Paul Fennessy reports from the Aviva Stadium

FOR DROGHEDA’S Conor Kane, the road to the 2024 FAI Cup final seemed almost as taxing as Sunday’s match.

“The second half felt about two hours long,” he says. “I was looking at the clock going down by the minute. I was trying to keep a calm head.”

Kane won the pivotal penalty that led to the insurance goal before Drogheda saw out an impressive 2-0 victory over Derry City.

There was little doubt about the infringement. However, replays suggested Ronan Boyce’s challenge might have been just outside the area.

“I looked up at the big screen,” Kane recalls. “I made sure my touch was in. You’re going to play for contact, aren’t you?

“The first half I got past him — I should have taken an extra touch in the last couple of minutes of the first half. We spoke about it at half-time. If I get in that situation again in or around the box, take the extra touch, because I knew I had the legs and the pace to beat him so I just made sure I was in the box next time, even if I was putting in a cross in — if contact came, I was just waiting for it.”

Here's a look back at Ronan Boyce's foul on Conor Kane which led to Drogheda United's spot-kick.
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The elation Kane felt was in stark contrast to two years ago. In 2022, he was a Shelbourne player forced to watch their 4-0 FAI Cup final defeat to Derry from the stands, as he recovered from a serious injury.

“My goal at the final two years ago was to make sure I was out of a brace to look alright in a suit. I made it by a week.

“So when I came back to Drogheda last year [my goal] was to stay up, which we did, and to start playing consistently again.

“I did alright. I played, but I wasn’t at the level where I have been the last six to seven months here. You have a bad injury, as much as you’d like to flick a switch and start playing unbelievably again, it does take time. You have to be patient with yourself, you have to be consistent with your work, on and off the pitch.” 

With over 38,000 fans attending the Aviva, Kane was naturally nervous ahead of Sunday’s game, particularly given the bad memories of 2022.

The thought of walking down the tunnel ahead of the game made the 26-year-old full-back feel somewhat uneasy.

“But I do a lot of work with the PFAI [Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland] psychologist [Mary Larkin],” he explains. “And we were just speaking about that over the last couple of weeks and making sure I focused on my job, not doing anyone else’s job. We had another 13-14 lads today focusing on their job.”

Kane was grateful to be able to avail of this service in which he practised deep breathing and other practical ways of dealing with performance anxiety.

“We have a sports chaplain, as well, at Drogheda, which I [utilise] very often. It’s brilliant just to have that kind of support system.

“It’s available for everyone in the league and I think many players use it, which is brilliant.

“You look for everything as a player. You can do as much work in the gym, all that stuff, you can train as hard as you can but you do have to look after yourself upstairs.

“I always fed into doing meditation, looking after my mind as much as my physical health.”

Kane’s side certainly had the mental edge over their opponents on Sunday.

Derry finished five places and 21 points ahead of Drogheda in this year’s Premier Division table, so the Candystripes were significant favourites ahead of the game, but Kevin Doherty’s men were filled with belief regardless.

“We’ve had momentum the last three or four months. They’re probably the opposite, with how the run-in has gone for them. We knew we could beat them a few weeks ago up in United Park, so we knew they might have felt we were a bogey team.”

In addition to the psychological support, the defender also had the well wishes of his former employers. Despite departing Shelbourne last year, he still holds the club in high regard.

“The way they train is unbelievable — the small little details. Joey O’Brien is unbelievable as a defensive coach as well. But they do have a strong mentality in that changing room and they’re deserving league winners.

“They all texted me yesterday ‘best of luck’. I texted them last week to say ‘congratulations’. It was a nice little relationship even though it didn’t work out. They’re class acts.”

And Kane hailed Sunday’s triumph as his “best” moment in football. The player completed 90 minutes for the first time since the semi-final win against Bohemians over a month ago.

“I had a bit of a niggle in my calf,” he adds. “I was like: ‘Jesus, can’t miss another final. I’ve never had a muscle injury in my life.’

“So my ma and da wrapped me up in cotton wool and that was it — I made sure I was ready to rock.”