Soccer

Dundalk get it right at second time of asking to knock Derry out of FAI Cup

Dundalk's Ciaran Kilduff celebrates his penalty conversion at the Brandywell on Tuesday night<br />Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Dundalk's Ciaran Kilduff celebrates his penalty conversion at the Brandywell on Tuesday night
Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Dundalk's Ciaran Kilduff celebrates his penalty conversion at the Brandywell on Tuesday night
Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

IT WILL be a repeat of last year’s FAI Cup final next month after as Dundalk booked their place against Cork at the Aviva Stadium, with a hard-fought win over Derry City on Tuesday.

The replay at a packed Brandywell was decided by Ronan Finn’s second half header just after the hour mark, but it will be a case of what might have been for Kenny Shiels’ young charges. City got off to the perfect start as man-of-the-moment Ronan Curtis opened the scoring on three minutes.

Wing-back Harry Monaghan won possession from Patrick Barrett before feeding Barry McNamee, his right footed centre found Curtis at the near post and he made no mistake firing home past Gabriel Sava. The visitors were awarded a controversial penalty on 37 minutes as Robbie Benson was brought down by Niclas Vemmelund inside the box and the additional referee behind the net Paul Tuite told referee David McKeon to award the penalty, much to the annoyance of the City side.

After the protests were waved away Ciaran Kilduff made no mistake with the resulting spot-kick, side-footing the ball low into Gerard Doherty’s bottom left hand corner. Just as at the start of the first-half, Curtis went close to scoring when more good play by the teenager ended with his low drive from the right hand side of the penalty box being saved by Sava.

While Derry were on the front foot for the majority of the second half they went close on 65 minutes but Aaron McEneff’s long range strike was saved by Sava. The Lilywhites took the lead on 67 minutes as Darren Meenan’s fantastic right wing cross was glanced home from 14 yards by the out-rushing Ronan Finn.

Kenny Shiels’ side, to their credit, had Dundalk penned in their own half for long periods after Finn’s goal, so much so that skipper Andy Boyle was brought on from the bench to cope with Derry’s pressure. Unfortunately for City they never really tested keeper Sava as the champions showed their experience to see out the win.

FINN HARPS rode their luck last night in the north west derby as Sligo Rovers failed to convert a last minute penalty that would have broken the Donegal side’s hearts.

As it was, following a battling performance Harps took a point from the contest and in their fight for survival are now five points clear of Wexford Youths and 11 clear of Longford. Chances were few and far between in the opening half, with Ruairi Keating blasting over a chance for Harps on nine minutes, and Raffaele Cretaro shooting straight at Harps’ keeper Richard Brush six minutes before half-time.

Early in the second-half, Ollie Horgan’s men had three chances in quick succession with Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Ciaran Nugent and Liam Martin all denied within the space of a minute. The game’s defining moment arrived in the 90th minute when Cretaro stepped up to take a penalty but crashed it against the bar.