Derry City bridge 10 year gap as they lift FAI Cup trophy with stunning win over Shels

CAMERON McJannet netted a brace as Derry City bridged a 10 year gap to lift the FAI Cup trophy after a stunning victory over a shell-shocked Shelbourne.

Derry City fans travelled in their droves with over 20,000 making the long trip to the capital to watch Ruaidhri Higgins' troops put on a show with the biggest ever win in an FAI Cup Final!

The official attendance was an incredible 32,412 and Derry fans, who outnumbered their Dublin counterparts by 3-1 in the stands, were in a party mood from the start.

And the players responded with a thrilling match.

Jamie McGonigle, an Irish Cup winner with Coleraine in 2018, almost scored in the opening seconds of the match. The Dungiven man then fired Derry into a 19th minute lead following a sublime team move involving McEleney and Ryan Graydon.

McJannet added a second on 35 minutes when he pounced to fire the ball home from close range.

Derry were cruising and added a third from Michael Duffy's corner which was diverted into the net by McJannet who was in dreamland.

And Jordan McEneff, emulating his older brother Aaron who lifted the trophy with Rovers, finished the job from the penalty spot after being brought down by Luke Byrne in stoppage time.

It was an unforgettable day for the red and white supporters of Derry City who will have plenty more days like this to look forward to judging by what has been a special season.

It was a lightning start to the match from both teams but Derry could've been ahead in the opening 30 seconds. Jamie McGonigle was slotted through on goal but Brednan Clarke came out sharply to save at his feet.

At the other end Jack Moylan sent JJ Lunney on a run on the left flank and his early ball into Boyd needed to be cut out by the alert McJannett.

Patrick McEleney tested Clarke with a terrific free-kick on 11 minutes but the Shels keeper did well to dive to his left and parry it behind for a corner.

And Derry broke the deadlock on 19 minutes and it was the skipper McEleney who found the run of Ryan Graydon with an outstanding crossfield pass. Graydon got in behind Shane Farrell on the right wing and picked out the run of McGonigle who expertly found the far corner of the net with a first time strike.

Shels almost responded immediately through Molloy who curled a clever free-kick around the wall and just past Maher's right hand post.

Derry doubled their lead on 35 minutes after an outstanding run by McJannet who drove towards goal before slotting Duffy into space on the left flank. The Galliagh man ran into the penalty area and his cross was turned away from goal by a Shels defender but McJannet was quickest to react and fired powerfully into the net.

It was the Milton Keynes man's first goal since the end of April when he scored in the 7-1 win over UCD. It was his third of the campaign!

Graydon threatened to put the final to bed two minutes later after putting the ball through the legs of his marker but his strike sailed over the crossbar.

Derry City became the first side to score two first half goals in an FAI Cup final since Shamrock Rovers did so in 1986!

It was a slow start to the second half but McGonigle came close to getting a second on 58 minutes when Molloy's attempt to clear a long ball sat out invitingly for the striker and his first time header looped narrowly over the bar.

The Derry fans erupted in applause when Ireland winger and Creggan man James McClean appeared on the big screen wearing his red and white Candystripes.

Derry were cruising towards that sixth cup success on 62 minutes as McJannet added a third from Duffy's corner as the ball bounced off his thigh and into the roof of the net from close range.

It was almost 4-0 seconds afterwards as Duffy cut in from the left wing and arrowed a blistering strike with his right foot which cannoned off the crossbar.

The match was stopped momentarily on 78 minutes as the fire service lifted flares off the pitch behind Maher's goal thrown by fans in the Shels' end.

Derry weren't finished yet and when McEneff came off the bench, he almost immediately found himself clean throgh on goal but just as he was about to unleash his shot his heels were clipped by Luke Byrne.

Referee Damien McGraith pointed to the spot and bravely the former Shels player stepped up to take the spotkick.

And like his brother Aaron did at the same end three years before for Shamrock Rovers the Cornshell Fields man fired his penalty into the net in front of the North Stand packed with City fans.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day for Derry City fans and Higgins who marked his first full season in management with a trophy.

Derry City: B. Maher: Boyce, Connolly, McEleney (Coll 82), McJannet; Graydon (Thomson 82), Patching (McEneff90), Dummigan, P. McEleney, Duffy (B. Kavanagh 90); McGonigle (Akintunde 75); Subs Not Used - Lemoighnan, Glass, Lafferty, C. Kavanagh.

Shelbourne: Clarke: Byrne, Griffin, Negru, Wilson, Molloy (Coyle 71), Dervin (Ledwidge 64), Lunney, Farrell (McManus 45) Moylan, Boyd: Subs Not Used - Van der Sluis, Browne, Hodgins, Carr, Giurgi, O'Driscoll.

Referee - Damien MacGraith.