Derry City FAI Cup 1995: Gauld exorcises penalty demon

Derry City 2-1 Shelbourne (May 7, 1995)

Derry City went into the 1995 FAI Cup Final on the back of the devastating events at Athlone on the final day of the league season.

Opponents Shelbourne had recorded two league victories over the Candy Stripes during the season, and even though Derry had beaten their opponents more recently, the events at Athlone on the final day of the league season – when City had lost the title on the final day - left a question mark over the mentality of the Derry players.

Supporters need not have worried.

Just eight minutes into the 1995 FAI Cup final, Derry opened the scoring when Harry McCourt played a one-two with Liam Coyle before crossing low into the penalty area. Arriving right on cue was Peter Hutton, who took a touch before he steered a shot past Alan Gough, the ball taking an eternity to cross the line as Derry made the best possible start.

On 73 minutes however that all changed in a hugely dramatic moment, not just in the game itself, but in the entire season. Just moments after O’Neill had brilliantly saved a glancing header from Ray Duffy, Derry broke down at the other end and when Paul Carlyle released Liam Coyle into the penalty area, Shels defender Thomas Dunne bundled him to the ground, giving referee Michael Tomney no choice but to point to the penalty spot.

All eyes immediately turned to Stuart Gauld, wondering if his penalty miss just two weeks earlier was still weighing heavily on his shoulders. But to his eternal credit, the Scot strode confidently forward, placed the ball on the penalty spot, and with 8,000 terrified Derry fans watching on, drove the ball firm and true into the corner of the net, away from Gough, to make it 2-0. The defender’s celebration was unforgettable as he released the tension which had been gnawing at him since the miss at Athlone. This penalty exorcised Gauld’s demons and he had all but won Derry the FAI Cup in doing so.

“There was no question that anyone else was going to hit it,” Liam Coyle said. “I was fouled by Tommy Dunne, but I wasn’t getting up to hit the penalty. It was unbelievable for Stuart because he had broken his heart crying after the Athlone match and blamed himself and to have the guts to step up to take that penalty was amazing.

“I was delighted for him more than anyone that he scored because, outside of Felix, he was the best player I played with at the Brandywell. To this day Stuart is remembered for the penalty at Athlone, and people forget that just two weeks later he stepped up and scored the winner in the cup final. He sent Alan Gough the wrong way, and he went the same way he did down at Athlone. That took some balls.”

Gauld’s penalty was not the last action of an entertaining cup final however.

READ NEXT: Derry City FAI Cup 1989: Fantastic Felix makes it a treble!

A penalty at the other end of the pitch just two minutes later threatened to spoil the Derry City party. Referee Tomney again pointed to the spot when he penalised Paul Carlyle for handball, and Greg Costello lashed the ball past O’Neill to halve the deficit with just over ten minutes remaining.

Fortunately for Derry it proved to be too little, too late from the Dubliners, and they held on to their lead to win the club’s second FAI Cup, this one coming six long years after their success against Cork City in 1989.