By:
Conor Martin
Shamrock Rovers and Cork City do battle at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Sunday for the right to win the FAI Cup.
The Hoops are hoping for a record-extending 26th FAI Cup final win, while Cork City are hoping to win their fifth and their first since 2017.
Ahead of this weekend’s showpiece final, here are our best finals of the 21st century to date.
Our top five FAI Cup finals of the last 10 years
2017 – Cork City vs Dundalk FC (1-1 aet; Cork win 5-3 on penalties)
The 2017 final saw Cork City and Dundalk meet yet again in what had become something of a recurring decider. Dundalk took the lead early in extra time via Niclas Vemmelund, only for Achille Campion to level for Cork with eight minutes remaining in extra time.
The match then went to a penalty shoot-out, where Cork goalkeeper Mark McNulty saved Michael Duffy’s penalty and Kieran Sadlier stepped up to convert the winner, their last FAI Cup final triumph to date.
2018 – Dundalk FC vs Cork City (2-1)
The following year was a repeat of the 2016 and 2017 finals with the same two clubs meeting again in the final, but this time it would be the club from Louth coming out on top.
Dundalk opened via Sean Hoare’s header, Cork equalised via a penalty from Kieran Sadlier just two minutes later, and then Patrick McEleney headed the winner in the 73rd minute to secure the 2-1 triumph and the double for Dundalk.
It was a final that featured quality goals; the fact that Dundalk completed the double makes it historically significant.
While an enjoyable final, it perhaps lacked the edge of a finish-on-pens thrill and may have felt a little predictable given the recent history of the two clubs.
2021 – St Patrick’s Athletic vs Bohemians (1-1 aet; St Pat’s win 4-3 on penalties)
St Patrick’s Athletic’s 1-1 draw with Bohemians and 4-3 penalty-shootout win after extra time is next up. In this one, Chris Forrester opened the scoring for St Pat’s in the first-half of extra time, while Rory Feely equalised for Bohs in the 107th minute.
The final itself is remembered for being a close contest, as well as the FAI Cup final, which went the distance.
St Patrick’s would go on to do the business from 12 yards, with Robbie Benson scoring the deciding penalty as the club from Inchicore won 4-3 to claim their fourth cup and first since 2014.
2019: Shamrock Rovers vs Dundalk FC (1-1 aet; Rovers win 4-2 penalties)
When people talk about frantic finishes, the 2019 FAI Cup final had that and some more. Aaron McEneff scored a very late penalty in the final, netting in the 90th minute to put Rovers ahead, then Michael Duffy equalised with an absolute worldie to take the final to extra time.
The Hoops hadn’t lifted the FAI Cup since the 1986-87 season, and that long wait for a 25th FAI Cup would be over when Gary O’Neill kept his cool and fired home from the spot, sending Rovers fans wild.
2016 – Cork City 1 – 0 Dundalk (A.E.T)
2019 had two late goals; this one had a late winner. This final was essentially a heavyweight clash, and the pair would go on to meet in the 2017 and 2018 finals.
Dundalk had been dominant, Cork City had pressure, and the winner arriving literally at the death of extra time makes this our number 1 thanks to the sheer drama of Seani Maguire’s winner moments before the final headed to a penalty shoot-out.
The combination of quality, tension, narrative, and ultimate reward with Cork winning their first FAI Cup since 2007 makes this our favourite final of the last 10 years.
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