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MCENEFF SPOT ON AGAIN

Aaron McEneff continued his perfect record of penalties by netting the opener from the spot in Sunday’s FAI Cup final. The Derry native has now scored all 16 penalties he has taken in his career. His only miss at any level was in Derry’s 2-1 win away to RKSV Leonidas in a pre-season friendly in January 2017.

LANDMARK STRIKE FOR DUFFY

Michael Duffy’s stoppage time strike to take the game to extra-time was his 40th for Dundalk and the 60th of his career in Irish football. It was also his fifth career goal against Rovers. Duffy has now scored the same number of goals for Dundalk as Barry Kehoe, Hugh Morgan and Hilary Carlyle.

LONG WAIT OVER

Shamrock Rovers ended a 32 year wait for the FAI Cup with victory over Dundalk FC yesterday. The last time the Hoops lifted the trophy was in 1987, when they also beat Dundalk in the final on a 3-0 scoreline. Sunday’s victory was their 25th in the competition.

EXTRA TIME YET AGAIN

Sunday’s final was the seventh time in 10 years since the FAI Cup returned to the revamped Aviva Stadium that the game has gone to extra-time. It’s the fourth time in that period that the game has been decided on penalties. Rovers lost to Sligo Rovers in a shootout in 2010 while Dundalk were losers against Cork City in 2017.

TWO OUT OF THREE AINT BAD

While Sunday’s defeat on penalties was a blow for Dundalk, they did win the two other shoot-outs they were involved in this season - beating Riga in the Champions League first qualifying round on spot kicks in July before clinching the EA Sports Cup on penalties away to Derry City in September.

THREE’S A CHARM FOR MANNUS

Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus has now won Cups in three different leagues. He won four Irish Cups with Linfield during his spell there and a Scottish Cup with St Johnstone. The Northern Irishman was the sole survivor from the side which lost Shamrock Rovers’ last FAI Cup final on penalties to Sligo Rovers in 2010. Manager Stephen Bradley also played in the Aviva Stadium that day.

300 NOT OUT FOR GANNON

Sean Gannon made the 300th appearance of his career at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday. Defeat meant he missed out on helping Dundalk retain the FAI Cup for the first time in the club’s history.