Kevin Doherty pulled off another Drogheda United win at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium that saw both extra time and penalties.
The Dublin-born manager feels the win, secured by three successful penalties, was well earned by the Louth outfit.
"I thought it was well deserved," he told RTÉ Sport after Owen Lambe fired home the winning penalty.
Referencing the small amount of raucous travelling Drogs fans behind him, Doherty says they were a key factor in the performance.
"You're doing it for this. I said that before the game, if we had that coming up here, that would give us a right chance."
The ex-Shels player said he felt there was an element of surprise in the performance, grabbing a goal from a smartly played free-kick three minutes in.
"Probably surprised them a little bit with the two little lads, if you want to call it, up front.
"Considering what everyone thinks about how we play and then even with the set piece. So it was great. But then I thought we were absolutely excellent."
Doherty is insistent there was no luck involved, Derry may feel hard done by in some of the decisions that didn't go their way made but it was Drogs who maintained composure in the shoot-out, which Doherty revealed was rehearsed in training this week.
"Even the penalties, no luck involved there. We practised them and practised them and practised them all week, all week, just in case. And to be fair, the lads stood up and just slotted them away."
FT AET: Derry City 1-1 Drogheda United (0-3 pens)
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 16, 2025
The defending champs return to the quarters in dramatic fashion
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Doherty feels the draw for his side in the cup has been among the most difficult but he is delighted to have come though it and get over Derry for the second year running in the cup.
"The lads were out on their feet. And this is one of the, probably with Shamrock Rovers away, this away is by far the hardest draw and we've come through it and we're in the quarter-final of the cup.
"And again, we knocked Derry out of it again, which is great.
"We certainly haven't had an easy path so far. A lot of people last year would have thought that, despite the fact that we were the only team that had another Premier Division team in the first round."
A few from Doherty's side were among the fortunate who bagged tickets to Oasis this weekend, and he says they will maybe enjoy that before refocusing.
"We'll enjoy the trip home. A lot of us are going to Croke Park tomorrow so we'll enjoy that and then we'll get ready and we'll train again."
It was a dire end to the FAI Cup for The Candystripes, with two saved and one missed penalty int he shoot-out but Tiernan Lynch isn't going to analyse those moments.
"The game is 120 minutes and I'm not going to pick three penalties. It's difficult for pressure and all goes with it," Lynch told RTÉ Sport.
The Foylesiders boss says he is still figuring out the decisions made in the game, including Michael Duffy's upending deep into stoppage time and Mark Connolly's disallowed goal, but admits he couldn't ask for more.
"Obviously we had a penalty shout at the end.
"We scored, which I'm still trying to understand where the infringement was in that. People may find this strange, but I couldn't ask any more of my players tonight. I thought they ran themselves into the ground."
113': Derry 1-1 Drogheda
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 16, 2025
Mark Connolly thought he had the breakthrough but Derry are denied by the referee's whistle #RTESoccer
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Lynch takes issues with the lateness of the decision on the Connolly header in the 114th minute as well as the decisions on fouls in the box.
"Also the fact that it took as long as it did to actually give the decision.
"As I say, there's that decision and we thought we had two other penalty shouts. Hugely disappointing.
"If there weren't penalties, there weren't penalties. From where I was standing, they looked like penalties. Maybe that's a bias on my side... I still don't understand why that goal wasn't given."
Lynch made four changes in the 58th minutes which he felt reduced the first-half passivity of his side and ultimately made hero of the day, Luke Dennison work.
"I thought the first half was just a wee bit too passive. We moved it and moved it and didn't ask enough questions.
"I thought the second half then, we just looked like a totally different team. I thought we made their back three work. We made their goalkeeper work.
"I'm not sure how many saves he actually made. Some great saves. But it wasn't our night."
