A solitary strike from perennial talisman Liam Coyle was enough to give Derry City their third FAI Carlsberg Cup over Shamrock Rovers at blustery Tolka Park this afternoon. Coyle's well taken volley two minutes after break was all that separated the sides following an eventful encounter, and despite giving Rovers several opportunities to equalise, The Candystripes kept a clean sheet to take the cup to the delight of the huge numbers who made the journey south for the domestic season's centrepiece.
The opening exchanges were typically frantic as both sets of players appeared nervous, with the heavy Tolka doing little to settle any early nerves. The first chance of note fell to Tony Grant after 11 minutes when he was found by an excellent through ball from James Keddy, but the Shams striker's right foot effort was easily smothered by Derry 'keeper Alan Gough.
Shams skipper Pat Scully was lucky to escape a yellow card when he fouled former Irish international David Kelly on the edge of the area soon after, before play was halted after 20 minutes when some confetti and paper caught fire at the base of one of the floodlight pylons. Referee Jim O'Neill from Waterford kept the players on the pitch while stewards got the flames under control and the game resumed nine minutes later. A small number of spectators received medical treatment for smoke inhalation from medical staff at the ground.
Terry Palmer went close to opening the scoring within minutes of the restart when he pounced on a breaking ball from a corner, but his hooked shot from eight yards was brilliantly turned around the post by the agile Gough. Stephen Grant then fired over from 12 yards after Noel Hunt's enterprise on the left, while at the other end Paddy McLaughlin capitalised on a poor clearance from Richie Byrne but his shot was bravely charged down by Palmer.
Ciaran Martyn should have done better on the half-hour when he shot tamely at O'Dowd from inside the box, and as the game went from end to end Shams went close twice in one minute when a poor clearance by Eamon Doherty fell invitingly for Luke Dimech and Gough turned his effort round the post. From the resulting corner the busy 'keeper had to be alert again to divert the danger, while at the other end, Sean Friars went close with a header which O'Dowd did well to palm over.
Just before the break Hunt turned brilliantly on the edge of the box but Gough was equal to his well struck effort. Martyn had another good chance for City but again he shot tamely at O'Dowd, but within two minutes of the restart Derry struck for the opener. A corner from left was headed clear to Martyn 14 yards out, but the former UCD man's miskick was swerving well wide before 34-year-old Coyle shot swivelled sharply and volleyed past the helpless O'Dowd.
Kelly could have doubled their lead two minutes later when Greg Costello's poor clearance left him with just the 'keeper to beat, but he managed to drag his shot well wide of the target. Shams refused to give in and after manager Liam Buckley changed things around were unlucky not to get an equaliser in the 67th minute. Grant made space for himself on the right and floated a superb ball to the back post where the unmarked Keddy conspired to head the ball three foot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Shams continued their search for an equaliser and Maltese international Dimech set up a chance for Derek Tracey on 80 minutes but he shot wide from the edge of the area. Rovers then had two excellent chances to equalise in injury time but a combination of dogged defending and poor finishing saw City hang on to their slender advantage and, after almost five nervous minutes of added time, O'Neill blew his whistle to give Derry their third FAI cup to add to previous successes in 1989 and 1995.
Filed by Shane Murray
