FAI Cup 2017

[TonyD]

Always get a bit jealous on cup final day if Pats aren't in it. Still, at least I've had the opportunity to have two trips to the Aviva (plus a few earlier finals) which I suppose supporters of some clubs haven't had. Enjoy the day to both sets of supporters.

Dundalk to win would be my call.

[CorribsideSteve]

of the 90 + minutes this game will entail, George Hamilton will spend a good 15 minutes of it getting player's name's wrong. That said, decent crowd, lovely day for a cup final. Previous editions have been "Winter is Coming" weather IIRC. Think Cork might actually squeak this by the odd goal. Vemmelund looks like a guy that's already not playing with Dundalk at least mentally.

[Mr_Parker]

Can anyone help with a link to find the FAI Cup rules/regulations?

[Asterix]

Dundalk fans throwing a flare at the fireman, absolute scum! Causing damage to the grass as well.

[redarmyfaction]

I feel that Sadlier could be the differ here for Cork.

[pineapple stu]

I'm sure Dundalk fans will be quick to condemn the classless immaturity of their own fans singing "Mark McNulty, you're a ******, you're a ******"

I think it points to a latent insecurity amongst the Oriel faithful myself.

[CorribsideSteve]

0-0 after 90 minutes for the third year in a row. That must be some sort of record / future table quiz question :) So tight and tense. Gary Rogers is just immense today, Duffy has had a cracker IMO. The back four has been as strong for Cork, several vital blocks at different stages. Gartland looks like George St. Pierre after that clash, pity for him, had a solid game, as has Vemmelund, incidentally, looked very nervous early on. 24,020 attendance. It's decent but I would have thought given the beautiful day, 30,000 would have been achievable.Who knows how this one will end up in all honesty but it's been enjoyable enough despite the stalemate.

[pineapple stu]

Ha!

Vemmelund. Had to be.

[redarmyfaction]

That's 6 out of 8 finals since the final was moved to the Aviva that it has gone to ET.

[CorribsideSteve]

Ha!

Vemmelund. Had to be.

Ha, fair play to him. Absolute bullet header. Sheppard to equalize? :-)

[TonyD]

of the 90 + minutes this game will entail, George Hamilton will spend a good 15 minutes of it getting player's name's wrong. That said, decent crowd, lovely day for a cup final. Previous editions have been "Winter is Coming" weather IIRC. Think Cork might actually squeak this by the odd goal. Vemmelund looks like a guy that's already not playing with Dundalk at least mentally.

Just on Hamilton, at one stage therein the second half the ball is running out for a corner/throw and Hamilton comments that it's running out. The ball hits the corner flag post and stays in, but Hamilton finishes his comment that it's run out. Then it's collected by Duffy and Hamilton comments what a great effort Duffy maðe to keep it in. Was he even watching the game ?

[CorribsideSteve]

I noticed that alright...you would wonder what he sees sometimes. He's a very good commentator overall but he makes some weird gaffes too, but at least he's not Ger Canning.

[nigel-harps1954]

I noticed that alright...you would wonder what he sees sometimes. He's a very good commentator overall but he makes some weird gaffes too, but at least he's not Ger Canning.

I don't think I'd have watched if Ger Canning was commentating, or at least I'd have stuck on RTE Radio 1 commentary over the picture. There's only so many times I can hear 'Dundork' before I want to break my TV.

[redarmyfaction]

Gary Rogers to count here?

[CorribsideSteve]

So it goes to penalties, the cruelest yet fairest way to decide it all. Great equalizer for cork by campion.

[redarmyfaction]

Rogers was too quick to pick a side and made it easy for Cork.

[sbgawa]

Happy for the players they deserve a bit of credit for the year they have put in and should get it now. Can't wait for next season

[Asterix]

More flares thrown at the firefighters after dundalk scored. Horrible club and fans.

Congrats to Cork on the win.

[sundance kid]

Congratulations to cork and particularly mcnulty. Fully deserved, they looked tactically better, hungrier and fitter throughout. Delighted kenny's ridiculous mind games during the week didn't have any effect, if anything they probably just gave cork an extra edge.

[DannyInvincible]

Well done to Cork on winning the double. It was an enjoyable final overall. I thought Dundalk looked the more likely to win but it was tight. Fair play to Cork for pulling back an equaliser and bringing it to penalties. Campion did well to score his goal, but it was slack defending from Dundalk; poor communication between Vemmelund and Massey really.

[CuanaD]

Very enjoyable game as a neutral. Good tv viewing

[Philosophizer]

Well done Cork.
It was fairly freezing in the upper sections of the aviva by the end, but my abiding memory will be Bennet (and one other player who I couldn't make out) turning to sprint toward their own fans, while the rest of the team ran to celebrate with Sadlier.
Says it all about Bennett. Great player!
Reminds me of the yr Chelsea beat Bayern in the CL final. Cole and Lampard (the only London lads on the team) did the exact same thing while everyone else on the team ran to celebrate with Drogba.

[hoopy]

Well done Cork, delighted to see the honest team win. Once again O'Donnell falling to the ground cheating. Delighted he's sick tonight. Total filth, like his club.

[Olé Olé]

Great game. Very entertaining even in spite of the lack of goals in normal time. Nice to see Maguire and O'Connor in the mix also. It's a tight group that is. With Delaney leaving and a striker needed, it will be an important winter in the market for them.

[MattB11]

Well done Cork, a McNulty penalty save in front of the Dundalk fans...must of been sweet for him

[total hoofball]

More flares thrown at the firefighters after dundalk scored. Horrible club and fans.

Some of the Cork fans in the South stand did the same, both at firefighters and stewards. Will you call Cork a horrible club with horrible fans too?

[Mr A]

Well done Cork, a McNulty penalty save in front of the Dundalk fans...must of been sweet for him

You could almost say McNulty f%&^ed the lilywhites. #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld

[Nesta99]

More flares thrown at the firefighters after dundalk scored. Horrible club and fans.

Congrats to Cork on the win.

Stones in glasshouses Asterix and you know it with all yer sh1te talk. I dont suppose that you saw flares being thrown out on to the pitch by both sets of fans behind the goals toward the fire fighters? Complete disgrace and as per usual while serious injury could have happened the Stadium TV channel cut to footage of the flares as respective goals were celebrated. Everyone was searched going in so those flares must be stuck where the sun dont shine - the amount by both groups was ridiculous.
While sitting in the premium section of the East Stand right on half way there was a Cork couple sitting among us Dundalk fans who got destroyed by food and beer thrown from the tier above when Cork scored. Both unfortunate and ironic that it were Cork fans that copped the ummm over exuberant celebrations from the Cork fans above. They complained to the steward at the entrance to the block (305) and they were not so politely told where to go - if thats the general attitude of stewards I suppose its no surprise that flares get carried in.

I thought Dundalk look well off the pace in the first half both in terms of a tiredness and and being bullied physically off the ball. Better second half with more composed passages of play, stronger in the tackle and got to breaking balls which didnt happen at all first half. McCormack was exceptional and again imo the real ace up Caulfield's sleeve in how he can get at Dundalk. Rogers would have been near motm as some of the saves he made kept Dundalk in the game especially earlier on. McNulty's little collapse to the ground in an attempt to get Gartland in trouble looked quite funny from the angle we were at, the perfect cartoon villain after that. As per usual neither set of fans was that pleased with the refereeing as there were a few strange calls that went for and against both sides. I think Dundalk could have turned the screw after the 1st goal but Cork dug deep and Dundalk started to fall deep in the 2nd half of extra time when more of the same was needed. Rogers seemed to commit too early in the shootout and I think the first 3 Cork penalties were more or less down the middle.

It was a close game as was to be expected in this continued rivalry. Credit where its due to Cork not just for today or this season but for the way they kept going and improving after disappointments. So congratulations on the double. In a way the shine would have been taken off the league win with the form coming in to this final and if this final had been lost the incredible first 2 rounds of the season would have been pretty distant so while losing on penalties isnt nice the result cant be begrudged either. These types of losses can help garner the resolve of a team and club as it did with Cork and I hope (and expect) that Dundalk will use this in the same way that Cork did and come back with a more determined focus next season.

[mcgonigle]

Tough one to take but that's football. Congrats to Cork, stuck in there. A double is some achievement.

Hilarious the number of Rovers fans on here twisting the knife. Highlight of their season, how the mighty have fallen....

[sbgawa]

Fair summary draw was a fair result. The next few weeks of transfers in and out will shape things up for next season. Hoping we don't lose anyone we want to keep

[Asterix]

Twisting the knife? Dundalk fans threw flares at the firefighters because they were removing the ones thrown at the pitch,(looked like one was aimed at mcnulty)Disgusting behaviour, fai need to take action against these hooligans. Heavy fine and band dundalk fans from going to away matches for a start!

[rebel]

I'm still trying to get over the shock of seeing Campion score.Ecstatic though.

[mcgonigle]

Twisting the knife? Dundalk fans threw flares at the firefighters because they were removing the ones thrown at the pitch,(looked like one was aimed at mcnulty)Disgusting behaviour, fai need to take action against these hooligans. Heavy fine and band dundalk fans from going to away matches for a start!

You're funny

[Nesta99]

I'll be surprised if the attendance is more than 25k. I don't know what it's like in Cork but there doesn't seem to be same buzz in Dundalk as there was in the last two years. On top of that, the usual fiasco with ticket sales and next to no marketing by the FAI makes me think the attendance will be very modest. Whatever about the ridiculousness of the comments by both clubs this week, at least it's put the game in the news headlines so that may help.

The build up was low key compared to other years with a whole load of nonsense taking up valuable column inches on the McNulty thing and Kenny claiming past players were disrespected, that should have been focusing on the more relevant aspects of the great rivalry between the two clubs over the last 3 or 4 seasons and may continue for a few more yet. I didnt hear an attendance figure announced which is unusual, though maybe i just missed it. I think it is completely daft to have the game on a Sunday, when a Saturday fixture would have added to the crowd especially from Cork. Its not as if there was a clash with some other code. The FA Cup is usually on a Saturday? It feels like it is almost a hassle for the FAI to do everything they can to try and build on attendances year on year for the FAI Cup. I know the crowd can grow or wane depending on who is in the final but really, if they want to generate more ticket sales to cover the cost of the day sort out the way tickets are allocated by ticketmaster, have the final on a Saturday, and dole out a batch of tickets for the upper tiers to schoolboy club all over the country. Not all will want them but why not. There were stewards hanging about in groups in the upper tiers anyway doing nothing. That and toughen up on certain fans only gaining access to blocks for which they have tickets - allowing sections of supporters ram themselves in to one or two blocks makes security a hassle where Gardaí cant get to someone acting the pr*ck as with the flares today and it looks cat to have blocks empty when in fact an entire area (behind both goals) was sold out corner flag to corner flag.
The finger pointing on flares by fans of other clubs watching is a given and rightly so, we'd all do it, though the liklihood that fans of their own clubs are going to do the same if Cork and Dundalk let anyone break up the monopoly on the cup final is a certainty; but the organisers are not making it easy to properly police sections and it would take minimal enough effort to improve things for Dublin Fire Brigade, Gardaí, Stewards, and paramedics if needed in the crowd. Searches upon entering the ground fail year on year so do something different by being able to pinpoint the individuals who set off a flare, get to them and turf them out. Charge them with reckless endangerment too and clubs have grounds to ban them. Its the clubs that will be fined so they should be insisting on this.

[micls]

Absolutely amazing. First double ever and how far we've come since we've taken over. Magic feeling.

On a side note, from the dundalk website:

In football, you don’t always get what you deserve. Today, the better team lost. It happens. We will move on.

#sportingrespect #classy

[Martinho II]

on a completely different point I had a pint in Paddy Cullens before the match and seen Neil Lennon having a quiet pint with someone.. Wonder was he looking at Pat McEleney? spotted ex Drogheda manager Harry McCue at it and saw ex town and shels player Damien Brennan there also in the premium box... Also great talking to the great Neale Fenn at halftime as he was on the buzzer to someone. wonder is he trying to get someone to sign for us?

[Nesta99]

Twisting the knife? Dundalk fans threw flares at the firefighters because they were removing the ones thrown at the pitch,(looked like one was aimed at mcnulty)Disgusting behaviour, fai need to take action against these hooligans. Heavy fine and band dundalk fans from going to away matches for a start!

Again for the slow learners among us, the the fire brigade personnel were encouraging them to be thrown to the pitch so they could be, as safely as possible, be extinguished. The best of a bad situation and risky for them but better, as they are equiped, than the flare remaining in some numbskulls hands in a very congested area. Note the regular times Na Gardaí moved toward where the flare were set off and pointed toward the touchline. Not that it matters on the 'by who' but flares landed in the goals at both ends. There was one hairy moment when it looked like a fire fighter was hit by one of the flares at the Dundalk end. None were aimed at McNulty and the closest a flare got to him was in front of his own fans. Did you not see him well in front of his 16 yard box as I'm sure he was considering the possibility that he would be a target. It didnt happen but that would be more good luck than 'good' behaviour.

[Dalymountrower]

Deserved win for Cork, congrats.
Noticed someone with a high viz throwing a flare, what Nesta says above makes sense.

[Charlie Darwin]

Gary Rogers to count here?


Rogers was too quick to pick a side and made it easy for Cork.

So that's a... yes?

[Nesta99]

Deserved win for Cork, congrats.
Noticed someone with a high viz throwing a flare, what Nesta says above makes sense.

I actually asked on the way out how the fire fighter that was hit was. We were out pretty quick and met some of the fire brigade and thanked them tbh as it wasnt a easy or safe job and they were saying that they were trying t get the flares out of the crowd. The resident shirtless 'cheerleader' was asked to to pass on the word to that effect it seems. That is not to say that there wouldnt have been an attempt to toss a flare as far as possible. The same sort of thing was being done at the other end too. So Im not just surmising to negate the whole flare thing or rising to Astrix's baiting.

[EatYerGreens]

Twisting the knife? Dundalk fans threw flares at the firefighters because they were removing the ones thrown at the pitch,(looked like one was aimed at mcnulty)Disgusting behaviour, fai need to take action against these hooligans. Heavy fine and band dundalk fans from going to away matches for a start!

Asterix - are you by any chance related to Hysterix ? Or Ballix ?

#FamilyResemblance

[Asterix]

Asterix - are you by any chance related to Hysterix ? Or Ballix ?

#FamilyResemblance

I'm just repeating what dundalk fans were saying a few weeks ago when a rovers fan threw a flare on the pitch.


Funny how the reaction is different now. A rovers fan on here even said the guards told the lad with the flare to throw it on the pitch. The dundalk posters here didn't believe that though.

And oriel, the firefighter was hit more than once, it wasn't an accident. Getting them thrown at him for putting other flares in the bucket.

[Straightstory]

Enjoyable game. Cork on top for the first 20 minutes, Dundalk came into it after that and looked the more likely, although it took two incredible saves by Rogers to keep them in it. Cork dug deep to equalise. Why do goalkeepers dive early in penalty shoot outs? Two of Cork's penos went right up the middle. Delighted for Alan Bennet - a class act (unlike McNulty).
(Incidentally - the programme was a shoddy effort. A lot of the articles surprisingly badly written and not much thought given to it at all).

[Pablo Escobar]

Enjoyable game. Cork on top for the first 20 minutes, Dundalk came into it after that and looked the more likely, although it took two incredible saves by Rogers to keep them in it. Cork dug deep to equalise. Why do goalkeepers dive early in penalty shoot outs? Two of Cork's penos went right up the middle. Delighted for Alan Bennet - a class act (unlike McNulty).
(Incidentally - the programme was a shoddy effort. A lot of the articles surprisingly badly written and not much thought given to it at all).

The strange thing is, in the league run-in, it was a similar story. We dominate for the first 20, and then fade out of it. Our formation was crying out for Shep to be moved out wide and a striker to come in. That didn't happen until Dundalk scored, which, in hindsight, is frustrating as we looked really dangerous when it happened. Shoot-outs are a horrible experience. I'm obviously delighted with the win, but I'm not sure I'd fancy going through that again. Unlucky Dundalk, there's clearly not much between the teams.

[oriel]

Disappointing yesterday from a Dundalk perspective, not sure we deserved to lose that but penalities are a lottery, and that's just the way it goes.

I was convinced we would win it in normal time but yet again so many players were not in top form, and thats frustrating, as is the tactic of keeping the ball, passing and passing yet not having a dangerous attack at the end of it. One of the key areas before the match was who to start on the right side, McGrath got the nod but he's better more central and never really got going, Benson and O'Donnell in the centre only really got into it in the second half, these were areas we needed to win early doors.

The next two months are going to be crucial as our squad definitely needs improving and some will inevitably leave, need to get the balance right, need to start much better too next season, but I think we should be in good shape.

Still a good day out yesterday, always nice to take kids to it and for them to experience the big match atmosphere, lunch out before the match and so on, bit of choker at the end mind, but can't win them all !

[jinxy lilywhite]

Enjoyed yesterday's game. Disappointed with the result but that's life. Congratulations to Cork you are deserving double champions.

Kudos to the Cork fans also for joining the minutes applause for foods. It was a nice touch. Not so for their fans pelting missiles on us when they equalised from the premium level.

On the flares and they are a disgrace (not great for an ashmatic like me). How can so many get through. Both ends must of had 20.

On our performance I thought McEleney had one of his better games against cork. Thought kenny if he was going to replace him would of gone for shields as we were still 1 up at the time.

Well done Cork enjoy your celebrations

[Pablo Escobar]

On the flares and they are a disgrace (not great for an ashmatic like me). How can so many get through. Both ends must of had 20.


I walked in with a jacket folded in my hand which I tried to hand to a steward who told me to keep walking.

[rebel]

A really draining game for both sets of supporters but I am obviously delighted with the result. I know a lot of City fans are gloating to Dundalk today but I don't like that to be honest. There are enough people slagging the league from outside without us slagging each other inside it. I suppose familiarity breeds contempt and we have been competing against each other for four years running now in the league including three years in the cup. McNulty didn't help I know but not all of our players are like that.
Campion was the last person I would have thought would get us back into it after we went one down but he played to the whistle and took his chance well.
Dundalk have played us twice since Maguire and O' Connor left and haven't beaten us in either game so I think that proves that the one-man team theory is not quite true with regard to City. A double is a really difficult thing to pull off so this has to go down as the best season in the history of Cork City FC.

[sbgawa]

appropos not slaging each other , i think the Dundalk official statement that "the best team lost today" is way below the level you'd expect of an official statement.
I expect/hope some relatively junior person put the final draft up , they need to change that.

[patrickccfc]

For me, yesterday was probably the most enjoyable of the 3 finals between us. More chances during the 90 minutes I think. It is amazing how so many flares can get past security there must've been over 20. Not nice to see them being thrown on the pitch putting the stewards and firemen at risk.

Thought we were done for after vemmelunds goal but we did well to get back into it. Credit to Campion carrying on when everyone else stopped and thought it was off side, still had Rogers to beat too, who was brilliant yesterday, pulled off some great saves especially in the 92nd minute.

Penalties is always and unfair way of settling a final but luck was in our side this time. How ironic Mcnulty was the hero after all the goings on during the build up. Big rebuilding job over the next few months with a few heading away, should be interesting.

Only too pleased to join in the applause for Foods, such a nice sight to see everyone taking part in that memorial