FAI Cup final: Shamrock Rovers 2 (Gaffney 65, 72) Cork City 0
Shamrock Rovers completed a league and cup double for the first time since 1987 with Rory Gaffney, their evergreen striker, scoring twice to take full advantage of Cork City defender Harry Nevin’s straight red card just before half-time.
It is worth retracing Gaffney’s recent injury nightmare. The 36-year-old centre-forward’s time as a Hoop favourite appeared to have ended last winter. For more than 10 months, the Tuam native could not get himself fit. He was offered a pay rise and two-year deal elsewhere. He chose a one-year extension and returned to fight for his place against teenage phenom Michael Noonan and new signing John McGovern.
Gaffney, like Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, was eyeing up trophies rather than pay cheques in 2025.
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The reward came before a 35,252 attendance at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday where Gaffney’s neat brace decided an otherwise underwhelming FAI Cup final.
Forty-two minutes into Irish football’s showpiece event and the most interesting development had been the styles adopted by either manager. Bradley embraced the occasion with a navy suit and green tie while Gerard Nash kept his usual green hooded tracksuit.
It was quite the contrast; the League of Ireland champions versus the worst side in the Premier Division was always going to be a tight, tactical affair.
Nash set the Leesiders up accordingly whereas Shamrock Rovers came to play, transforming from the hunted in last Thursday’s famous 1-1 draw away to AEK Athens, to an attacking line-up determined to unlock Nash’s 5-2-3 defensive alignment.
Cork City had threatened a monumental upset as early shots from Darragh Crowley and Seani Maguire brought nimble one-handed saves from Ed McGinty.
The game was inching along with Rovers peppering the City goal from Dylan Watts corners before Graham Burke’s curling free-kick was denied by Conor Brann at full stretch.
As half-time appeared on the horizon, Nevin allowed the red mist to descend. The right-back was making a name for himself on the biggest day of the year, matching Josh Honohan stride for stride to deny the former Cork City man space down the left.
Then, inexplicably, in the middle of the pitch, Nevin lunged into Honohan. It was a nasty challenge. Studs on shin. As Rovers players rushed to the scene, where Honohan screamed in agony, referee Paul Norton sent the 21-year-old for an early shower.
Nash wasted no time redesigning the resistance. The City players looked stunned as their manager called them into a huddle. Aaron McEneff stalled to sympathise with Nevin. Nobody sets out to commit such a headless act in the cup final.
But the damage was done. Ten-man Cork looked in need of a rescue from the Dubin Fire Brigade, who were forced to circle the stadium to douse the flares and smoke bombs throw on to the pitch.
The patience displayed by Rovers began to feel like a lack of urgency. One chance was all their opponents needed to earn European football next season despite being relegated to the first division.
McGinty was far from idle. The Rovers goalkeeper made two smart saves early in the second half when Joshua Fitzpatrick’s delivery was flicked towards the bottom corner by Freddie Anderson. Not only did McGinty spring into action but he regained his feet to deny Maguire at the back post.
Rovers momentarily broke the deadlock on the hour mark when Gaffney stooped to finish Daniel Cleary’s flick from a Watts’ corner. Gaffney was well offside.
There ended the “third quarter” as Brann went down for treatment, and both sets of players jogged to the sideline for refreshments and coaching. This is a regular occurrence in the League of Ireland. Brann, as usual, made an immediate recovery and Rovers resumed their subtle bombardment of his goal.
That’s when the hammer fell. Seconds after the restart, Anderson’s heavy touch on Burke’s low cross was picked up by Watts who looped a ball to the back post where Danny Grant teed up Gaffney for a tap-in.
Inevitable, 65 minutes in the making, Rovers targeted and exposed City’s teenage defender. Anderson, the son of former England international Viv Anderson, had been one of Cork’s standout performers but you could see the energy drain from the entire team.
Seven minutes later, Gaffney stamped his authority on the occasion when he nutmegged Brann from a tight angle after latching on to another error.
A serious injury sustained by Rovers midfielder Danny Mandroiu, only five minutes after he replaced Watts, momentarily took the shine off an otherwise sensational week in the history of Shamrock Rovers.
Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Cleary, Lopes, O’Sullivan; Grant, McEneff, Healy, Watts (Mandroiu 78 – replaced by Malley 84), Honohan (Grace 88); Burke (Kavanagh 88); Gaffney (McGovern 78).
Cork City: Brann; Nevin, Anderson, Kelleher (Kamara 70), Feely, Crowley; Bolger (Murray 71), McLaughlin (Keating 75); Fitzpatrick, Maguire, Nolan (Drian ht).
Referee: Paul Norton.
