SLIGO ROVERS AND Shelbourne go into Sunday’s FAI Cup final showdown at the Aviva Stadium in search of some silverware to ease the pain of missing out on their respective league titles.
The Bit O’Red were forced to settle for runner-up spot after Dean Kelly’s injury-time winner at the UCD Bowl clinched a second consecutive Premier Division for Shamrock Rovers last week.
Boosted by news that manager Paul Cook has turned down a proposed move to the SPL and is committed to remaining in the West of Ireland for the time being, retaining the FAI Cup would top off what has been an extremely successful season and give them the incentive go one better next year.
Over in Drumcondra, a fallen giant of Irish football has spent the past four-and-a-half years attempting to rebuild from scratch.
Ever since their financial crisis and subsequent relegation to the First Division in February 2006, Shelbourne’s primary objective has been making a return to the top tier, and finally, they have achieved that goal.
Only a 94th-minute Graham Cummins winner for Cork City denied Shels top spot and while Alan Mathews’ side will gladly take automatic promotion, an FAI Cup final victory would be an added bonus and a major upset.
Ahead of Sunday’s showcase game, we take a look back at three uniquely fascinating finals contested by the sides.
FAI Cup final 1939
Sligo Rovers 1 Shelbourne 1; Shelbourne 1 Sligo Rovers 0 (Replay)
Known as ‘the Dixie Dean final’, this has become one of the most famous in League of Ireland folklore because of one man.
At the age of 32, legendary Everton and England striker William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean made an astonishing move to Sligo after a short stint with Notts County.
The prolific goalscorer, who notched an incredible 60 goals in the 1927/1928 season and a total of 383 goals in 433 games for the Toffees, was a huge draw for Irish fans looking to catch a glimpse of this mythical player they had heard about so much about.
In what was one of only seven appearances for the Bit O’Red, Dixie scored in the 43rd minute to put them ahead in front of a 36,601 crowd at Dalymount Park before Shels winger Sammy Smyth equalised directly from a corner in the dying minutes to force a replay.
Sadly, even Dixie couldn’t prevent a Sligo defeat the second time around as a solitary Sacky Glen free-kick in the second minute proved enough to see the cup head to Dublin.
The striker went on to score a total of 10 goals for the club, including five in a single game against Waterford, before calling time on his professional career. His statue stands outside the Park End of Goodison Park today.
League Cup final 1995/1996
Sligo Rovers 1 Shelbourne 0 (first leg)
Shelbourne 2 Sligo Rovers 1 (second leg) (Shelbourne win 4-3 on penalties)
Damien Richardson and current Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cotterill went tête-à-tête in a two-legged affair for what was then the Bord Gáis League Cup back in 1995.
Sligo made good use of home advantage to earn a 1-0 win at the Showgrounds in the first instalment. They had looked the more likely of the two to score when Padraig Moran went around his marker as if he wasn’t there before pulling the ball back to Ian Gilzean, who turned it home.
In the return fixture, Sligo doubled their aggregate lead a minute before half-time after winger Johnny Kenny ran 70 yards in possession to find the Moran’s head with a cross.
However, Shels recovered to level the terms and send the game to extra time thanks to goals from the Geoghegan brothers, Declan and Stephen.
Rico’s side were clinical from the spot, scoring the first four of their penalties, and with Steve Birks and Paul Tovey unsuccessful for Rovers, Shels captain Mick Neville was presented with the trophy.
- Check out footage of the first leg with appearances from a youthful Rico, Steve Cotterill and George Hamilton, who looks… exactly the same
- The penalty shoot-out in the second leg and Cotterill shedding a rare tear
League Cup final 1997/1998
Sligo Rovers 1 Shelbourne 0 (first leg); Shelbourne 0 Sligo Rovers 0 (second leg)
The sides met two years later at the same stage of the competition with Sligo out to inflict some revenge on their opponents, who boasted the likes of Pat Fenlon, Dessie Baker and Tony Sheridan in their ranks.
Shels had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half and Dean Fitzgerald should have made more of Sheridan’s lobbed through ball but it was Sligo who got the vital breakthrough 20 minutes into the second half after a mix up between the defence and goalkeeper Stephen O’Brien allowed Neil Ogden to guide the ball into an open net and give the Yeats County men a narrow lead.
Missing several regulars such as Marcus Hallows and Aled Rowlands in the second leg, Sligo’s task looked a daunting one. However, led by player/manager Nicky Reid, they held out in Dublin to secure a valiant 0-0 draw and the club’s first ever FAI Cup win.
- Check out highlights of both legs
