FAI Cup Final Countdown - 1994 - "It was devastating for us. That was a silent bus the whole way back. It was a big blow no question."

May 15, 1994

Sligo Rovers 1

Derry City 0

Derry City were forced to wait almost an entire month after their league campaign ended before the FAI Cup final came around, with the game scheduled for May 15 at Lansdowne Road against First Division Sligo Rovers.

The cup final preparations were hampered however by interference from other clubs. With the season over for every team except Derry and Sligo, clubs were preparing for the following season, and to the frustration of the manager, several of his players were approached. Shelbourne offered deals to Peter Hutton, Liam Coyle and Paul Curran, while striker Joe Lawless was wanted by no fewer than five teams down south.

It seemed a long time before May 15 eventually came around, and when it did, Derry City were overwhelming favourites to lift the cup. Willie McStay had worked wonders at Sligo, but the challenge of an in-form Derry team was predicted to be too much for the First Division high-flyers.

But in front of 13,800 fans at Lansdowne Road, the Sligo fairy-tale came true, much to Derry City’s dismay.

It was a game which was played over and over in the minds of Derry players and fans who recalled several different instances throughout the 90 minutes which, had they gone differently, would certainly have changed the final result. The Candy Stripes had six chances to score during the game, three of which were clear cut opportunities; Donal O’Brien hit the post and Liam Coyle had a goal disallowed as the ball simply refused to go into the Sligo net.

The defining moment came just 18 minutes from time when Eddie Annand’s corner kick was headed into his own net by the unfortunate Donal O’Brien under pressure from Gerry Carr. In the closing stages, Derry passed up further opportunities when Kevin McKeever went through one on one against Mark McClean only for the goalkeeper to save, and, in added time, Peter Hutton somehow headed over from close range with the goal at his mercy.

It was a devastating loss with some of the players openly weeping in the changing rooms after the game.

“I think the period before the cup final was too long,” O’Doherty stated. “When we went down to Dublin on the Saturday it was a beautiful day and when we went to Lansdowne Road it was a beautiful day. Gavin Dykes told me afterwards he had woken up at 4am on the morning of the game to open his hotel window. When he woke up there was a storm and the rain and the wind was hammering down and he turned to his team mate and said ‘Look at that. We have a chance now’.

“I think also that footballers and managers get a feeling and I just had a feeling that it wasn’t going to go for us. It was also one of the rare occasions when we were outnumbered because Sligo had more fans than we did and I think that was a factor.

“We were so used to going to games and having big numbers and I think it was a bit of a shock to us on the way up to see the horde of Sligo fans. They were a decent side under Willie McStay, they were well organised and the conditions suited them and they won it. It was devastating for us. That was a silent bus the whole way back. It was a big blow no question.”