O'Donnell makes it through 120 minutes whilst looking back to his best in the process

Dundalk captain Stephen O’Donnell produced a vintage performance on Tuesday night to help his side progress through to a third FAI Cup Final in as many years against his former side Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght. It’s been an inconsistent year for O’Donnell who has retained the captaincy despite having his playing time limited by injury.

Chris Shields has grown to have a similar influence in the middle of the park to O’Donnell. The general feeling is that if manager Stephen Kenny were to start O’Donnell, given his recent injury problems, he would have to come off at some stage limiting options from the bench.

O’Donnell played the full 90 plus extra time in Tallaght against a sharp, aggressive Shamrock Rovers side. He was exceptional throughout, putting on a clinic of midfield play.

In the first half with his side producing by far the more intricate patterns of play O’Donnell was central to everything. Time after time he funnelled the ball out wide – where most of the first half was played – for the likes of Michael Duffy and Jamie McGrath.

From there he backed up the play as required, staying primarily behind the ball so as to keep the whole game in front of him. Up against perhaps the league’s fittest, hardest running player in Ronan Finn he refused to get drawn into a battle of stamina. Instead he relied upon his positional sense and tactical awareness to pinch the ball back for his side and help retain it from there.

Dundalk exerted their dominance on proceedings for the majority of the ninety minutes before Rovers eventually grew into the game during the last ten minutes of regulation time, something which they managed to build on and progress with in extra-time. Michael O’Connor was brought on for the home side to great effect getting the equaliser from a terrific Trevor Clarke cross. The Hoops got the ball into the box early and often.

O’Donnell was instrumental in alleviating that pressure. He seemed to effortlessly pop up in the right position to break up the play. When he got on the ball, no matter how tight the space, he never panicked. If the pressure from Rovers was slow to come, he held the ball eating up each and every available second for his team.

His Man of the Match performance was capped with a wonder goal to kill off Rovers hopes.

With the score at 3-2 and the clock running down O’Donnell broke from the centre of the park. His insurance policy, Shields, clipped an exquisite ball over the top. It arrived in the box the exact same time as O’Donnell who didn’t let it bounce or try to take it down. Instead he curled a first-time header into the top corner of Tomer Chencinski’s net.

It was a magnificent 120 minute performance from a player whose ability to finish 90 has at times been questioned this season.

You can read the full match report from the game as written by Stephen Vaughen here.

You can also view pictures from the contest in our slideshow here.