2019 FAI Cup final

{{Infobox football match

| title = 2019 FAI Cup Final

| event = 2019 FAI Cup

| team1 = Dundalk

| team1score = 1

| team2 = Shamrock Rovers

| team2score = 1

| details = After extra time
Shamrock Rovers won 4–2 on penalties

| date = 3 November 2019

| stadium = Aviva Stadium

| city = Dublin

| goals 1 =

| goals 2 =

| manofthematch =

| referee = Derek Tomney

| attendance = 33,111

| previous = 2018

| next = 2020

}}

The 2019 FAI Cup Final, known as the 2019 Extra.ie FAI Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, was the final match of the 2019 FAI Cup, the national association football cup of the Republic of Ireland. The match took place on Sunday 3 November 2019 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and was contested by defending champions Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers.{{cite web|url= https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/shamrock-rovers-deny-dundalk-treble-dream-in-penalty-shootout-1.4071109|title =Shamrock Rovers deny Dundalk treble dream in penalty shootout|date=3 November 2019|work=Irish Times|access-date=6 November 2019}}

The match was broadcast live on RTÉ Two and RTÉ Two HD in the Republic of Ireland, and via the RTÉ Player worldwide with commentary from George Hamilton.

Route to the final

=Dundalk=

Dundalk entered the FAI Cup at the first round as a League of Ireland Premier Division club and holders of the FAI Cup following their victory the previous year. They played their first match away at the Munster Senior League's Cobh Wanderers. At St Colman's Park, Dundalk won 1–0 due to a goal from Georgie Kelly.{{cite web|url=https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/home/437405/kelly-the-hero-as-dundalk-ease-past-cobh-in-fai-cup.html |title=Kelly the hero as Dundalk squeeze past Cobh in FAI Cup |publisher=Dundalk Democrat |date=10 August 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} The next round they were drawn with fellow Premier Division Derry City away. At the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry, Dundalk won 3–2 after extra time with goals from Daniel Kelly, Daniel Cleary and Georgie Kelly.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49454728 |title=FAI Cup: Dismay for Derry City as Dundalk hit late extra-time winner |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 August 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} In the quarter-final they played Premier Division Waterford away at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre. Dundalk won 3–1 with a hat-trick from Daniel Kelly.{{cite web|author=The42 Team |url=https://www.the42.ie/waterford-dundalk-fai-cup-4802438-Sep2019/ |title=Kelly's hat-trick sees holders Dundalk stroll through to FAI Cup semi-finals |publisher=The42.ie |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} In the semi-final they played Premier Division Sligo Rovers and won away at The Showgrounds after a 1–0 with a goal from Michael Duffy.{{cite web |url=https://www.extratime.ie/articles/23721/fai-cup-report-sligo-rovers-0---1-dundalk/ |title=Sligo Rovers 0–1 Dundalk |publisher=Extratime.ie |access-date=8 June 2020}}

=Shamrock Rovers=

Shamrock Rovers was also a Premier Division club and also started in the first round. They were drawn at home against Premier Division Finn Harps. They won 1–0 at their Tallaght Stadium due to a goal from Daniel Carr.{{cite web |url=https://www.extratime.ie/articles/23421/fai-cup-report-shamrock-rovers-1-0-finn-harps/|title=Shamrock Rovers 1–0 Finn Harps |publisher=Extratime.ie |access-date=8 June 2020}} In the next round they played First Division Drogheda United at home. Shamrock Rovers won 4–0 with goals from Gary O'Neill, Aaron Greene, Aaron McEneff, Sean Kavanagh.{{cite web |url=https://www.extratime.ie/matches/detail/39315/2/ |title=Shamrock Rovers 4–0 Drogheda United |publisher=Extratime.ie |access-date=8 June 2020}} In the next round they played away at First Division Galway United. At Eamonn Deacy Park, Shamrock Rovers won due to goals from Greene and Lee Grace.{{cite web|first=John |last=Fallon |url=https://www.the42.ie/shamrock-rovers-vs-galway-united-fai-cup-report-league-of-ireland-4799521-Sep2019/ |title=Grace's 93rd minute header sees Shamrock Rovers book FAI Cup semi-final spot |publisher=The42.ie |date=6 September 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} In the semi-finals they played Bohemians away at Dalymount Park. Rovers won 2–0 due to goals from Graham Burke and Greene to reach the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/0927/1078722-fai-cup-semi-final-bohemians-v-shamrock-rovers-updates/ |title=Shamrock Rovers beat Bohs to book final spot: recap |publisher=RTE |date=27 September 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}}

Prematch

Dundalk went into the final looking to retain the FAI Cup and win a treble of Irish domestic trophies after having won the 2019 League of Ireland Premier Division and 2019 League of Ireland Cup and be the first club since Derry City to win a treble in the Republic of Ireland. Shamrock Rovers, despite being the most historically successful club in the FAI Cup,{{cite web |url=https://www.extratime.ie/articles/23868/fai-cup-final-preview-dundalk--v--shamrock-rovers/ |title=FAI Cup Final preview: Dundalk v. Shamrock Rovers|publisher=Extratime.ie |access-date=8 June 2020}} were looking to win the FAI Cup for the first time since 1987 when they left their old Glenmalure Park stadium.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1103/1088382-fai-cup-final-dundalk-v-shamrock-rovers-updates/ |title=FAI Cup final recap: Shamrock Rovers end Cup famine |publisher=Rte.ie |date=3 November 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} This became known as the "Milltown Curse".{{cite web|author=Shane Hannon |url=https://www.todayfm.com/sport/fai-cup-quarter-final-draw-made-897826 |title=The draw for the FAI Cup Quarter-finals has been made |publisher=Todayfm.com |date=26 August 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}}

Dundalk's Chris Shields was ruled out of the match due to suspension for picking up eight yellow cards during the season, which was described as a "clerical error" due to Dundalk losing track of the number of bookings during the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/the-argus/20191210/284936726967051 |title=Darkest week in football for Chris |publisher=The Argus |via=Pressreader |access-date=8 June 2020}} Dundalk appealed the one match ban to the Football Association of Ireland but the appeal was rejected. Shamrock Rovers fans marched to the final behind a white horse as part of a tradition that dated back to the 1940s where fans decided to march to Dalymount Park, Dublin where the FAI Cup final used to be held behind a white horse. They marched behind a white horse due to a lack of other available or affordable forms of transportation at the time. The white horse was also suggested as a reference to the 1923 FA Cup Final in England which was known as the "White Horse Final".{{cite web |url=https://www.buzz.ie/football/whats-the-story-with-shamrock-rovers-white-horse-341974 |title=What's the story with Shamrock Rovers' white horse? |publisher=Buzz.ie |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608104903/https://www.buzz.ie/football/whats-the-story-with-shamrock-rovers-white-horse-341974 |url-status=dead }}

The match was attended by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Prior to the match, the Republic of Ireland's national anthem "Amhrán na bhFiann" was played. Controversy arose after Shamrock Rovers' Northern Irish goalkeeper Alan Mannus refused to turn to face the flag of the Republic of Ireland during the anthem. Mannus stated he did not intend to offend and only did not turn towards it because he is not Irish.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/11/06/news/alan-mannus-says-he-never-meant-to-offend-after-anthem-row-1757343/ |title=Alan Mannus says he never meant to offend after anthem row |publisher=The Irish News |date=6 November 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} Some Irish football fans argued that he was disrespecting the flag, but his actions were defended by others and compared with Derry-born Republic of Ireland international James McClean who had done a similar action several times during the playing of the English and Northern Irish anthem "God Save the Queen" in the past. Players from the Northern Irish club Cliftonville had done a similar action by bowing their head during "God Save the Queen" at the Irish Cup final in 2018.{{cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/row-erupts-as-ni-international-alan-mannus-refuses-to-face-irish-flag-during-national-anthem-in-dublin-38657056.html |title=Row erupts as NI international Alan Mannus refuses to face Irish flag during national anthem in Dublin |publisher=Belfast Telegraph |access-date=8 June 2020}}

Match summary

The match remained scoreless until the 89th minute. In the 89th minute, Aaron Greene was taken down by Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers with Aaron McEneff scoring the penalty to put Shamrock Rovers into the lead.{{cite web|url= https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/match-reports/shamrock-rovers-1-1-dundalk-20805039|title =Shamrock Rovers 1–1 Dundalk AET (Rovers win 4–2 on pens): Hoops end 32-year FAI Cup drought|date=3 November 2019|work=Irish Mirror|access-date=6 November 2019}}

In injury time, Michael Duffy scored on the half volley to send the game into extra time.{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/fai-cup-final-dundalks-dream-of-domestic-treble-dies-as-shamrock-rovers-win-dramatic-penalty-shootout-38656699.html|title =FAI Cup Final: Dundalk's dream of domestic treble dies as Shamrock Rovers win dramatic penalty shoot-out|date=3 November 2019|work=Irish Independent|access-date=6 November 2019}}

The match went to a penalty shoot-out which took place in front of the Shamrock Rovers fans after Rovers won the coin toss to decide sides. Duffy hit the crossbar and Shamrock Rovers' Joey O'Brien had scored his. Dundalk's Cleary then took their third penalty but it was saved by Mannus.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1103/1088348-shamrock-rovers-hold-their-nerve-to-end-32-year-wait/ |title=Shamrock Rovers hold their nerve to end 32-year wait |publisher=RTE |date=3 November 2019 |access-date=8 June 2020}} Greg Bolger then scored for Shamrock Rovers before both teams scored with their fourth penalties with Gary O'Neill scoring the winning penalty, which resulted in Shamrock Rovers winning the match 4–2 on penalties. It was Shamrock Rovers's first FAI Cup win since 1987.{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/live-dundalk-v-shamrock-rovers-fai-cup-final-4877504-Nov2019/|title =2019 FAI Cup Final: as it happened|date=3 November 2019|work=The 42|access-date=6 November 2019}} The Irish Independent singled Mannus out for praise post-match for his goalkeeping performance during the match and also stated he should be remembered for the match, not for his choices pre-match.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/alan-mannus-should-be-remembered-for-fai-cup-final-heroics-not-his-political-stance-38658774.html |title=Alan Mannus should be remembered for FAI Cup Final heroics, not his political stance |publisher=Irish Independent |date=4 November 2019 |access-date=12 June 2020}}

{{football box

|date = 3 November 2019{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/fai-unveils-dates-for-2019-airtricity-league-season-883313.html|title=FAI unveils dates for 2019 Airtricity League season|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=5 November 2018}}

|time = 15:30

|score = 1–1

|aet = yes

|penaltyscore = 2–4

|report = [https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/fai-cup-final-dundalks-dream-of-domestic-treble-dies-as-shamrock-rovers-win-dramatic-penalty-shootout-38656699.html Report]

|team1 = Dundalk

|goals1 = Michael Duffy {{goal|90+3}}

|penalties1 = Jamie McGrath {{pengoal}}
Michael Duffy {{penmiss}}
Daniel Cleary {{penmiss}}
Jordan Flores {{pengoal}}

|team2 = Shamrock Rovers

|goals2 = Aaron McEneff {{goal|89|pen.}}

|penalties2 = Jack Byrne {{pengoal}}
Joey O'Brien {{pengoal}}
Greg Bolger {{pengoal}}
Gary O'Neill {{pengoal}}

|stadium = Aviva Stadium

|location = Dublin

|attendance = 33,111

|referee = Derek Tomney

}}