An Andrew Quinn opener followed by a Douglas James-Taylor penalty was enough to bring the FAI Cup back to the Windmill road for the first time in 19 years as Derry City succumbed to yet another crushing blow.
Accompanied by all the usual fanfare of the occasion, the match began 4 minutes behind schedule, flares from both sets of supporters enveloping the playing field in a coat of smoke – flares of the pyrotechnic kind rather than that of trousers, which likely wouldn’t have warranted as much of a delay to the day’s proceedings.
Drogheda didn’t come into the match as favourites, neither with the bookie nor the armchair pundit. A 9th place finish in a 10-team league is rarely something to celebrate, but Kevin Doherty’s side have forged a real togetherness in recent months that has seen them through their toughest challenge yet.
Drogs first-half performance was emblematic of this: never anything too fancy – their style of football would not find itself a place in the Louvre. Lacking in possession but not in desire, the team in claret and blue had clearly come up with a game plan. Solidly set up in good shape from defence to attack, Derry found their own possessional dominance of little use when impotent to break the Drogs back line. Fullbacks Conor Kane and Elicha Ahui were particularly effective in snuffing out potential danger.
Shane Farrell was a nuisance with every set piece; with every cross placed with precision, a typically strong Derry defence struggled to avert disaster. Indeed 37 minutes in, disaster struck: from a free kick, that man Farrell found a fellow former Shels man in Andrew Quinn. Lurking at the back post, Quinn escaped his marker Mark Connolly before firing home from close range to send the Drogheda support behind the goal into raptures. Another delay to play was forthcoming as again the mantra in the stands was, ‘No Pyro, No Party’.
Derry never found their way back into the match from there. A concussion-related injury to Patrick McEleney right before the half didn’t help their goal-scoring chances, as Drogs only grew in confidence going into the second 45. A loose leg from Ronan Boyce on a surging Conor Kane may have been just outside the box, but referee Rob Harvey saw it fit to award the penalty. Up stepped Douglas James-Taylor, who slotted the ball coolly into the bottom right corner to send Brian Maher the wrong way and his own team to cup glory.
Derry improved after the second goal, but it was too little too late. A substitute appearance from Patrick Hoban was of little success. The talisman is noticeably not back to full fitness just yet. And so Drogheda roared on to a 2 – 0 victory as a once-promising season for City ended with a whimper.
At the end of the match, both managers showed great emotion: Kevin Doherty triumphantly ran to embrace his wife before bringing his kids onto the pitch to bask in the celebrations, whilst Ruaidhrí Higgins showed emotion of a very different kind in his post-match interview. Sunken eyes told the story of a man worn down by a long and ultimately disappointing season. He offered apologies to Derry supporters, many of whom have grown weary of his managerial tactics. Sympathetic words from Higgins spoke volumes, and he made it clear that negative opinions of the majority wouldn’t take away his passion for both his club and city.
The Candystripes go back to the Brandywell with much to discuss; the disappointing end to their title charge, a fourth-place finish in what was meant to be a ‘two-horse race’ between themselves and Shelbourne, the lack of desire shown on the Lansdowne pitch and – above all – the future of their manager. The question is clear, but the answer is certainly less so: who will be holding the reins next season?
In Drogheda, the champagne flows tonight but not for long. United’s focus shifts to next Saturday in Tallaght. A promotion/relegation playoff against Bray Wanderers, a chance to secure their spot in next year’s Premier Division.
If they can put in a performance akin to Sunday’s display, then one would assume the only way is up for the men from ‘the wee county’. A part-time team that put their bodies on the line to stave off the Derry threat, win the cup and secure European football for next season is certainly a performance worth building upon.
Whatever happens next Saturday, this victory will stay long in the memory of Drogheda supporters. For Derry, it’s all eyes on next season as 2024 becomes a year to forget.