Derry City 4
Shelbourne 0
HISTORY HAS BEEN made by Derry City with the biggest ever margin of victory in a FAI Cup final.
Shelbourne players didn’t even have to drop to their knees or lie on their backs when the final whistle went.
They could only stand and take the pain.
It was an agonising final for the Dublin club, with a brace of goals from Cameron McJannett, one for Jamie McGonigle, and the history-maker coming after substitute Jordan McEneff converted a penalty in the 92nd-minute – insult to injury given he started this season at Tolka Park.
But this was a final won on the wings.
Perhaps a painful irony for Shelbourne boss Damien Duff, one of the greatest of all to occupy that position for Ireland.
Ryan Graydon and McJannet did the damage for Derry on the right and left, a deadly combination to bring the FAI Cup back to the Brandywell for the first time in a decade.
The superb Michael Duffy also had his part to play, while striker Jamie McGonigle got the ball rolling with his opener.
Shels simply couldn’t lay a glove on Derry, emphasised by the fact they didn’t manage a shot on target over the course of a chastening 90 minutes.
In front of 32,412 at Aviva Stadium, Ruadidhrí Higgins’ side’s superiority was clear to see. They proved to be Shamrock Rovers’ closest challengers in the Premier Division and the hope up north will be that this success can act as a catalyst for even more glory.
Derry showed their threat in behind after just 23 seconds when McGonigle beat Luke Byrne for pace after reading the flick on.
His prodded shot with an outstretched foot was well saved by Brendan Clark, who was out just as sharply to deny the opportunity.
There was a brief riposte to that danger at the other end when some neat one-touch interplay between JJ Lunney and Jack Moylan led to a dangerous cross into the box which Sean Boyd was unable to get on the end of.
Shels then gave up the initiative as part of their gameplan, a deep back five supplemented by three in midfield and two up top.
One of those in defence Shane Farrell, was an injury doubt coming into this showpiece but, such has been his influence and versatility over the course of the season, Duff gave him until the last moments to prove his fitness.
It was a chastening first-half for the Dubliner, a Finglas native who has experienced relegation and promotion at Tolka Park, and such was the need to change Farrell was substituted at half time.
By then the damage was done, although if it wasn’t for two blocks in quick succession from Byrne it could well have been far worse at the interval.
Firstly, he thew himself in front of Duffy’s goal-bound shot in the box and from the resulting corner he was up highest to head clear just as it looked as though Mark Connolly was rising to score from close range.
Unlike the previous scare, it didn’t act as a catalyst for a positive response.
The opener came in the 18th minute, a goal of beauty if you are a Candystripe. A sickener if you are Shels.
Patrick McEleney’s raking diagonal pass from his deep-lying position in midfield – one he only found himself in because of Sadou Diallo’s suspension – totally caught out Farrell at left back.
He somehow found himself 10 yards deeper than any of his colleagues but there was still so much to do.
Graydon’s touch was the first bit of superb quality needed to find the net. The second touch kept it in his stride, he got his head up to see the run of McGonigle and the precise delivery meant the striker only had to concentrate on directing his shot into the far corner.
He did so, and Derry were in the driving seat.
Duff called an impromptu team meeting on 27 minutes during a break in play, the result of which saw Farrell moved to the right of a three-man midfield and Gavin Molly taking his place in defence.
But 10 minutes before half-time Derry again targeted Farrell and made it 2-0 with a quick move that seemed to completely leave Shelbourne dumbstruck.
McJannet started and finished it, cutting inside beyond Farrell and then reversing his pass to Duffy on the left.
The experienced winger, roving and probing all afternoon, went around youngster Stephan Negru as if he wasn’t there and when his dangerous cross into the six-yard box was cleared by Shane Griffin, the ball only broke as far as McJannet, who had continued his run into the area and had the momentum to get in front of JJ Lunney and fire home.
That sense of purpose and confidence was carried into the second half as Shels struggled to gain any kind of foothold.
Farrell was replaced by Brian McManus but still their inability to pose a threat in the final third. After some initial moments of good hold up play by Boyd, and neat footwork from Moylan, their influence waned.
It was just a symptom of a desperately disappointing day at the office, the type that could be easily forgotten over the course of a long league campaign but which will surely linger given the significance of this occasion.
Any minor hope of a dramatic two-goal comeback was evaporated when McJannet bundled home his second, Derry’s third, from Duffy’s 61st-minute corner.
Moylan appeared to get a glancing header to send it in his direction and he was a welcome recipient.
With 15 minutes to go he Shelbourne end lit flares and threw some towards Brian Maher’s goal, it was one of the only things he had to worry about on a day when he didn’t have a single shot on target to deal with it.
And the final say was left to the victors, McEneff netting from the spot himself after Byrne had brought him down while through on goal.
Bitter for Shels, so sweet for Derry.
DERRY CITY: Maher; Boyce, Connolly, S McEleney (Coll 82), McJannet; Graydon, Dummigan, P McEleney (c), Patching (McEneff 90), Duffy (Kavanagh 90); McGonigle (Akintunde 75).
SHELBOURNE: Clarke; Negru, Byrne (c), Griffin; Wilson, Molloy (Coyle 71), Dervin (Ledwidge 64), Lunney, Farrell (McManus HT); Moylan, Boyd.
Referee: Damien McGrath