'CAM' YOU BELIEVE IT! Derry City win the FAI Cup with dominant display against Shelbourne!!

Derry City 4

Shelbourne 0

Derry City dominated Shelbourne to win the FAI Cup in scintillating fashion in Dublin!

Two goals from defender Cameron McJannet, which followed an opener from Jamie McGonigle, and a late penalty from Jordan McEneff, helped the Candystripes to a thrilling victory and the club’s sixth FAI Cup in its League of Ireland history.

It was a perfect day for manager Ruaidhri Higgins, who now has one major trophy to his name at the end of his first full season in management, and he joins elite names such as Jim McLaughlin, Felix Healy, Kevin Mahon Stephen Kenn and Declan Devine as the managers to bring the FAI Cup home to Derry.

Derry City could well have had the quickest goal in cup final history as the ball broke for Jamie McGonigle on the edge of the area and he got there just ahead of Brendan Clarke and prodded it goalwards, only for the Shels’ goalkeeper to save.

The Candystripes enjoyed a good spell of pressure 10 minutes in when they forced five corners in quick succession, in between which Patrick McEleney brought a good save from Clarke with a free kick from 30 yards.

Derry got the start they wanted when they broke the deadlock just 18 minutes in and it was all down to the brilliant of Patrick McEleney. The City captain switched play with a 40-yard pass from inside his own half to pick out Ryan Graydon who crept in behind Shane Farrell into the area, where he picked out Jamie McGonigle, who placed the ball beautifully beyond the reach of Clarke and into the bottom corner of the net.

The goal finally encouraged Shels to come out and play and they came close to an immediate equaliser when Gavin Molloy whipped a free kick just wide of Brian Maher’s goal from 30 yards.

But it was Derry City who remained in control and they doubled their lead 10 minutes before half time thanks to another decisive build up. Cameron McJannett played Michael Duffy in behind the Shelbourne defence, and the winger opted to fire it across goal instead of shooting. It was hacked cleared by an off-balance Shane Griffin, but only into the path of McJannet, who had continued his run and he blasted the ball into the open net to make it 2-0 and put his team in absolute control of this cup final.

City struggled to get their foot on the ball in the early stages of the second half, but they till could have made it 3-0 on 58 minutes. A diagonal ball forward by McJannet looked for Graydon to break in behind again, and while it was cleared, it only came to McGonigle who attempted to catch Clarke off his line with a looping header, but the ball landed on the roof of the net.

City didn’t have to wait long until that third goal and it came so simply for McJannet on 62 minutes as he ran unmarked onto a corner from Michael Duffy to force the ball off the underside of the bar and into the net with his left thigh for his second goal of the game.

The goal was a devastating blow for Shelbourne, who could have been out of this cup final completely within two minutes as Duffy cut inside Wilson on the left wing before driving a sensational effort past Clarke only to be denied by the frame of the goal.

Shelbourne fans showed no class as they headed towards a big cup final defeat as the game had to be stopped at the 77-minute mark due to several flares which were thrown in the direction of City goalkeeper Brian Maher.

It was just a matter of seeing out the final 10 minutes for Derry City but there was one final twist in the tail. Substitute Jordan McEneff, on the pitch for a matter of seconds, went through on goal and was wiped out unceremoniously by defender Luke Byrne. Referee Damien McGraith pointed to the penalty spot and it was McEneff who demanded the ball before sending it right down the middle of the goal to start a party which may well last right into 2023 for those in red and white!

Teams

DERRY CITY: Maher, Boyce, Connolly, S McEleney, McJannet, Dummigan, Patching (McEneff 90’), P McEleney, Graydon, Duffy (B Kavanagh 90’), McGonigle.

SHELBOURNE: Clarke, Byrne, Griffin, Negru, Wilson, Molloy, Dervin, Lunney, Farrell (McManus 45’), Moylan, Boyd.

REFEREE: Damien McGraith.