Drogs ⚽ Derry ⚽ Cup Winners

Anthony McIntyre ⚽On paper it was the most glamorous of the ties, but of the last two crunch games of the season, the FAI Aviva cup final last Sunday was the less crucial.

This Saturday's playoff clash with Bray Wanderers has that distinction as survival in top flight soccer hangs on it. Nevertheless, there is no denying the intense taste of Aviva success. The champagne from the cup must have tasted to the players like nectar to a bee: honey sweet. In the words of one pundit, a town had overcome a city.

Derry were clear favourites, driven by a hunger ignited by failure in the league where they came fourth in a two horse race. That did not concern us greatly. This Drogs side had beaten Derry a few weeks back and there seemed no reason that they could not do so again. Plus, the Drogs were on the up and we were confident that they could pass Derry on their way down.

Mid season, the Aviva looked like some exotic foreign country where others might go but not the Drogs. With relegation looking certain, a good run in the cup seemed out of reach. Then Kevin Doherty stepped up to the plate. With his side willing to battle for every ball while grinding points out of games they looked certain to lose, the Titanic was turned in the Boyne and steamed to a grand double finale.

For this one we did not travel by car, opting for an early train. We agreed last year to make cup final day, regardless of who is playing, a yearly event for the four of us. The seal on the hip flasks was simply not allowed to do what it said on the tin. By the time we hit Balbriggan, Tequila was making its way down my neck while Paddy opted for Jameson. J is too young to drink and Ronan opted to hold out until we reached the first Dublin bar. To our dismay there were none open, the hotel we called at as we walked in the direction of the Aviva was serving only nonalcohol beverages until noon. Having been on the dry since returning from Majorca in July, apart from a whiskey session in Dundalk with a friend down for the day from Belfast, my tongue felt as if it was touching my toes. Hip flasks to the rescue. As we traipsed on in the hope of finding an early house we stopped and talked to the Derry fans, quite a few of who were down as family units, young children kitted out in the Candystripe colours.

As we neared the stadium, flasks emptying quickly with Ronan now helping to siphon mine, a story circulated that the FAI was asking for a minute's silence for Armistice Day. Given the role of the British forces in mass murder in Ireland and elsewhere we were in no mood for any of that. The suggestion seemed particularly galling given that Derry would have a sizeable contingent at the game, people from a city where the cultural memory of an unarmed civilian population butchered by the state terrorists of the Parachute Regiment is deeply ingrained in the consciousness. Immediately, we began coordinating with the Derry fans about turning our backs and chanting 'Bloody Sunday' if any attempt was made to compel us to defer to poppy fascism and show respect for uniformed British war criminals many of whom as members of Bomber Command through calculated 'terror bombing' incinerated German civilians by the thousands in a slew of cities. As it happened, there was no call for a minute's silence. Such is how rumours start.

Having found a pub where we duly watered in the company of a Derry family, we got to our seats in the Aviva about an hour before kick off. The Ultras had colonised the North Stand where as one they exuded a mass of colours, everyone waving a pre-placed flag. While some Ultras associated with other teams in Ireland and elsewhere have acquired a reputation for hooliganism - Amsterdam witnessed it last week when the Nazi supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv provoked a riot with their genocidal and infanticidal chants - the Famous 45 Ultras of Drogheda United are better known for their energetic enthusiasm for the sport and a willingness to do charity work in their local community.

I had brought a Palestine flag and scarf, as suggested by Stephanie Kirwan of Drogheda For Palestine, and draped the flag over the balcony as we were in the front row. The Derry fans did it in style with a display of Palestinian flags on the fifty minute mark. An Irish location where war crimes were committed standing in solidarity with another location where war crimes are a daily occurrence.

With J having made his prediction of a 1-0 victory for the Drogs we gazed on, nerves calmed by the alcohol, as both teams set about trying to decide whether the cup would travel 30 k up the road that evening or 130 k somewhat closer to midnight. There was a lot of probing with no one showing the ability to open the account. That changed as the game approached half time. A free kick from the cultured boot of Shane Farrell, previously a beaten finalist with Shelbourne, was slammed home on the volley with pin point accuracy by Andrew Quinn. The Aviva erupted in a tsunami of claret and blue.

Shortly into the second half Drogheda were awarded a penalty which my son later claimed may have been outside the box. I was too juiced to focus on things like eighteen yard lines which seemed to waver and wobble in front of my eyes. None of it mattered to Douglas James Taylor who seized the opportunity with gusto, his conversion a fitting reward for a player who has been at the core of the Drogs' change of fortune this season.

Drogheda were well organised and marshalled superbly, so while Derry had a lot of the ball the compact lineup of the Drogs meant they were unable to do anything with it. After the Drogs' victory away at Bohemians last month the fans sensed that this was a side that could soak up sustained pressure; that, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get going.

There was no point where the Drogs were clinging to their lead. They simply maintained that two goal cushion, never allowing Derry to find their mojo. As the clock ticked down, with Derry posing little threat in front of goal, myself, Paddy, J and Ronan began celebrating minutes before the final whistle as we reassured each other that the Drogs 'are gonna do this.'

Cup success means a lot to Drogheda United and its fans, only the second such achievement in 105 years. Speaking to Joanna Byrne at a vigil for Gaza just after the semi final win over Wexford she explained that it would be a huge boost to the town. That, on top of the huge buzz in town in the lead up to the final, made for a memorable occasion.

At almost 39, 000 the numbers fell a few thousand short of last year's record turnout, but the teams then were from Dublin. Neither side on Sunday had previously played before such a large crowd.

Derry reminded me of Liverpool's run in last season. With everything in their grasp they just ran out of steam. They lacked what Drogheda had, an unflinching determination to win the trophy or die trying. The Candystripes looked jaded and did not match the energy or passion of the Drogs who were resolute that the city, not the town, would be a trophy free zone come full time.

A special mention for Ryan Brennan. Battered, bruised, bloodied and booked after a first half clash of heads with his opposite number in the Derry side, the Drogs captain returned heavily bandaged to the fray to lead his side to victory in what must have been serious balm for the pain of having played in the lost final in 2013. When it became clear that Derry were not going to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat only then did he hobble off the pitch. Although he described his colleagues as warriors, he was warrior in chief, bearing the distinguishing mark of the champion - one who gets back up to fight when he knows he can't.

Roll on Tallaght on Saturday where it is do or die for the Drogs in terms of keeping alive their premier division status. I just think this team is too good to go down. But if they do, I shall get up on Christmas morning to a season ticket.

⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.