FAI Cup Final. Cork City V Dundalk 8/11/15

[Kingswood Rover]

I have a sneaky feeling that Cork will pinch this, all "best team in years stuff" around the Dundalk camp to engender a sense of we just have to turn up on the day complacency perhaps.

[White Horse]

So this is what cup final day feels like. A mixture of Christmas Day and exam results day.

[Yossarian]

So this is what cup final day feels like. A mixture of Christmas Day and exam results day.

That's exactly how I feel. Plenty of nervous excitement. Weather here is poor, wet and windy. What's it like up there, Dublin dwellers?

[patrickccfc]

Well my day didn't get off to the best start, the umbrella broke on me on the way over to the bus. But on the way now and just can't wait now. Best of luck to both team's let's hope it's a cracker and obviously a city win.

[D24Saint]

Awful day out it's similar to 2006 final conditions it will affect the neutrals that planned on going.

[Dunny]

Well my day didn't get off to the best start, the umbrella broke on me on the way over to the bus. But on the way now and just can't wait now. Best of luck to both team's let's hope it's a cracker and obviously a city win.
It's an omen man! :p

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Awful first half

[nigel-harps1954]

Ffs, the game in Finn Park on Friday night was far better than this.

[D24Saint]

Poor game in the first half , imo Cork look the hungryier side but will rely on a set piece to get a goal. It's hard to call but if it continues in this vain this is bound for extra time, hopefully someone can break the stalemate.

[MattB11]

25,103 the attendance according to twittererer

[osarusan]

Fairly ugly sloppy stuff at times.

[joey B]

Pretty brutal game zero quality on show ,the occasion got the better of them I feel

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Cork have been playing for penalties since kick off

[D24Saint]

Congratulations to Dundalk any side that win a double has to be admired.

[patrickccfc]

Terrible game. Congratulations dundalk. Heartbroken.

[geysir]

It was a tough game and took a lot of effort to break down this defensive Cork team but it was always going to be Dundalk from the 2nd half onwards, unless there was a freak breakaway goal for Cork. Towell crowned off a brilliant season by scoring his goal of the season, a cup final winning goal.

[SeanDMRooney]

That wraps up the domestic season......

....I'm sad now

[Dalymountrower]

That wraps up the domestic season......

....I'm sad now
Engaging enough game.Horgan was class.
Great atmosphere generated by both sets of fans. I
In upper East Stand and they couldn't cope with the crowd, bar remained closed for duration, just as well!

[Dunny]

#CorkIsWellFeckingGreenNow

#Omens

:cool::cool::cool:

[geysir]

The indo (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/dundalk-fans-smash-up-seats-during-fai-cup-win-in-aviva-stadium-34180884.html) reporting that around 30 plastic seats were crushed by a small group of hooligans amongst the Dundalk support,
whilst that's obviously criminal behaviour and deserves to be highlighted, however, that piece of news takes headline top story prominence on the sports pages, relegating the match report to a lesser place.

[patrickccfc]

#Omens

Should've known that my umbrella breaking this morning was a bad omen like you mentioned. It was also black and red. Should've just went home after that I'd say. Anyway, enjoy it dundalk fans, cup final victories are special. Sick of being runner's up at this stage

[D24Saint]

The indo (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/dundalk-fans-smash-up-seats-during-fai-cup-win-in-aviva-stadium-34180884.html) reporting that around 30 plastic seats were crushed by a small group of hooligans amongst the Dundalk support,
whilst that's obviously criminal behaviour and deserves to be highlighted, however, that piece of news takes headline top story prominence on the sports pages, relegating the match report to a lesser place.

reading the indo for LOI is a non starter anyway it's specialist in egg chasing & government puff pieces.

[White Horse]

Great feeling to experience a third double while following Dundalk.

Cork did a great job stopping Dundalk from playing for about 60 minutes. However, against a physically filter and stronger team, this is hard to do for 120 minutes.

Eventually, Dundalk powered through Cork and got the goal. Cork really didn't look able to create anything.

Well done to both sets of fans for creating a great atmosphere.

[strikeforce]

Dunny just enjoy the celebrations. No need for the sarcasm. Better team won no doubt about that. We held ye for 65/70 mins but Dundalk were fitter and stronger than city. It's crystal clear that we need to take the Broom to a few of our players. JC'S subs were baffling. I don't suppose you saw anybody break up seats in our national stadium.

[Martinho II]

its the first cup final I can remember for both sides letting off bangers on both sides. I dont mind flares but I didnt like the bangers were bein flung! also the flares were thrown from the back to the pitch and I thought that was very dangerous considerin the strong blustery conditions.

[Dunny]

Dunny just enjoy the celebrations. No need for the sarcasm. Better team won no doubt about that. We held ye for 65/70 mins but Dundalk were fitter and stronger than city. It's crystal clear that we need to take the Broom to a few of our players. JC'S subs were baffling. I don't suppose you saw anybody break up seats in our national stadium.

:rolleyes:

Yeah

Chief suspect #1 > in or around the 3rd minute of 2nd half extra-time!




http://utv.ie/assets/data/getmediafile.ashx?guid=162a7ed5-4732-4c51-9913-6035ff0b45b4&maxsidesize=700

[colonelwest]

reading the indo for LOI is a non starter anyway it's specialist in egg chasing & government puff pieces.

To be fair Dan McDonnell does trojan work covering the league for the Indo, along with the other few print media lads for the other papers, we punch well above our weight in that regard.

As for the game, absolutely delighted with the win and that Ritchie got the winner, well deserved. Commisserations to Cork and their supporters, even though they had the better of the first half's chances, Caulfield's conservative streak came to the fore again and he never really went for it. Not the greatest of games which the conditions didn't help at all, 25k is a fantastic attendance given the day that was in it, a lot of neutrals wouldn't have bothered heading with that weather.

[Dodge]

To be fair Dan McDonnell does trojan work covering the league for the Indo, along with the other few print media lads for the other papers, we punch well above our weight in that regard.
The LOI journos are great. It's the editors who are the problem.

On the game I thought Dundalk were very poor for long spells and were still easily the better team on the day. O'Donnell could hardly move but he's so clever he was still running midfield. If there was to be a goal it had to be from Horgan who was the best attacking player on show yesterday. Fully deserved win for Dundalk

[White Horse]

News editors can't wait to write stories about "football hooligans". It helps them to perpetuate the myth of the superior rubgy and GAA follower.

12 seats came lose when there was a surge after Richie scored an injury time winner. The club will pay the repair costs. What is the problem.

[El-Pietro]

Frustrating day. I think we contained Dundalk for all but the first 10 and last 10 minutes of normal time. We largely nullified the threat from Towell who i think had scored 4 goals against us this season in 3 games prior to yesterdays final.

We had spells of sort of dominaance but created so little. Taking off O'Sullivan probably had to happen but it meant we had virtually nothing left to offer up front as Danny Morrissey was never going to hold anything up there.
Set pieces were supposed to be our best chance of creating chances and yet there were terrible yesterday. So many balls right into Rogers.

In the end our players had nothing left in the tanks after 90 minutes of constant running and that was the difference. Delighted for Benno getting man of the match, though could easily have seen it going to Sheppard or Kein O'Connor who both put in incredible shifts. To be fair 10 of our 11 starting players left absolutely everything they had on the field and the last one will hopefully never play for us again after yesterday.

[GCdfc]

The indo (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/dundalk-fans-smash-up-seats-during-fai-cup-win-in-aviva-stadium-34180884.html) reporting that around 30 plastic seats were crushed by a small group of hooligans amongst the Dundalk support,
whilst that's obviously criminal behaviour and deserves to be highlighted, however, that piece of news takes headline top story prominence on the sports pages, relegating the match report to a lesser place.

It was the first thing said to me in work this morning.

The idiots that broke the seats need to be identified and hopefully with cctv it can be done. I'm surprised that they could be broken so easily. It doesn't bode well if another crowd decide to start a riot (England 1995). Some of the seats came out of the ground and the welding broke on others. I'm also dubious about the click bait "30 seats"...I count 12 in their photos!

On the match itself. Delighted with the result. I thought we would struggle when Gannon went off as Shields is not a natural right back. I think Cork should have targeted him more.

[Straightstory]

To be fair Dan McDonnell does trojan work covering the league for the Indo, along with the other few print media lads for the other papers, we punch well above our weight in that regard.

Really? The major columnists in the newspapers (I'm thinking, for example, Keith Duggan or Ken Earley in The Irish Times) never go near the LOI. Just looking at the IT and Examiner websites this morning, the Dundalk Cork match is hardly prominent. I remember - thirty or forty years ago - when the Cup Final was regarded as a major sporing event by the newspapers, and the coverage reflected that. I'd guess coverage of English football and Irish football was about 50/50 back then. It must be 80/20 now in favour of the Premiership, if not more. Credit to McDonnell, Liam Mackey and a few others, but they're lonely voices.

[White Horse]

Frustrating day. I think we contained Dundalk for all but the first 10 and last 10 minutes of normal time. We largely nullified the threat from Towell who i think had scored 4 goals against us this season in 3 games prior to yesterdays final.

We had spells of sort of dominaance but created so little. Taking off O'Sullivan probably had to happen but it meant we had virtually nothing left to offer up front as Danny Morrissey was never going to hold anything up there.
Set pieces were supposed to be our best chance of creating chances and yet there were terrible yesterday. So many balls right into Rogers.

In the end our players had nothing left in the tanks after 90 minutes of constant running and that was the difference. Delighted for Benno getting man of the match, though could easily have seen it going to Sheppard or Kein O'Connor who both put in incredible shifts. To be fair 10 of our 11 starting players left absolutely everything they had on the field and the last one will hopefully never play for us again after yesterday.

Very fair summary. I thought Cork played closer to their potential than Dundalk.

On a huge pitch that was nice and slick, they contained Dundalk superbly. The only problem was that Cork had no creativity, were unlikely to score, and had to keep up that effort for 120 minutes.

That is virtually impossible against a fitter and stronger team. A special mention to Alan Bennett, he was superb yesterday. I also thought Ross Gaynor did very well.

[punkrocket]

I don't doubt that Dundalk were fitter and stronger, but why is that?
Why should any team be fitter or stronger than any other at the end of the season?
I would have thought that talent, tactics, missing players etc would be areas where some teams could have an insurmountable advantage but surely fitness is some everyone should be able to achieve and shouldn't be the deciding factor. Do some teams still not take strength/fitness seriously?

[El-Pietro]

I don't doubt that Dundalk were fitter and stronger, but why is that?
Why should any team be fitter or stronger than any other at the end of the season?
I would have thought that talent, tactics, missing players etc would be areas where some teams could have an insurmountable advantage but surely fitness is some everyone should be able to achieve and shouldn't be the deciding factor. Do some teams still not take strength/fitness seriously?
Well they clearly work harder on that. Daryl Horgan is twice the size he was when he was at Cork. Gartland doesn't have a neck. We also pressed and pressed for 90 minutes. I'd love to see the ground covered by both teams. I think its something we seriously need to address for next season, though we're at least two years behind Dundalk in this.

[Acer]

I don't doubt that Dundalk were fitter and stronger, but why is that?
Why should any team be fitter or stronger than any other at the end of the season?
I would have thought that talent, tactics, missing players etc would be areas where some teams could have an insurmountable advantage but surely fitness is some everyone should be able to achieve and shouldn't be the deciding factor. Do some teams still not take strength/fitness seriously?

I've been saying this for the past two years. The difference in strength and fitness between Dundalk and all the other teams is huge. With the quality in the league at an all-time low, any team that has a high level of fitness will do well and so often it's the difference in a game. Surely it's something every team should be working on? I look at us this season; I've never seen such a collection of woefully unfit players and it really told in games. I have no idea who the Dundalk fitness coach is but he deserves a huge amount of credit for their recent success. Other clubs should really follow his lead.

[seand]

I don't doubt that Dundalk were fitter and stronger, but why is that?
Why should any team be fitter or stronger than any other at the end of the season?
I would have thought that talent, tactics, missing players etc would be areas where some teams could have an insurmountable advantage but surely fitness is some everyone should be able to achieve and shouldn't be the deciding factor. Do some teams still not take strength/fitness seriously?

This is still a semi-pro league. Most teams are stepping up their fitness and conditioning but Dundalk are a couple of seasons (at least) ahead of the pack. Since 2013 there's a culture of dedication and professionalism at Dundalk that makes them so much greater than the sum of their parts. Strength and fitness training is a huge part of the culture.

But yeh, you wonder what a fully fit Danny North or James Chambers could achieve.

[White Horse]

I've been saying this for the past two years. The difference in strength and fitness between Dundalk and all the other teams is huge. With the quality in the league at an all-time low, any team that has a high level of fitness will do well and so often it's the difference in a game. Surely it's something every team should be working on? I look at us this season; I've never seen such a collection of woefully unfit players and it really told in games. I have no idea who the Dundalk fitness coach is but he deserves a huge amount of credit for their recent success. Other clubs should really follow his lead.

The Drogheda team in 2012 was the first LOI team that took fitness seriously. Who was the coach back the, Gerry Kelly's son?

I suspect that Dundalk took notice.

[seand]

I thought it was a fairly awful game. Dundalk looked nervous and out of sorts, but we still a couple of levels above Cork, who offered nothing in attack in the first 110 minutes. Must have been a long, long journey home.

For me O'Donnell, Gartland and Boyle stood out for Dundalk, with Horgan showing touches of brilliance in the midst of a slew of misplaced passes. Good crowd, looked like a few more from Dundalk than Cork which was a surprise, but I think its safe to say there won't be 10,000 plus battling for tickets for the season opener against Wexford Youths in March!

[punkrocket]

This is still a semi-pro league. Most teams are stepping up their fitness and conditioning but Dundalk are a couple of seasons (at least) ahead of the pack. Since 2013 there's a culture of dedication and professionalism at Dundalk that makes them so much greater than the sum of their parts. Strength and fitness training is a huge part of the culture.

But yeh, you wonder what a fully fit Danny North or James Chambers could achieve.

It doesn't take 2 years to get fit. It takes desire and application. Like you say a professional attitude but I personally know a few guys who are involved in amateur sports and activities who would put some pros and semi pros to shame. Strength and fitness just seem to me to be the low hanging fruit that any team who are serious about wanting to be successful could relatively cheaply and easily access.

[White Horse]

It doesn't take 2 years to get fit.

Building up your core and being fit are two different things.

[oriel]

It wasn’t a great game, and the first half was terrible really. As the match wore on it was clear Dundalk would be the one pressing to win the game and especially in ET, I thought at that point it was just one sided, such was the fitness of Dundalk.

I got the impression if ever there was a game for Cork to beat Dundalk yesterday was that match, especially in the first half as we struggled to get a grip of the MF. I thought the same when Cork visited after we played BATE in July (1-1 draw), however once O’Donnell got going, and started his short passing, this seemed to breathe more life and belief into the side. Shields did well to slot into right full, however Towell was quiet enough in normal time, much more lively in ET, and Finn and Horgan were magnificent for most of the game. Mountney made a big difference when he came on, and will be thinking he should have started on the right. For Cork, Bennett was quality at the back, and Gaynor showed some great pace with decent crossing at times. We just got the feeling once it went to ET, there was going to be one winner only.

On Cork’s re-building, I would start with getting rid of Healy, he is far too slow, decent passer and can put in a tackle, but he offers little when the team are on the back foot, not sure about Miller either, but I`d be looking for younger guys in the middle, it’s an area that appears to be holding Cork back, just too slow. Thought that was a dreadful challenge on Gannon, especially the follow up leg coming through, nasty stuff, think this was Buckley, he didn’t even get booked.

Disappointing to read about the seats, and like another fan who mentioned this, it was the first thing someone said to me at work this am, FFS, it had to be negative. The fans have said it was only due to standing, but the photos suggest differently, another fine and probably a deduction from the prize money.

Overall it was a great day out, fantastic to see so many there with their small kids, ourselves included, it was a real big day out for all who went, 25,100 was good turnout, definitely over 10k there from DLK . Achieving another double and the clubs 3rd in total was just a great feeling.

Commiserations to Cork, but who knows if they have more self belief, they could have got something yesterday.

[Djm1901]

Went along as a neutral but decided to do my bit for the league and brought 9 others to their first LOI match in the hope of a decent game between the top 2 in the country. We got to the ground 30 mins early to make sure we got seats together in the unreserved premium section that were protected from the rain but just before kick off some of my guests went to get a bite to eat while I stayed behind. Along came an unpleasant Cork fan who took the seats and told me 'tough sh*t, if they all don't stay at their seats they can't keep them'. So our group were chucked down a few rows onto wet seats and Baltic conditions. Very frustrating trying to introduce people to the League and dispel the myth that LOI fans are unfriendly and unwelcoming when stuff like this happens.

Following that we ditched our status as neutrals and donned the Lilywhite colours for the day thanks also to some friendly Dundalk fans in our new seats. On the match itself, the weather didn't help contribute to a great spectacle and I felt the volume of fouls in the first half really stunted the game's flow. Highlight of the match for me (and my guests) was the incredible atmosphere generated by both sets of fans just before the end of he first 90 minutes. Congrats to Dundalk on a well deserved double; you've also earned 9 new fans in the process.

[seand]

Congrats to Dundalk on a well deserved double; you've also earned 9 new fans in the process.

Where were you when we were sh1te? ;)

[CuanaD]

News editors can't wait to write stories about "football hooligans". It helps them to perpetuate the myth of the superior rubgy and GAA follower.

12 seats came lose when there was a surge after Richie scored an injury time winner. The club will pay the repair costs. What is the problem.

It's terrible journalism - there's certainly only 12 seats in those photos.

Looks to me like shoddy workmanship there - I see three weld-joints that have given way, I'd worry about the quality of the metals & joints here - all the damage is done to the metal parts & none to the plastic.

IMO I don't think any club should just 'pay the costs' - I'd be more for asking questions about the build & fit-out quality of the stadium here.

[pineapple stu]

Looks to me like shoddy workmanship there - I see three weld-joints that have given way, I'd worry about the quality of the metals & joints here - all the damage is done to the metal parts & none to the plastic.

IMO I don't think any club should just 'pay the costs' - I'd be more for asking questions about the build & fit-out quality of the stadium here.
IEcvamtIO8w

[carrickharp]

25,103 the attendance according to twittererer

Sure I told ye that on Friday in the predictions league competition ; )

[seand]

Watching back lat night Tony O'Donoghue's interview with a visibly gutted Alan Bennett did nothing for Bennett's mood I'd guess. I'm paraphrasing, but his three leading questions were along the lines of 'you were beaten by the better team there.... it was a bit like when you lost in 2005..... will you be retiring now'

[Mr A]

Yeah I thought that at the time. A real Tony O'Donoghue special.

[colonelwest]

Really? The major columnists in the newspapers (I'm thinking, for example, Keith Duggan or Ken Earley in The Irish Times) never go near the LOI. Just looking at the IT and Examiner websites this morning, the Dundalk Cork match is hardly prominent. I remember - thirty or forty years ago - when the Cup Final was regarded as a major sporing event by the newspapers, and the coverage reflected that. I'd guess coverage of English football and Irish football was about 50/50 back then. It must be 80/20 now in favour of the Premiership, if not more. Credit to McDonnell, Liam Mackey and a few others, but they're lonely voices.

Each journo covers a different beat; Earley for one rarely if ever has anything to do with the LOI as Emmet Malone covers the LOI and the national team for the IT (and does a good job of it in my opinion), Earley mostly covers the UK football & Second Captains is his main gig these days and Duggan is the Chief Sport writer for the IT, he covers mostly the GAA. Can't speak to the Examiner as I wouldn't be a regular reader of it either online or in print.

30/40 years ago there wasn't wall to wall coverage of every ball kicked or sport played worldwide. At a glance there now the 2nd byline/ headline on the IT sports section is Dundalk complete the double and in the national league section there's plenty of coverage there and the IT would have the least coverage out of the IT, Indo, Star, Sun etc. Neil O'Riordan and his young fella do great coverage for the league in the Sun as well.

It's tv and radio (& the FAI to a fair degree as well) as opposed to print/ online outlets where the league lacks any sort of advertising or coverage bar Soccer Republic and the odd perfunctory mention of the scores on the news.


I don't doubt that Dundalk were fitter and stronger, but why is that?
Why should any team be fitter or stronger than any other at the end of the season?
I would have thought that talent, tactics, missing players etc would be areas where some teams could have an insurmountable advantage but surely fitness is some everyone should be able to achieve and shouldn't be the deciding factor. Do some teams still not take strength/fitness seriously?

When Stephen Kenny came in one of the first things he did was to get Graham Byrne in and he has total control over the squads strength and conditioning and dietary stuff, he's the head of DCU's fitness department. The lads follow his plans down to the smallest detail and even over the close season will be working on a program, think they'll be getting their close season details come the end of the month off him.