Cork City snatch the FAI Cup right at the death to deny Dundalk the double

A DRAMATIC last gasp extra-time winner from Sean Maguire clinched a 1-0 victory for Cork City in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Final against Dundalk at the Aviva Stadium.

With the game scoreless, and in added time at the end of 120 engrossing minutes, a long throw into the penalty area from Stephen Beattie found Maguire in space, and his shot on the turn took a deflection off Dundalk defender Brian Gartland and crept past Gary Rogers into the corner of the net.

It was a harsh end to the game for Dundalk, who looked the likelier to score as the game wore on, and the stamina and determination shown by Stephen Kenny’s men was all the more remarkable given they had played a Europa League game against Zenit St Petersburg in Russia on Thursday and only flew back to Ireland the day before the final.

But there was no disguising the delight of the thousands of celebrating Cork City fans after Maguire’s winner, and speaking live on RTE Television moments after the final whistle, match winner Maguire dedicated the victory to them.

“The fans have been absolutely outstanding throughout, they deserve this more than anyone,” he said.

“I’m absolutely buzzing, I can’t put it into words.”

For manager John Caulfield, it was his first trophy success after three years in charge at Turners Cross, and he said afterwards that the challenge for his side now was to build on the success.

“From the day we were appointed we wanted to bring a trophy back to Cork,” he said.

"We felt we needed a trophy to move on. We're trying to build year on year, we've got better every year, and obviously a bit of silverware will bring more belief in these players.

"But Dundalk are the team to beat again next year and we'll have to kick on."

The game began at a frantic pace with neither side able to get into much rhythm, but as the first half wore on Dundalk began to take control, and the bulk of the action took place in the Cork City half, although it wasn’t until the closing stages as half-time approached that clear cut chances were created.

The lively Daryl Horgan, the subject of increasing transfer speculation in the past few weeks, was a regular thorn in the City defence, and he almost punished slackness at the back when he pinched the ball from Stephen Beattie and advanced on goal, but Cork City keeper Mark McNulty denied him with a blocking save.

A minute later Horgan was involved again, this time playing a delightful through ball to give David McMillan a sight of goal, but the striker’s well struck shot was met with an equally good save from McNulty.

The Dundalk pressure continued and three minutes before the interval, Brian Gartland rose to get a good header in from a corner, but the ball just missed the target.

It was nonetheless a good half from a Dundalk perspective, with any suggestions of fatigue after their long trip back from Russia on Friday very much silenced.

The early stages of the second-half were better for Cork City, with at last the Dundalk defence being put under pressure, and on the hour Dundalk’s Sean Gannon cleared off the line from a Sean Maguire header.

Five minutes later Maguire won a free kick on the edge of the box when he was tripped by Stephen O’Donnell, and Kevin O’Connor curled the resulting kick just over the crossbar.

The game then began to finally open up, and both sides had chances to win it in the closing stages of the 90 minutes.

First, Cork substitute Chiedozie Ogbene brought a great save from Gary Rogers when he fired in a shot from a Sean Maguire cut back, and at the other end Dundalk substitute Ciaran Kilduff headed a Daryl Horgan cross wide from six yards.

Predictably, the pace slowed up in extra-time, and the first period produced little of note other than a penalty shout when Daryl Horgan went down under a challenge from Stephen Beattie in the penalty area, but the referee was unmoved.

With five minutes of extra-time remaining, a Daryl Horgan cross to the far post almost caught out City goalkeeper Mark McNulty but the keeper recovered to claw the ball away at full stretch.

But then, in the added minute of stoppage time, Maguire wrote his name in the history books with his dramatic late winner to ensure the cup was heading back to Leeside.