Sligo Rovers are FAI Cup Champions

• Simon O'Gorman
• Sun, Nov 14 2010


Sligo Rovers 0 - 0 Shamrock Rovers AET (Sligo win 2-0 on penalties)

Sligo Rovers won a dramatic penalty shoot out at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday evening to claim the 2010 FAI Cup after 120 minutes of compelling football had failed to separate them from Shamrock Rovers. The game finished scoreless despite some tremendous football and, while neither team managed to grace the first Aviva Final with a goal, it was a game that still did credit to two fine teams and an occasion which will have warmed the heart of all present.

The weather and the architecture combined with an impressive crowd to provide the perfect backdrop for this game. At the end of along hard season it was fitting that, arguably, the best two sides in the league had found their way to a Cup final attended by over 36,000 people.

Sligo Rovers began the game without two of their more influential players and it was Eoin Doyle who was chosen to lead the Sligo line in the absence of suspended centre forward Mathew Blinkhorn.

And Doyle did a sterling job of holding up the ball as Romauld Boco, Gary McCabe and John Russell swept around him, seeking to find a weakness in a Shamrock Rovers defence that was itself stripped of several key members.

It was Sligo who offered up the first shot in anger, full back Iarfhlaith Davoren pinging a 30 yard effort comfortably over Alan Mannus' crossbar in the fourth minute. Shamrock Rovers responded four minutes later when Gary Twigg turned onto a through ball from Craig Sives and flashed his shot narrowly over.

In truth Twigg was somewhat over-shadowed by his strike partner Thomas Stewart who caused all sorts of problems in the Sligo defence. But it was Joseph Ndo who stood out as the key influence of the opening half.

Stewart was spoken to as early as the seventh minute for impeding the Sligo midfielder and, with Richie Ryan suspended, it was crucial to Sligo's ambitions that Ndo managed to shake off his competitors and exert his influence.

Twigg bundled a shot wide on 13 minutes for Shamrock Rovers and Gary McCabe floated a delightful ball just past the angle of post and bar at the other end as the play ebbed and flowed. But it was Sligo who grew into the game more convincingly. Ndo sprayed the ball around like the maestro that he is and while John Russell found plenty of promising positions up front, he never quite figured out what to do with them.

In the 17th minute Romauld Boco met an Ndo corner with an accurate and powerful header that Alan Mannus did extremely well to parry. Increasingly it looked as if Sligo's impressive approach play might yield a reward. Danny Ventre might have done better than direct his 26th minute snapshot straight at Mannus and saving tackles from Sives and Flynn denied Davoren and Russell respectively.

Just before half time Gavin Peers had perhaps the best chance of the half when he met another Ndo corner and might have sent his side into the break with a lead, but his glancing header slipped just wide of Shamrock Rovers' far post.

The second half began with some Shamrock Rovers pressure that one would imagine was a result of Michael O'Neill's half time talk. The Hoop's boss cannot have been pleased to see how his players shrank as the opening forty five minutes progressed and eight minutes after the restart Gary Twigg might have scored when he got on the end of James Chambers' cross from the right. It marked the best opportunity from a period of bright attacking play but the arch hitman's header, while on target, sailed straight into the arms of Sligo 'keeper, Ciaran Kelly.

Moments later Sligo launched a blistering counter attack. Ndo started it from deep and was crudely taken out by Stephen Bradley who was later booked for his trouble. The ball was swept forwards in a series of crisp diagonal passes before Doyle fed Boco and his cross was gathered at the back post by McCabe before his shot fizzed over the Shamrock Rovers bar.

The second half was in danger of going the same way as the first with Sligo working their way into the more commanding position. Peers headed narrowly over from yet another Ndo corner and Eoin Doyle shot over after a series of desperate defensive blocks.

In the 70th minute Alan Keane played a superb pass to put Boco through and his blasted shot was deflected away by Alan Mannus. The ball was then worked back across goal and McCabe drove in a low shot that Mannus gathered well. With fifteen minutes remaining the Shamrock variety of Rovers instigated a rapid sequence of chances.

Gary Twigg fed Stewart to his left and his low shot passed Kelly before being battered away for a corner by Peers. Dennehy's in-swinging delivery caused mayhem and Flynn might have nudged a header home at the far post but for a timely block.

As normal time slipped away McCabe had another effort blocked heroically by Pat Flynn and Billy Dennehy had a shot tipped into the side netting by Ciaran Kelly. Either side might well have scored but the whistle came with the game still scoreless and the teams faced into a half an hour of extra time.

While extra time began at a less frenetic pace it was still clear that Sligo were playing the better football. They held the ball better and were more measured in their use of it. Shamrock Rovers gave it away too easily with only Dennehy's pace on the right wing continuing to offer a genuine attacking outlet.

Tiredness naturally became the power broker, hardly surprising when the game's second substitution came as late as the 102nd minute. With little warning the two teams suddenly began to resemble battered heavy-weight boxers as they traded midfield blows.

The break between the periods of extra time was mercilessly short and the final fifteen minutes saw Sligo totally dominate. Ndo, Boco, Russell and Doyle all caused massive problems for a Shamrock Rovers side who were virtually out on their feet. Wave after wave of attacks rolled in and in the 110th minute Stephen Bradley flailed at a Sligo body and drew a second yellow card from Thomas Connolly.

In the remaining ten minutes the onslaught continued but the Tallaght side somehow managed to repel each and every Sligo assault. The whistle finally came and, without a goal being scored, a compelling 120 minutes came to an end.

It was Sligo who took the first kick, Eoin Doyle finishing confidently past Mannus, but then there followed an incredible sequence of five missed penalties. Gary Twigg missed Shamrock Rovers first, followed by Alan Keane of Sligo. Then Pat Flynn had his effort saved by Ciaran Kelly. Next up was Sligo club captain Conor O'Grady... who missed, as did Chris turner for the Hoops. Finally, Gary McCabe scored with Sligo's fourth kick and Paddy Kavanagh was the man who had to score for the Hoops. His shot was deflected upwards and out by Kelly's foot and Sligo Rovers had won their third FAI Cup.

Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Stephen Rice, Pat Flynn, Craig Sives, Enda Stevens; James Chambers (Dessie Baker 69 (Aidan Price, 112)) Stephen Bradley, Chris Turner, Billy Dennehy; Thomas Stewart (Paddy Kavanagh, 102), Gary Twigg.
Subs not used: Pat Jennings, Danny Murphy, Aidan Downes, Neale Fenn.
Bookings: .Bradley (57), Stewart (59), Turner (75).
Sendings off: Bradley (110)

Sligo Rovers:Ciaran Kelly; Alan Keane, Gavin Peers, Jim Laughlan, Iarfhlaith Davoren; Gary McCabe; Joseph Ndo, John Russell, Danny Ventre (Conor O'Grady, 117), Romauld Boco; Eoin Doyle.
Subs not used: Richard Brush, Derek Foran, John Gibson, Mark McGoldrick, Nelson Vieira, John Dillon.
Bookings: Peers (18), Ndo (40), Keane (56), Ventre (103).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Joseph Ndo.
Referee:Thomas Connolly.
Attendance: 36,101.