KEANE’S ON A WINNER
Alan: My son’s only five but he’s a Bit obsessed with 2013 FAI Cup success
ALAN KEANE doesn’t have to cast his mind too far back to remember when Sligo Rovers reigned supreme.
The Bit O’ Red claimed three FAI Cups, a League Cup and a Premier Division title over a fouryear period from 2010 to 2013.
Keane’s son wasn’t around for those triumphs but can’t get enough of the dramatic 3-2 FAI Cup final win over Drogheda in 2013.
The former full-back explained: “My young lad here is only five but he’s watched the DVD back so many times that I’ve had to hide it.
“Through that, I’ve had a fair look back at it myself and it still gives me goosebumps thinking of how it happened and the emotions we went through that day.”
Paul O’conor gave Drogheda United an early lead before substitute Danny North (above right) struck twice late in the second half to seemingly put Sligo in control.
Keane said: “It wasn’t a quality game but I suppose it will live in everyone’s memory as one of the best
Cup finals because of the drama.
“Danny had come back from a bad injury that season and didn’t get the nod to start on the day.
“He got a bit of stick about his weight and stuff over the years but Danny was a quality player, quick and a sharp-shooter when he got a chance.
“I’ll never forget the last training session we had before the final. We were doing set plays and you didn’t need to be a brain-box to work out if you were in the team.
“I remember
Northy giving out and saying, ‘I’m going to go to the hotel tomorrow, I’ll get a bottle of coke and crisps, f*** this’.
“He was having a good sulk, Northy was a character, but we were trying to tell him he could still have a big impact.
“I remember thinking around the 78th minute, this game is going by us, we haven’t performed. We piled on the pressure and then Danny showed superb instincts to finish from a corner.”
A moment of magic from
Joey Ndo (below left) seven minutes later looked to have landed Sligo the victory.
Keane won a free-kick which the former Cameroon star took quickly, scooping the ball over the Drogheda wall for North to fire home on the volley.
“I wouldn’t even attempt to do that because I’d just scuff it straight into the wall! Joey was unbelievable like that and you need those moments of brilliance to win cups,” said Keane.
Derek Prendergast was sent off on a second yellow as Drogheda protested the quick taking of the free-kick and Sligo looked home and dry. There was still more drama to come, however, as Ryan Brennan made it 2-2 before Anthony Elding’s 95th-minute thunderbolt hit the top corner and sent Sligo fans into raptures.
Keane laughed: “We slagged Elding throughout the year because he’d scored so many goals with his head, saying, ‘if we could only turn you upsidedown you’d be decent’.
“Then to do that in a cup final, the emotions it brought out were just incredible.”