Throwback Thursday: Evergreen Raich Carter propelled Cork Athletic in only all-Cork FAI Cup final

THE FAI Cup, like its famed counterpart in England, has provided its share of heroic performances, outstanding team brilliance and late drama.

For Corkonians, the 1953 decider between Cork Athletic and Evergreen United, 70 years ago on April 26, has gone into folklore, bringing together for the first and only time two teams from one city outside the capital.

Interestingly, both were out of contention in the league by the time the cup draw came around in January '53. Evergreen, elected in 1951 when the league was extended to 12 teams, received a huge boost with the news that former Cork United international central defender Florrie Burke was cleared to play in the cup by the FAI. Athletic needed inspiration to ignite their season and it came by means of a tip-off that England legend Raich Carter was willing to return to the fray.

Athletic’s imaginative secretary Donie Forde was first in with an offer of £50 per match plus expenses. Due to a cup tie regulation, Carter was required to reside in Ireland for 14 days before a match. He made his debut on Sunday, February 8, 1953, in a league fixture against Waterford at the Dyke before an attendance of 9,321, scoring twice in a 4-2 win. 

One week later the real business of cup football got underway with contrasting fortunes for both newcomers, Carter for Athletic and Burke for Evergreen. At Tolka Park, the mercurial Raich dominated, scoring the only goal despite playing with a head wound. Back in Cork, Florrie Burke was inside-right for Evergreen, who needed a late Billy Venner equaliser to secure a replay at Milltown against 11-time winners Shamrock Rovers.

There the Carter story might have ended after such a bright beginning had Drumcondra’s objection to his eligibility on the residency rule been carried. 

He escaped on the technicality that the two-week qualification period did not necessarily mean during the entire fortnight. Evergreen overcame Rovers in the replay 4-2 with two apiece from Seanie McCarthy and Venner.

Athletic drew Waterford away, while Evergreen again faced up to Dublin opposition at home in non-league Jacobs. Carter’s appearance allowed Waterford the honour of hosting the first-ever all-ticket tie at Kilcohan Park, going on to score twice and set up full-back Dave Noonan for another in a memorable 3-2 win. Evergreen needed another replay to knockout Jacobs at Rutland Avenue, the veteran ‘Big’ Sean McCarthy netting the only goal.

The teams were kept apart in the semi-final draw. The games were played on successive days at Dalymount Park, with Evergreen overcoming St. Pat’s by a solitary Liam O’Neill strike and Athletic seeing off Munster rivals Limerick 2-1 to guarantee a historic derby final.

The Munster Football Association argued venomously to have the final and any possible replay played at the Mardyke but the FAI resisted. 

Carter put Athletic in front on 38 minutes with a stunning goal. Ten minutes into the second-half Jerry Lynch’s cross allowed centre-forward Sean McCarthy to flick the ball onto Billy Venner who duly fired past Courtney. 

The crowd held their collective breaths as Venner’s flighted free-kick in the 69th minute was headed in by O’Neill off the underside of the crossbar to give United the lead. With time almost up, Vaughan forced a corner off Taylor and delivered the ball through a crowded goalmouth for Noonan to burst through and force a replay three days later.

Despite torrential rain Carter picked out Lennox to open the scoring in the 17th minute and although Carter and O’Neill exchanged second-half goals, a frenzied final quarter failed to produce any further goals. Carter made history by becoming the first player to win FA and FAI Cups. The final was also a first for brothers Johnny Moloney (Athletic) and Willie Moloney (Evergreen), who became the first to oppose each other in a final.

But the man of the moment was undoubtedly Raich Carter who finished his career in style before going on to manage Leeds United for a period in the 1950s. His death at home in Willbery, Hull in October 1994 prompted the Cork Examiner’s Bill George to pay him a glowing tribute by saying, 'There was an air of authority in his play that stamped him out as a special player. His international class was obvious in everything he did.' 

ATHLETIC: Ned Courtney; 'Small' Seanie McCarthy, Johnny Moloney, Paddy O’Callaghan; Dave Noonan (c), Georgie McGrath; Johnny Vaughan, Murty Broderick, Paddy O’Leary, Raich Carter, Willie Cotter.

EVERGREEN: Derry Barrett; Peter Doolin, Seamus Madden, Florrie Burke; Mick Taylor, Jerry Lynch; Willie Moloney, Eddie Doran, ‘Big’ Sean McCarthy, Liam O’Neill, Billy Venner.

For the replay, John Coughlan and Jackie Lennox replaced O’Callaghan and Cotter in Athletic's line-up and Nicky Hayes came in for Evergreen's Taylor.