FAI Cup Final Countdown - 2008 - Cup final controversy costs City

FAI Cup Final – 2008

Bohemians 2

Derry City 2

Bohemians won on penalties

The 2008 FAI Cup Final has gone down in infamy for those associated with Derry City, thanks to the performance of referee Anthony Buttimer, who stole the headlines with key decisions which many fans, players and pundits found dubious.

The build up to Derry City’s fifth FAI Cup final was somewhat bizarre as both sets of fans, totalling 10,281, were treated to a musical performance by a famous fan of their club.

Former Eurovision winner Johnny Logan performed 'Hold Me Now', which had become the unofficial anthem for Bohs, while The Undertones frontman Paul McLoone gave a rendition of 'Teenage Kicks' for the Derry fans to enjoy.

The game itself was a fascinating encounter, with Pat Fenlon hoping to become the first man to lead Bohemians to a league and cup double since Roddy Collins in 2001, while Derry City were aiming for a cup double of their own having already won the League Cup.

The omens were good for Derry, with Bohs failing to win any of the four meetings between the two teams earlier in the season, and Stephen Kenny holding an undefeated record over Fenlon as Derry manager.

Just four minutes in, a controversial game had its first talking point as Owen Heary felled Sammy Morrow inside the Bohs penalty area, but referee Buttimer said no penalty, despite replays suggesting it had been a clear foul.

There was little to separate the two teams until the hour mark when Derry were awarded a free kick 20 yards from goal, and Sammy Morrow took advantage of a poorly constructed wall to blast the ball past Brian Murphy and into the top corner to give Derry the lead.

That was the beginning of a breathless period in the game. Unfortunately for Derry, that lead lasted just four minutes as they failed to defend a corner properly and Glenn Crowe was able to turn the ball past Gerard Doherty from close range to make it 1-1.

Just six minutes later, the game’s main talking point arrived as another corner into the Derry area bounced up onto Sammy Morrow’s hand, and to the disbelief of Derry City, referee Buttimer pointed to the penalty spot. The decision was ubiquitously derided as poor from the official, but it mattered not to Jason Byrne, who fired Bohemians into a 2-1 lead.

Yet the drama was far from finished as ‘Man of the Match’ Niall McGinn floated a superb cross into the Bohs area just six minutes later where Morrow arrived to turn the ball past Murphy to tie the game again at 2-2.

Somewhat fittingly, the final between the best league and cup teams in the land went to extra time and both teams had chances to win it, especially McGinn, who raced in from the right in the final minute of play, but went for glory instead of squaring the ball for Mark Farren, who would have had a tap in. A goal then would have won the game, but Murphy’s save ensured that for the first time in the competition’s 86-year history, penalties would decide the winners of the FAI Cup.

Bohs led 3-2 after five perfect penalties, with Brennan, O’Donnell and Cronin netting for the Dubliners and Mark Farren and Kevin McHugh responding for Derry.

But it quickly started to go wrong for Stephen Kenny’s team.

Kevin Deery saw his penalty saved by Murphy, and although Mark Rossiter then hit the bar, the Bohs goalkeeper stood tall again to save from Ruaidhri Higgins. That left substitute Kalonus as the man to win the cup final for Bohs, and he didn’t disappoint, lashing the ball past Gerard Doherty to ensure that the ribbons on the famous old trophy were black and red for the seventh time.

“I thought over the course of the whole game that we were the better side,” McGinn explained. “The whole atmosphere and the crowd we brought down that day were unbelievable. We lost on penalties which wasn’t a nice way to lose. I didn’t get to take a penalty that day, and looking back now I would have loved to have taken one. But performance-wise we were great, and it was just a shame we fell short.

“On a personal note getting the ‘Man of the Match’ award was a nice way to get recognised, but looking back, I’d rather have the winner’s medal. It worked out well for me personally because I ended up getting the ‘Young Player of the Year’ award, and I got my move. I just wish I had that winner’s medal also.”