FAI Cup Quarter Final
Match Preview: Derry City v Shelbourne
After a glorious seven day spell at the summit of the
Premier Division, Derry City must overcome the disappointment of dropping back
down to second, and allowing Shelbourne to reclaim a four point buffer at the
top of the table, when they face their title rivals in a cup tie for the ages
in the Brandywell on Saturday. It’s the top two in the league, and the two
favourites to lift the cup, battling it out in an early-Autumn quarter-final
under the Brandywell lights on a Saturday evening. The game’s likely to sell
out, and with the added tension of knowing these two won’t meet again until the
final day of the campaign, this is the type of game to define a season.
Last time out - Galway United 1-0 Derry City:
Going into a league game as table toppers for the first time
in almost six months, Derry City knew that a win could be a massive step towards
clinching a first title since 1997. Travelling to a ground they haven’t won at
since 2015, City started the game well against the second best defensive team
in the league. Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men found joy down the flanks against
Waterford the week before and went down the same route in Galway. Sixteen
minutes in and the closest opportunity of the first half saw Sadou Diallo’s
strike from range narrowly miss the post on Brendan Clarke’s right hand side.
Six minutes later and it was a loose touch from the former Wolves and Man City
midfielder which fielded possession the way of Galway United, forcing Brian
Maher into a save following a right-footed Jimmy Keohane effort from outside of
the box. City could have, and probably should have, opened the deadlock with
less than ten minutes of the first half remaining when neat interplay between
Adam O’Reilly and Paul McMullan saw the ball flashed across the box. Will
Patching was on hand from fifteen yards out to sweep the ball low and past
Clarke in the Galway goal, narrowly missing the same as post as Sadou Diallo
twenty minutes earlier.
Thirteen minutes after the restart and Patching again came
close, forcing Brendan Clarke into a fantastic save when he whipped a strike
from the corner of the box towards the stanchion of the goal. A third great
opportunity for City to open the scoring. It wasn’t long though before the home
side found themselves a goal. A deep free kick was looped into the Derry box,
and it seemed that Brian Maher had caught it, before coming down on top of
substitute Danny Mullen and dropping the ball. American midfielder, and August
Player of the Month, Patrick Hickey was on hand to stab into the net as the
referee waived away claims for a foul from the City faithful. A rare error from
Maher, but a massive goal for Galway in their hunt for Europe. Right from the
restart and City had a golden opportunity to level it. Danny Mullen, involved
for the wrong reasons in the other box just minutes earlier, met Paul
McMullan’s inch-perfect ball into the box with his forehead. With the goal to
aim at, the Scotsman saw himself denied by the ever-present Brendan Clarke in
the United goal. A massive performance from the veteran keeper. City piled on
the pressure in the last ten minutes but it wasn’t to be, as one of the
league’s soundest defences kept another clean sheet. A poor result for the
Candystripes, but the opportunities were there to be taken.
Derry City:
After the highs of topping the table a week prior, the loss
to Galway has shown us how small the margins are in football. Derry played well
in Eamonn Deacy Park for the most part, the attacking play was crisp and we
came agonisingly close on three occasions. If Brendan Clarke wasn’t between the
sticks for the Tribesmen, we would have won that game by a margin of a goal or
two at least. Paul McMullan showed his skill and close-control down the wing,
whilst Patching could have bagged himself a brace on another day. New signing
Andre Wisdom was solid once again as he met fellow former Premier League full
back Greg Cunningham on the left side of the Galway defence. On the other hand,
Pat Hoban was kept quiet on his return to his hometown and Danny Mullen had a
second-half cameo to forget. I would have liked to see Sean Robertson come on
in the second half, his direct running and raw pace would have troubled a
tiring Galwegian back-line. Jacob Davenport is another play I’d love to see
more of, with Cameron Dummigan’s injury I think a midfield three of O’Reilly,
Patching and Davenport would be a joy to watch. Signed in early July,
Davenport’s only 45 minutes in red and white came over a month ago in the 1-1
draw with Dundalk. It was good to see Patrick McEleney back in the team against
Galway after breaking his arm earlier in the summer. If he gets up to speed, he
could provide that one flick or ball into the box that could win games between
now and November. That international break will have been welcomed by the City
players and staff alike, as they’ve been given time to regroup and get the
defeat on the Atlantic coast out of the system.
Shelbourne:
Quarter-final opponents don’t come much bigger than this at
the moment in Irish football. Shelbourne, who lost 4-0 in a record breaking cup
final win against Derry City two years ago, travel to the Brandywell four
points clear at the top of the Premier Division table. They say form goes out
of the window in cup games, and that’s something both managers will want to believe
on Saturday. For the top two teams in the country, neither side are really
playing like it. Both City and Shelbourne have won just one of their last five
league games and are fairly keeping each other occupied in the race for the
title. Damien Duff’s Shels side needed extra-time and penalties to beat Galway
United in the round of 16 after a 1-0 away win over Bray Wanderers in the
second round of the cup. Their 1-0 win away to Dundalk is their only league win
since the end of June, whilst a double-header against Swiss giants FC Zurich in
the UEFA Conference League added an extra 180 minutes into July and August’s
schedule.
Defensively is where Shelbourne have shone this season. Just
19 goals conceded in 29 league games is some feat – Conor Kearns, Paddy Barrett
and co. have kept a tight ship at the back for Shels. The addition of the Aiden
O’Brien, the former Millwall and Ireland striker who has more than 200 EFL
appearances, has hit the ground running since signing from Shrewsbury Town in
August. The 30 year old has scored twice in four appearances for the Reds so
far, adding to the already strong centre forward options of Sean Boyd and John
Martin. Damien Duff will hope that O’Brien’s goal will be important in the
run-in as his side have scored 32 in the league this term – ten fewer than
Derry City and ranking them in seventh in the league in terms of goals scored.
A prolific number nine could be the missing key to the Shelbourne puzzle.
Will Jarvis, who was recalled from his loan by Hull City
after playing against Derry back in August, was Shelbourne’s main attacking
threat this year. His combined goals and assists of 12 was the highest in their
side, ahead of Sean Boyd on 9 and John Martin on 6. Only Jarvis and left back
Tyreke Wilson have registered more than two assists this term for Shelbourne.
Former Derry City man Matt Smith bagged last time out against Bohemians, a goal
which put Shels in the driving seat in the title race – that was his first
league goal of the campaign. Captain Mark Coyle is a tough midfielder in the
middle of the park, whilst the energy of Evan Caffrey and talent of Harry Wood balance
out a tidy midfield trio. Liam Burt, Ali Coote and Rayhaan Tulloch are all
quality wingers and give Duff options off the bench. These two won’t face each
other now until the last game of the season, a potential title-decider in the
Brandywell on the 1st of November. Things are getting serious.
Round-up:
Derry City have reached the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup
for the second time in three years. That fixture in 2022 was one of the best
games in the Brandywell all season. City played Shamrock Rovers off the park in
the first half, before conceding in the second half and taking the game to
extra-time, where goals from Danny Lafferty and Brandon Kavanagh sent City into
the semis. Treaty United lay in wait back then and with half of the remaining
teams in the Cup currently playing in the First Division, there’s a good chance
of another First Division side meeting Saturday’s victor.
Seven of the last eight league ties between Derry City and
Shelbourne have ended in draws, with Derry’s 1-0 win in Tolka in March 2023 the
only time since August 2022 when the points haven’t been shared. Four of those
previous eight have seen red cards whilst the rivalry between Higgins and Duff
that we saw in Tolka last month could make a reappearance. In the three games
played between Shelbourne and Derry City in 2024, two have been scoreless. Sean
Boyd’s 89th minute equaliser split the spoils in the Brandywell in
May. The last quarter-final to be played between these two was the League Cup
quarters back in 2018, when City came out 7-3 victors as Ronan Curtis bagged a
first half hattrick.
Saturday will mark twelve years to the day since City beat
Mervue United 7-1 in the FAI Cup quarter-finals back in 2012. Mark Farren
bagged a hat-trick that day, equalling then surpassing Liam Coyle’s record goal
tally for the Candystripes when he bagged on the 60th and 61st
minutes. The solitary goalscorer for Mervue that night was none other than a 21
year old Patrick Hoban. A decade and a bit on, and the now 33 year old will
lead the line for City at the same stage in the same competition. Another FAI
Cup quarter-final highlight came back in 2014, when City drew 2-2 with eight
man Drogheda United before hammering the Louth side 5-0 in the replay. Ryan
McBride scored in the first game, whilst Patrick McEleney and Michael Duffy both
netted – that was ten years ago on Monday. There have certainly been a few high
scoring quarter finals in the Brandywell over the past few years, here’s hoping
Saturday will bring similar fireworks.
With the other three quarter finals taking place on Friday
night, it won’t be much of a wait before the winner in the Brandywell learns
their next opponent. The semi-final draw will be held after full-time on
Saturday evening, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see an upset or two heading into
it. UCD, who beat Sligo Rovers 2-0 in the round of 16, welcome Bohemians to
Belfield. Wexford host Treaty United in a tie which will guarantee a First
Division side in the last four, whilst Drogheda United travel to Athlone Town
in the other fixture. Possibly just 180 minutes away from an Aviva day out, the
FAI Cup is really beginning to heat up.
Pól O’Hare – 12th September 2024
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