FAI CUP FINAL
4-PAGE SPECIAL
USUALLY by the third instalment of a film trilogy, the writers have run out of ideas, the director has gone stale and the actors phone in their performances.
It’s a flop, no one is interested and the legacy of what has come before is tarnished. But Cork City-Dundalk III does not have to live up to previous epics and has the potential to be box-off stuff at Aviva Stadium today.
With a historic double on the line for City and the chance of redemption for the Lilywhites, the plot could not be any juicier for the Classes of 2017.
For the first time in the storied history of the FAI Cup, the same two teams will contest the showpiece for the third successive year. Both finals were decided by late extra-time goals at the end of tight, cagey affairs.
This year offers the hope of something different.
Dundalk and Cork have left their League of Ireland rivals for dust in recent seasons as they carved up the trophies of real significance between them. The Lilywhites, three-in-a-row champions from 2014-16, were deposed last month and also saw their bid for back-to-back league and cup doubles thwarted by the Leesiders in last year’s final.
Cork’s goal scorer that day, Sean Maguire, has since gone on to become a senior Ireland international and joins former Dundalk stalwarts Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan by gaining recognition from their country.
And the stats will tell you that the gap between the Big Two and those hoping to break the glass ceiling below is only getting bigger. This season, Cork finished as
Dundalk and Cork have score to settle as they meet for the third FAI Cup final in a row