25 years later: Derek Coughlan on Cork City landing a first FAI Cup

1998 FAI Cup Final replay

Cork City 1 Shelbourne 0

SCORING the only goal in a replay, and Cork winning the cup for the first time in 25 years, it was a game that defines my career.

Not many players get to experience playing in an FAI Cup final, never mind winning it.

I was fortunate enough to score, and that goal was a great catalyst in my career.

Pat Scully was marking me for set-pieces as Kelvin Flanagan put in a corner in the 73rd minute of the game. I peeled to the back post, and got my head to it. I will never forget just having that rush of adrenaline after scoring.

I went jumping on the fence where all the Cork City fans were in Dalymount Park, with Johnny Glynn on my back.

When the celebrations stopped and I was running back down the pitch, I actually felt drained from the rush of adrenaline I had just experienced.

I will never forget thinking... We have got to make sure that they don’t score now... make sure that this wins us the cup.

That was the task, and it was a long 20 minutes trying to keep Shels from scoring Growing up, you are pretending to be in cup finals, reading the Roy Of The Rovers annuals... and getting that goal had a feeling of that about it.

All the practice paid off when I got my head on Kelvin’s cross. It was a dream come true to win that silverware for Cork City.

When the final whistle blew and the celebrations began, it was a fantastic feeling to have played a role in securing that win.

Shels were a phenomenal team, with the likes of Pat Morley, Pat Scully, the Geoghegans... and Tony Sheridan and Pat Fenlon.

When you look at the line-ups of the two teams, it was a huge clash. To beat Shels and to win that game against them up in Dublin in a replay keeping a clean sheet in both games, it was really special.

When we eventually went up the steps to lift the cup, I looked over and saw my parents.

My dad had tears rolling down his face. This was a man who won an All-Ireland football medal in 1973.

That is my one outstanding memory of the day. It was a memorable moment after all the support they had given me throughout the years of ups and downs.

When I came back from Brighton, Dave Barry wasn’t long arriving to my house to sign me. The minute Dave came and said that he wanted me to play for Cork City, I was just looking for the pen because he was such a hero of mine.

Winning the cup with the likes of Decky Daly, John Caulfield, Fergie O’Donoghue, Philip Long and Patsy Freyne... all of these iconic Cork players.

You had young players like Colin O’Brien, Ollie Cahill and Brian Barry-Murphy in the team as well. We were part-time, but we were up against that very good St Pat’s team that pipped us and we were runners-up in the Premier Division. We came very close a couple of times. We won the League Cup that same year. It would have been a shame if that group of players under Dave Barry never came away with silverware.

Luckily enough, we did it that year.

INSTINCTIVE

The team was full of fantastic players with different traits. Two players that stood out for me were Patsy Freyne and Ollie Cahill... unbelievable street footballers, they loved taking players on.

I am still great friends with all of the lads. I made friends for life. We always had each other’s back on the pitch and when we meet each other now, there’s a bond between us. You just had some brilliant characters in the squad, and I’m thankful to have experienced winning the cup with that group.

The 1998 FAI Cup win springboarded my career... scoring that goal gave me more belief and it gave me momentum. The cup final goal gave me the boost of confidence which every player needs, that reassurance that you are able to play at the highest level in the country.

That goal did that for me, and it opened a lot of doors for me afterwards as well. Being able to win the cup after it being gone from Cork since 1973, with all of those special players that I have mentioned. 

I love the fact that it is part of my journey. It is something that I am extremely proud of!