Anthony McIntyre ⚽ There were four of us in the car as Paddy steered his way to Sullivan & Lambe Park.
Ronan had tagged along having finished work early enough. Although tired from an early start the incentive of a quarter final clash had fired him up.
Jay was his usual confident self when asked about the outcome: 2-1 to Drogheda which, had it ended that way, would have seen the Claret and Blue reach the semi-final of the FAI cup for the second year running. I admire Jay's enthusiasm without sharing it. When of a similar age I was always confident that Glentoran would win any game I attended. Didn't always work out like that, however . . .
Already this season I have witnessed too many performances where the Drogs ended up drawing when they could with a bit more assertiveness and forward thinking won. Besides they were up against the runaway league leaders so no small task awaited them on the night.
Traffic was bad on the way over which meant that by the time we completed our delayed journey, the seats we hoped to get were all taken. With the anticipation of rain and no roof to over us, our wet seats beckoned us for what seemed a grim evening. Just prior to sitting down I was pleased to meet Tony, the ever present steward, and congratulate him on the birth of his grandchild. A great addition to his life that will help fill the vacuum caused by the recent loss of his wife.
As usual the Dublin sides draw the Public Order Unit and just as usual there were no crowd control issues. The visiting fans are asked to remain in their places for a few minutes after the game so that the post match milling of opposing sets of supporters does not create a flashpoint. The most I have experiences either home or away is a bit of banter with no hostility.
Drogheda Stands With Palestine had asked for any of its group attending the match to fly the Palestinian flag, wear the keffiyeh or brandish the state's scarves. RTE would be covering the game so it was an opportunity to promote the campaign against genocide. We turned up with all three and were generously snapped by the ever dependable Laura.
The Drogs were set up compactly enough but it wasn't long before we sensed that the visitors had identified the spot most vulnerable to their forays from the Left. Their instinct was right. Midway through the first half, Graham Burke, with his eleventh goal against the Drogs, put a nose with a hoop through it in front.
Now time for the home side to piss or get off the pot. No point sitting back suicidally defending a 0-1 deficit. Attack was the only option. They rose to the challenge. The last time these two met in the league a week earlier, the Drogs while finishing second best at Tallaght Stadium had shown Shamrock they were not overawed by their runaway success this season.
As the game headed closer to the final whistle we had resigned ourselves to colours other than claret and blue flooding the Aviva in November. Drogheda usually concede a goal at that stage of the games rather than score one. Yet the unbelievable became believable in the final minute of time added on when the Drogs drew level through a clinical overhead effort by Andrew Quinn. Ecstasy of the harmless type prevailed in the stands.
Going into extra time they had the bit between their teeth. That made it all the more disappointing on the restart when the Drogs rather than go for it opted to defend in numbers. It was rare that they ventured out of their own half to put an attack together. It felt as if flushed by their success a round earlier up at Brandywell when they knocked Derry out on penalties they could do the same again. Playing for penalties seemed an ill advised strategy.
With both teams conceding no goals in the thirty minute period, crunch time came. When Darragh Markey stepped to take his penalty right in front of us, which if converted would have won Drogs the match, I felt we were on the way to the Aviva once more in claret and blue rather than as neutrals watching others battle it out in the final. When his shot was saved, deflation overcome us. Hope evaporated because that was the moment to secure victory. It was in the hands of the Drogs, or at their feet, but the hands of the big Hoops keeper, Ed McGinty, won the day. The moment had passed and while there was everything to play for it seemed the best had been expended and that what remained in the tank would not get them over the line. A miss by Dara Kareem confirmed our fears.
With both teams conceding no goals in the thirty minute period, crunch time came. When Darragh Markey stepped to take his penalty right in front of us, which if converted would have won Drogs the match, I felt we were on the way to the Aviva once more in claret and blue rather than as neutrals watching others battle it out in the final. When his shot was saved, deflation overcome us. Hope evaporated because that was the moment to secure victory. It was in the hands of the Drogs, or at their feet, but the hands of the big Hoops keeper, Ed McGinty, won the day. The moment had passed and while there was everything to play for it seemed the best had been expended and that what remained in the tank would not get them over the line. A miss by Dara Kareem confirmed our fears.
.jpeg)
That is how it ended.
Drogheda may feel hard done by wondering how Danny Mandroiu was allowed to stay on the pitch after a lunging tackle close to half time brought Conor Kane crashing to the ground. But ultimately, even with eleven Tallaght men on the field, the failure to come out and play in extra time, relying instead on a defensive formation, was what cost them the game and saw their hands prised away from the much coveted cup.
A great game to watch even though disappointment weighed us down. Shamrock Rovers march on and look odds on favourites to clinch a league and cup double. For the Drogs, there will be no end to season excitement or drama that came to characterise both league cup journeys in 2024. No final in the cup, no play-off in the league. The only consolation is that top flight football will once again be on offer in 2026.
 |
| ⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre. |
No comments