BRIAN MAHER’S KNEECAPS were buried into the Aviva Stadium pitch as he dropped to celebrate Darragh Burns’ winning goal over Waterford.
The winger told the Derry City goalkeeper in the team hotel the night before that he would score.
“They always say that, don’t they? But he buried it and he deserved it,” Maher said. “The thing I loved about it was probably 60 seconds before he’s made a goal saving tackle in our box, that’s your right winger, and 60 seconds after he gets his reward.”
This was Maher’s magic moment, too, a clean sheet to go with victory. Redemption doesn’t get any more beautiful for a goalkeeper. He flung out his arms and his neck loosened to let the head slink back, looking up at the sky that had gone dark. Finally, he could see the light.
Maher was thinking about a lot in those few seconds.
The broken wrist at the start of this season that was misdiagnosed and meant he would miss the first six months as surgery was delayed. The ankle injury he suffered soon after his return.
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“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say it, but we’ve been through a lot of shit this year, and it’s stood to us. I’ve not been involved for a lot this year, and it’s been really hard, but I’ve been in every day, and I’ve been around it.
“As much as I’ve had a hard year, them boys have had a really hard year on the pitch. Especially since Mark [Connolly] came in [as caretaker], it’s just made us all so close and so tight. I think maybe at the start of the year, do we concede a goal at some point? Maybe, yeah.
“The ball goes in your box and you could see the goal. But, you know, unbelievable. Stottie (Jamie Stott), unbelievable. Paddy McClean, Brando [Fleming], Dummie (Cameron Dummigan). The back four, incredible.”
A dejected Padraig Amond. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
The Dubliner had made 111 consecutive League of Ireland appearances before this campaign. He lost his place to Tom Norcott but was only told after the final training session this week that he would be the No.1.
“I think a lot of [emotion] came out of me at full-time, I think it came out of Micky [Duffy] at full-time, I’ve seen a few more [in tears] but it’s been a really, really hard year and I think saying this, Tom [Norcott] could have easily played today. That was where it was. I thought my season was over.”
In 2024, it was only regret that Maher felt following defeat to Drogheda United, but this squad that will now play in Europe next season have formed a bond with the supporters.
“I think we could still have lost today and I still think the fans would say ‘no, I like that team, I like that team, they give everything, they care about Derry City’. Two years ago we didn’t turn up and we were a broken team, we knew we were a broken team deep down, we knew we were struggling.
“I see now a group of boys who want to be here, there’s boys left out of the squad today that are right in amongst it, there’s no sulkers, there’s no big egos, there’s no none of that it’s everybody wants to win so much for each other.”
On the flip side, veteran striker Padraig Amond spoke of the need to support the youngsters in the Waterford side that were feeling the pain of an FAI Cup final defeat. The 38-year-old shed tears himself at full-time, and again when he saw his children, but the bond formed with teammates forging their own careers is strong.
“As a group we’re really proud of what we’ve done this year, we’re really proud of how we’ve evolved and how Mission Impossible became possible [by avoiding relegation]. I’m really proud to captain this group and to be part of those players. I love every one of them like they’re a little brother of mine.
“I was upset after the game. These moments, you know, I talk to the lads about seizing the moment all the time and you never know what’s around the corner. You might never get to another FAI Cup final.
“These young lads in there who are experiencing it today. They’re devastated, like we all are.”
For Maher, a year that began on such a low has ended by reaching one of the greatest heights in Irish football.
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Brian Maher savours beautiful FAI Cup redemption at end of torrid year
BRIAN MAHER’S KNEECAPS were buried into the Aviva Stadium pitch as he dropped to celebrate Darragh Burns’ winning goal over Waterford.
The winger told the Derry City goalkeeper in the team hotel the night before that he would score.
“They always say that, don’t they? But he buried it and he deserved it,” Maher said. “The thing I loved about it was probably 60 seconds before he’s made a goal saving tackle in our box, that’s your right winger, and 60 seconds after he gets his reward.”
This was Maher’s magic moment, too, a clean sheet to go with victory. Redemption doesn’t get any more beautiful for a goalkeeper. He flung out his arms and his neck loosened to let the head slink back, looking up at the sky that had gone dark. Finally, he could see the light.
Maher was thinking about a lot in those few seconds.
The broken wrist at the start of this season that was misdiagnosed and meant he would miss the first six months as surgery was delayed. The ankle injury he suffered soon after his return.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say it, but we’ve been through a lot of shit this year, and it’s stood to us. I’ve not been involved for a lot this year, and it’s been really hard, but I’ve been in every day, and I’ve been around it.
“As much as I’ve had a hard year, them boys have had a really hard year on the pitch. Especially since Mark [Connolly] came in [as caretaker], it’s just made us all so close and so tight. I think maybe at the start of the year, do we concede a goal at some point? Maybe, yeah.
“The ball goes in your box and you could see the goal. But, you know, unbelievable. Stottie (Jamie Stott), unbelievable. Paddy McClean, Brando [Fleming], Dummie (Cameron Dummigan). The back four, incredible.”
The Dubliner had made 111 consecutive League of Ireland appearances before this campaign. He lost his place to Tom Norcott but was only told after the final training session this week that he would be the No.1.
“I think a lot of [emotion] came out of me at full-time, I think it came out of Micky [Duffy] at full-time, I’ve seen a few more [in tears] but it’s been a really, really hard year and I think saying this, Tom [Norcott] could have easily played today. That was where it was. I thought my season was over.”
In 2024, it was only regret that Maher felt following defeat to Drogheda United, but this squad that will now play in Europe next season have formed a bond with the supporters.
“I think we could still have lost today and I still think the fans would say ‘no, I like that team, I like that team, they give everything, they care about Derry City’. Two years ago we didn’t turn up and we were a broken team, we knew we were a broken team deep down, we knew we were struggling.
“I see now a group of boys who want to be here, there’s boys left out of the squad today that are right in amongst it, there’s no sulkers, there’s no big egos, there’s no none of that it’s everybody wants to win so much for each other.”
On the flip side, veteran striker Padraig Amond spoke of the need to support the youngsters in the Waterford side that were feeling the pain of an FAI Cup final defeat. The 38-year-old shed tears himself at full-time, and again when he saw his children, but the bond formed with teammates forging their own careers is strong.
“As a group we’re really proud of what we’ve done this year, we’re really proud of how we’ve evolved and how Mission Impossible became possible [by avoiding relegation]. I’m really proud to captain this group and to be part of those players. I love every one of them like they’re a little brother of mine.
“I was upset after the game. These moments, you know, I talk to the lads about seizing the moment all the time and you never know what’s around the corner. You might never get to another FAI Cup final.
“These young lads in there who are experiencing it today. They’re devastated, like we all are.”
For Maher, a year that began on such a low has ended by reaching one of the greatest heights in Irish football.
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