at being called into the squad. He called it “a massive honour” before swiftly moving onto discussing the cup final against his former club.

“It will be brilliant. I’m really looking forward to that and it’s a great chance to bounce back and get the double done, but it will be a very difficult game,” Horgan explained.

The Lilywhites have a marvellous cup winning tradition, something which has been evident in recent seasons having contested four of the last five semi-finals.

Dundalk sit second to Shamrock Rovers in being the most prolific winners of the competition. Their ten cup crowns are a record for a provincial club and should they win on Sunday it will also mark the first time that the club has retained the trophy since first winning it in 1942.

The Dundalk boss is looking to win the FAI Cup for the third time as a manager and he spoke to dundalkfc.com in looking ahead to his side’s meeting with the Rebels. “Motivation is high to go and win the double again,” said Stephen Kenny. “The support has been magnificent and they can inspire us to a famous victory once again.

“I am well aware that Cork City are a formidable team. They will be waiting in the long grass for us tomorrow, but we are ready and motivated to have that brilliant feeling of winning the cup again.”

Referee: Rob Rogers

MATCH STATS

Cork City have played in six cup finals, winning two, while the Lilywhites will play in their 16^th decider tomorrow seeking an 11th triumph.

The last time that the same teams met in the FAI Cup Final two seasons in succession came in the 1964/65 and 1965/66 competitions. Shamrock Rovers and Limerick contested those finals with Rovers winning both years.

This is the fifth meeting between the sides this season with City winning the first three – two in the league and the President’s Cup at Turner’s Cross ahead of the league season starting - while Dundalk were 2-1 victors in the recent Oriel Park league clash.

MATCH BETTING

Cork City 2/1; Draw 23/10; Dundalk 13/10.

PREDICTION

Cork City 1-3 Dundalk

Cork City

Injured: Alan Smith, John Dunleavy. Dave Mulcahy (cup-tied)

Doubtful: Mark O’Sullivan, Garry Buckley

Suspended: None

Dundalk FC:

Injured: Shane Grimes (hamstring)

Doubtful: Robbie Benson (hamstring)

Suspended: None