FAI Cup Final 2015 - Dundalk 1 Cork 0 AET

Dundalk 1 - Towell 108

Cork City 0

Dundalk claimed the double as they defeated Cork City at Lansdowne Road. These two had drawn twice in the League this season, and it took extra-time to separate them in a scrappy encounter in Dublin. Richie Towell, as he has so often proved to be over the last couple of seasons, was the hero for Dundalk in the end.

Cork had the first chance of the game as Mark O’Sullivan headed an effort goal bound in the second minute. It was a comfortable save for Gary Rogers. Comfortable saves would be something of a theme for the rest of the afternoon.

Dundalk dominated for the next fifteen minutes, but they couldn’t test Mark McNulty as first Ronan Finn, and then Brian Gartland, put chances wide.

Cork began to settle and a long ball from Billy Dennehy in the seventeenth minute was headed across the Dundalk goal by Darren Dennehy. Sean Gannon had to be alert to head the ball out for a corner.

Cork forced another corner two minutes later. Rogers failed to claim the ball cleanly, and a scramble in front of the goal could have seen the ball end up anywhere. Dundalk would have been relieved to be able to win a free out.

Cork continued to push and Alan Bennett’s header in the twenty-second minute, from a Miller corner, was only just wide to the right of Roger’s goal.

Billy Dennehy had a free-kick in a dangerous position with twenty-five minutes on the clock but he will have been disappointed with his effort, which was high and wide.

At the other end Darren Meenan’s cross was met by Andy Boyle. Mark McNulty always had his looping header under control, and the ball went harmlessly wide.

Cork responded, but Kevin’Connor’s shot from thirty yards once more failed to force Rogers into action.

With thirty-five minutes on the clock Meenan was the provider once more, but his dangerous cross had too much pace for Dave McMillan to meet.

With less than five minutes to go in the first-half McMillan had a chance. He created the space on the edge of the box, but again McNulty was able to save it comfortably.

The game was gaining a bit of an edge as the half wore on, and the first yellow card of this final duly arrived in the forty-first minute as Liam Miller caught Meenan late on the right touchline.

The first really big chance of the game fell to McMillan in the forty-eight minute. He had been played in by Dave Massey, but his effort was well touched over by McNulty. Ninety

seconds later McMillan was played through again, but a heavy touch allowed McNulty to get down low and claim the ball.

With fifty-two minutes on the clock Garry Buckley forced a shot away from inside the Dundalk box, but his effort tailed harmlessly wide to the right.

Finn won a corner for Dundalk with fifty-eight minutes on the clock. Meenan’s cross caused consternation in the Cork box. The ball bounced around before falling to Towell. His low effort was blocked and cleared, much to the relief on of the Cork fans in the South Stand.

Dundalk had another good chance after sixty-three minutes as Towell hit a shot from the edge of the box. It was too close to McNulty, who held it first time.

A great solo effort from Daryl Horgan after sixty-five minutes saw him bring the ball from just inside the Cork half all the way to the Cork box, but his effort, similar to Towell’s was saved low by McNulty.

Meenan’s last act was to win a free-kick in a dangerous position for Dundalk in the seventy-seventh minute. Although Cork cleared the initial ball it broke for Horgan, who laid it off for Stephen O’Donnell. The midfielder didn’t make clean contact, and his effort flashed wide to the left of the McNulty’s goal.

A neat move by Dundalk, involving Massey, Kilduff, and Towell, nearly saw them snatch it in the ninetieth minute. Towell’s effort didn’t match the composure shown in the build up however, and Cork were able to clear.

Dundalk had the first chance in extra time as Ronan Finn ran powerfully at Cork down the left flank. His final effort was once again held by McNulty.

The league champions were laying siege to the Cork goal, but chances were few and far between. A Horgan effort from the edge of the box in the one-hundred and thirteenth minute was the best they could muster, but his shot failed to test McNulty.

Richie Towell finally made the breakthrough for Dundalk in the third minute of the second-half of extra-time, but huge credit must go to Daryl Horgan. The winger ran at Cork down the left, before pulling the ball back. Towell had the simplest of finishes from eight yards.

Cork weren't going to give up and Darren Dennehy very nearly equalised for the Leesiders as the game entered its final ten minutes. Dundalk had cleared the initial danger from the corner, but the ball came back into the box and Dennehy forced his header goalbound. Agonisingly for Cork, the ball hit the crossbar and went over.

The goal was Towell's third in the FAI Cup this season, and coupled with his twenty-five league goals, it will do nothing to dampen interest in him from across the water. For Stephen Kenny, it gives him his first ever League and Cup double as a manager. But Sunday was about more than these two men, and it gives Dundalk their third ever League and Cup double. It caps off a fantastic season for the club.

  

Cork: Mark McNulty, Alan Bennett, John Dunleavy (c), Darren Dennehy, Ross Gaynor, Kevin O’Connor, Karl Sheppard, Billy Dennehy, Liam Miller (Colin Healy 60), Mark O’Sullivan (Danny Morrissey 80), Garry Buckley

Subs not used: Alan Smith (GK), Dan Murray, Gavan Holohan, (Danny Morrissey 80), Michael McSweeney, Liam Kearney

Yellow cards: Miller 42, Gaynor 82

Dundalk: Gary Rogers (GK), Sean Gannon (Stephen O’Donnell 43), Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle (c), Chris Shields, Daryl Horgan, David McMillan (Ciaran Kilduff 71), Ronan Finn, Dane Massey, Richie Towell, Darren Meenan (John Mountney 71)

Subs not used: Gabriel Sava (GK), Kurtis Byrne, Shane Grimes, Paddy Barrett

Yellow cards: Shields 84

Attendance: 25,103