FAI Cup 2018

I thought Gartland was closer to 40 but apparently he's just a spring chicken at 32, just entering into his prime.
A slow burn of a game, ultimately ending with a fantastic move, finished off with a bullet header to win the game.

Next year, should Dundalk make the final I'd prefer them to play someone else in the final.

I was at this as a neutral, really enjoyed it. Thought 1-1 was fair enough at HT, but Dundalk just got stronger in the second half and Cork never really created any clear-cut chances.

Shields was brilliant in the middle, Hoban is a workhorse and a beast. Thought Sadlier was lively for Cork, and needed more support.

Great crowd and atmosphere.

Thought Sadlier looked very good. In every cup final there's a handful of players that look so uncomfortable and out of place on the bigger pitch but even if he didn't have much of an impact by his standards he just looked one of the most composed and positionally aware players out there.

Even though everyone acknowledges him as one of the best players in the league I still feel like it goes understated just how good Morrissey is. Any time I see Cork they look a completely different team when he's not there. Bosses the midfield on his own and makes relatively middling players like McCormack look better next to him. Big moment when he went off.

Some ball by Gannon for the goal, glad the game was decided by a moment of quality, added to it being a better spectacle than the last few finals. A particularly gutting moment for McEleney to turn up against Cork, eh?

Well done to Dundalk fans on here.

Atmosphere was better this year because the game was better and the fact that people didn't have to concentrate on staying warm this year. Global warming reaches the Aviva.

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Fair play to Dundalk. Took their chances.

On RTE after the match, they did a voxpop with some fans coming out of the ground and one Dundalk fan has a pop at Shamrock Rovers. I'll admit, I wondered if it was Ezeikial. But how weird is that obsession? Enjoy your victory ffs.

Rovers must be 'popped' at every opportunity

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

Congrats to all dundalk fans here. Massively disappointed of course. Thought we played well first half, didn't create enough in the second and a mistake by Griffin has cost us unfortunately. Over 30k was a brilliant attendance.

And so begins the longest off season in the world....

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Fair play to Dundalk. Took their chances.

On RTE after the match, they did a voxpop with some fans coming out of the ground and one Dundalk fan has a pop at Shamrock Rovers. I'll admit, I wondered if it was Ezeikial. But how weird is that obsession? Enjoy your victory ffs.

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

Well done to Dundalk fans on here.

Atmosphere was better this year because the game was better and the fact that people didn't have to concentrate on staying warm this year. Global warming reaches the Aviva.

Gracious in defeat - fair play.

Cork supporters played a big part in creating a cracking atmosphere today. Heck, RTE even headlined John Caulfield as being "magnanimous in defeat". To add to that the Cork team played some football.

Is the earth really flat at all?

PS - Feck Rovers

So ends another LOI Season with all its drama and entertainment, highs and lows. Now time to hibernate during the long off season and sleep and dream of what may be next year. See you all in February

Originally Posted by ger121

So ends another LOI Season with all its drama and entertainment, highs and lows. Now time to hibernate during the long off season and sleep and dream of what may be next year. See you all in February

Pfft ! There's still the Irn Bru Cup to go, you know

It's heartwarming to know that even when our football team is crap, we're still at the foremost of everyone else's thoughts when they should be enjoying themselves.

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

It's heartwarming to know that even when our football team is crap, we're still at the foremost of everyone else's thoughts when they should be enjoying themselves.

We will never forget you, Shamrock Rangers.

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

It's heartwarming to know that even when our football team is crap, we're still at the foremost of everyone else's thoughts when they should be enjoying themselves.

Yep, the smell of ill founded belief of adequacy from Tallaght lingers on 😎

Tough loss to take. We played well but not well enough. Bit of a what could have been game. Dundalk are an annoyingly good team. I think they are in for a sustained period of dominance now as they have established enough of a financial advantage that will be very difficult for anyone to catch, and with the rewards for CL qualification coming in they will only stretch that advantage year on year. We've done our best to put it up to them over the last five years and probably deserve more than one league title and two cups to show for it but Dundalk are a generational team and set records year on year.

Big rebuild job for Caulfield, I think he will be well up for it. We'll be top 2-3 next year and beyond but I think the league title is out of the question for the foreseeable.

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Fair play to Dundalk. Took their chances.

On RTE after the match, they did a voxpop with some fans coming out of the ground and one Dundalk fan has a pop at Shamrock Rovers. I'll admit, I wondered if it was Ezeikial. But how weird is that obsession? Enjoy your victory ffs.

I was wondering who would have been first to almost break their necks to comment on that when I saw it back after, I have to say I expected Asterix or Placid maybe, but first prize to you Sullane (you should really change that to Sullen as it would suit better!). It wasnt Ezekiel but it was a fan who knew exactly what he was doing and would have that mischievous streak and do a bit of stirring!

Cork right full didnt give Duffy a sniff most of the game, McCarthy was it? Cork were tenacious and really in the faces of Dundalk but keeping that level of intensity for a full 90 minutes is always tough. The atmosphere was great but with a decent game on show it helps. The 10 and 5 pricing of tickets boosted the attendance nicely - now if the final was fully and properly advertised and marketed by the FAI just think what sort of attendances could be achieved when considering this is the 4th installment of the fixture and the other 3 were drab affairs. There wasnt anyone from either club or neutral that I spoke to who hadnt enjoyed the match if not the result. There was generally a much more pleasant atmosphere between supporters this year, probably as there was little media interaction between managers and players for all the effort of JC and Sheppard during the week.

I have to congratulate both sets of players on putting on a good game and spectacle for the fans and television audience. The players from both teams devote themselves to their sport, train hard, and play in the region of 50 competitive games per year.

Even though they are at the top of their sport in this country, the financial rewards are very modest.

I'd also like to acknowledge a lovely moment when Mark McNulty went up to get his medal with his young son (I presume) and had the medal presented to the lad. He gets a lot of stick from Dundalk fans, but that was a nice touch.

Great day out and obviously delighted with the win. Thought the first half was very even, didn’t look a pen at first, but when I watched it back, Hoare did indeed push his man, Cork def lost the MF in the second half, Morrissey going off was a big difference which Dundalk exploited down the right. Shields was like a man processed in the middle, just as well he calmed things as he was getting close to a red. Benson compliments him well, and he quietly went about his business in there, he was a welcome addition back after 4 games.

I’d have liked to have seen Murray introduced as that won’t help him making his mind up to stay, he’s only on a one year deal. McGrath was excellent though when he came on, the game passed Mountney by, as that right side continues to be probably the only weak spot on the team, neither he nor Connolly can nail it down, both playing vastly different styles too. A word for the defence also, that peno was the first goal conceded in the cup this season, with Sadlier creating his own record of first player to score in every round, since 1974 I read this am (Bradley)

Great crowd at just over 30k, nice to see so many kids there, had a few myself down, tough on Cork ending up with nothing this season, but I think a deserved win for Dundalk in what has been an excellent season, the cross by Gannon and the finish by McEleney was a great way to win the game.

Originally Posted by oriel

Great day out and obviously delighted with the win. Thought the first half was very even, didn’t look a pen at first, but when I watched it back, Hoare did indeed push his man, Cork def lost the MF in the second half, Morrissey going off was a big difference which Dundalk exploited down the right. Shields was like a man processed in the middle, just as well he calmed things as he was getting close to a red. Benson compliments him well, and he quietly went about his business in there, he was a welcome addition back after 4 games.

I’d have liked to have seen Murray introduced as that won’t help him making his mind up to stay, he’s only on a one year deal. McGrath was excellent though when he came on, the game passed Mountney by, as that right side continues to be probably the only weak spot on the team, neither he nor Connolly can nail it down, both playing vastly different styles too. A word for the defence also, that peno was the first goal conceded in the cup this season, with Sadlier creating his own record of first player to score in every round, since 1974 I read this am (Bradley)

Great crowd at just over 30k, nice to see so many kids there, had a few myself down, tough on Cork ending up with nothing this season, but I think a deserved win for Dundalk in what has been an excellent season, the cross by Gannon and the finish by McEleney was a great way to win the game.

I like Shields a lot and think he's the best holding midfielder in the country, but he definitely should have been sent off, the last foul he committed where the ref backed out of giving him a second yellow, was a definite second booking. That aside, he was a colossus all the same. Great cross from Massey for McEleney's goal. He did just enough with his header for it to go in, but at that point Dundalk were very strong and fully deserved to win. Cork were just too negative. You can't gegenpress for 90 minutes without having an attacking threat. 30,000 + great attendance and atmosphere.

Edit : I'm not sure if Shields is a man processed or not, but he makes his role look easy-peas-y

O'Neill should have a look at Shields. Prone to losing the rag alright but his positioning is sound, his control is close and his passing is crisp. He bossed that midfield. When City stood off him and there was space in front of him he gladly carried it too. Quality.

Im going to be a bit picky about McEleney's header, it was a good job that he got so much power behind it as he gave McNulty a chance to save from point blank range. Other than that the run from deep and the cross from Gannon was superb. Hoare's goal was impressive for the leap and the way he managed to hang and get above bigger players. He is strong in the air for a chap thats isnt a very tall defender. Dont know what was up with Mountney but he was off the pace and struggled as if he had an injury. His work rate wasnt what it usually was. Kenny must be finally losing faith in Connolly on that right side of midfield. In the first half especially Cork puts some good passaes of play together almost in a proving a point way. Sadlier was not getting an earbashing when he was running at players and he had defenders struggling to get back to cover as he was beating them on the outside. Hoare did well to get across to cover but it was that type of scramble to close off a wide attacke that led to the penalty. I think we will see Jarvis becoming first choice left back as Massy's form has been sketchy all season.

Originally Posted by CorribsideSteve

I like Shields a lot and think he's the best holding midfielder in the country, but he definitely should have been sent off, the last foul he committed where the ref backed out of giving him a second yellow, was a definite second booking. That aside, he was a colossus all the same. Great cross from Massey for McEleney's goal. He did just enough with his header for it to go in, but at that point Dundalk were very strong and fully deserved to win. Cork were just too negative. You can't gegenpress for 90 minutes without having an attacking threat. 30,000 + great attendance and atmosphere.

Edit : I'm not sure if Shields is a man processed or not, but he makes his role look easy-peas-y

That was Gannon who crossed it, think you are mixing up the full backs ! Also I had forgotten this until i read it in the Indo, but Shields didnt make the starting xi in last years cup final, as SK went with O'Donnell and Benson in the middle.