By Sunday evening, the curtain will close on another season of Irish football with the Sports Direct FAI Cup final - a clash that perfectly captures the sport's contradictions: champions against the relegated, top versus bottom.
Shamrock Rovers and Cork City come into the Aviva Stadium separated by an entire division’s worth of quality, form, confidence and expectation. On paper, this is a mismatch.
Rovers arrive into Sunday as the dominant force in Irish football. They’ve had the luxury of coasting toward another league title, a well-oiled machine used to playing in big occasions. Their possession-based approach - built on overloads, short passing and clever rotations - has broken down the best the league has had to offer.
And on the Aviva’s expansive surface, their style of play should feel right at home.
Cork, on the other hand, have spent the year suffering. Their relegation from the Premier Division has been a slow, painful inevitability rather than a shocking twist of fate. They’ve not won a single game on the road all season.
Morale has been low, consistency even lower. But Sunday can offer a rare reprieve. While they’ll be playing First Division football next year, a European spot is still on the line.
Ger Nash and the squad will know that this is more than a cup final - it’s a potential lifeline for the future.
Since his arrival into Turner's Cross, the manager bounce that the Cork faithful would have hoped for didn’t arrive. He started his Cork City campaign with the club second from bottom, three points ahead of Sligo in ninth place.
Sligo ultimately finished 17 points ahead of them and in his 21 league games since his arrival, Cork City have scored less goals than in the 15 games before he took the reins.
If Cork City are to stand any chance of causing an upset, the early stages of the game could hold the key.
In four of their last five victories in all competitions, they scored within the first ten minutes - a pattern which Cork City fans will be hoping comes to fruition on Sunday.
That first goal, psychologically and tactically, changes everything. It gives them something to defend, to believe in, as we saw in the semi-final win over St Pat's.
A win doesn’t erase a season of misery, but it gives it meaning. And it provides hope for the rebuild to come.
Get that early goal and they’re no longer disorganised, but a compact, organised unit built to frustrate. It could become a different game.
Will it happen against this Shamrock Rovers side? It’s unlikely. But it gives them a chance.
The first ten minutes on Sunday may be the most important of Cork’s entire season.
While there will be excitement in the Cork City dressing room of playing on the pristine surface of the Aviva, it might be a nightmare for Cork.
The width and quality of the pitch will suit Rovers’ approach to a tee. Their methodical build-up, sucking opponents in before delivering a killer final pass, thrives on space - space they’ll get in abundance here.
Cork’s strategy, then, will have to rely on collective discipline, defensive compactness and most importantly, concentration.
Switching off for a single moment against this Rovers side is fatal. Graham Burke, Dylan Watts and Danny Mandroiu only need one mistake to punish you.
If Cork don’t score first, the danger is that this becomes less of a final and more of a showcase for Rovers’ technical superiority.
But that’s where belief - or desperation - can twist a match. For all their deficiencies this year, Cork have shown how to hang on to a lead.
And they know that Sunday is their last chance to give something back to their fans, who have endured a brutal season.
For the travelling Cork support, there’s been little to cheer this season. But a win on Sunday doesn’t just bring silverware - it brings a ticket to Europe.
A continental adventure would be a much-needed injection of energy and optimism into a club that’s lacked both this year.
For Rovers, this is about ending a brilliant season and creating more history.
Stephen Bradley’s side have been the gold standard all season. Their cup run could end with a double and solidify their dominance in a season where many challengers faltered.
They’ll dominate the ball. They’ll dictate the pace. And if they score early, it could be a long afternoon for the Rebels.
But football, especially in finals, doesn’t always go to script. And Rovers will know that all the pressure is on them. They’re expected to win. Comfortably.
Cork City have lost too many games this season. But they have nothing to lose. Score first. Score early. Grind. Frustrate. And pray.
And if Sunday’s first ten minutes go Cork’s way… then just maybe, Cork City fans will have a final to remember.
Watch the Sports Direct FAI Cup final, Shamrock Rovers v Cork City, on Sunday from 2pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
