Waterford native Tim Dalton's heart with Derry City in FAI Cup showdown

The 1989 treble winning goalkeeper returned to Brandywell Stadium as a spectator for just the second time since departing the club in 1992 to watch Derry's final home fixture of the season against Dundalk last week and declared his unwavering loyalty to the Candy Stripes ahead of Sunday's showdown with his hometown club.

Dalton became the first Derry goalkeeper to lift the FAI Cup during that never-to-be-forgotten treble-winning campaign under the late great Jim McLaughlin just four years after returning to senior football in the League of Ireland.

He even played a major part in the winning goal against Cork City in the replay at Lansdowne Road in May '89 as his goalkick was headed on for Felix Healy to lash the ball into the roof of the net.

The long-haired Derry custodian was also just the fourth goalkeeper in FAI Cup Final history to keep a clean sheet.

Dalton earned a move to Coventry City from his local junior team Ballyduff in Waterford before eventually finding his way to Foyleside where he spent three of the best years of his well-travelled career.

The Waterford native also won the League Cup with Derry in the 1990-91 season. While his Shamrock Rovers supporting son will be wearing blue at the Aviva, the former City No.1 hasn't forgotten his glory years on Foyleside. Time certainly hasn't diminished his affection for the club.

"Derry's playing Waterford and I'm from Waterford," he began. "My little boy – we were discussing this – he's a fanatical Shamrock Rovers supporter but we're going to the cup final because I said

Derry are in it and I'm supporting Derry. So he said, 'Right, I'll have to support Waterford then.' So it will be half and half.

"Waterford have two unbelievable centre forwards in [Tommy] Lonergan and Padraig Amond. Sometimes in tight games that can be the difference but I was watching Derry and they were very good. They're a good team with good players and I hope Derry win. I always want to see them win.

"It's my favourite club. I've been at a good few clubs but of all the clubs I've been at, this was the one I had the most affinity with. I lived in the city for three years and loved my time here. That's all I can say. I was very sad when I left so of all the teams, it's my favourite team - end of story."

Who will occupy the No.1 spot on Sunday is the major unanswered question leading into the final as Brian Maher made a late return from a long-standing ankle injury to stake a claim for his jersey against Tom Norcott who deputised admirably over the past couple of months.

Former Cork City and Portadown 'keeper, Dalton was impressed by Maher, whom he coached during his time with the Republic of Ireland U15 set-up but he predictably stopped short of naming his preferred choice.

"I was involved as a coach for the Ireland U15 international team for a good few years. Brian was one of our young lads down in the Dublin scene, the Emerging Talent Programme. He was one of those lads who was small for his age but he was technically the best goalkeeper we had.

"So everybody had high hopes for him that he would eventually grow and they were keeping him involved in the system, so I'm delighted to see he's doing so well.

"There was a shot in the first half [against Dundalk] which he held and I just thought, 'There you go'. There's the technical quality coming out there.

"Most other goalkeepers would've turned it around the post and given away a corner kick. If you can catch the ball that shows you're quality and helps your team who don't have to defend a corner.

"Goalkeepers nowadays have to play out from the back and he looks very comfortable with the ball at his feet as well so he's doing a great job.

"He came out and performed tonight, but I'm not going to say who should play in the final - that's for the manager to decide. I would say Brian would do a good job and he's a fantastic goalkeeper.

He's proven himself over the last few years but whoever plays I'm sure they will do their best."

Dalton has experienced the highs and lows of cup finals, from that historic 1989 win to the Irish Cup Final defeat with Bangor against Linfield in 1994.

He was also part of the Portadown squad in the 1998/99 season that won the Irish Cup after a walkover in the final against Cliftonville who were disqualified for playing an ineligible player in the semi-final.

He will be among the 30,000 plus supporters at the Dublin 4 venue on Sunday and his recent trip to Derry where he met up with former teammates Paul Carlyle and Ray McGuinness has rekindled fond memories.

"I was up for a weekend, meeting up with some old football buddies, Paul Carlyle and Raymond McGuinness, and a very good friend of mine, Mark Johnson has come with me," said Dalton who has also been a goalkeeping coach for St Pat's and most recently Shamrock Rovers. He was impressed with the drastic changes at Brandywell almost 40 years later.

"As a spectator it's just the second time I’ve been here since I left in 1992. That's a good while. There's been fabulous change.

"I'm looking at the pitch and had a little stand on it there and I remember there was a lovely slope on it when we used to play. We didn't realise how bad it was until we came back afterwards and you thought, 'Jesus, I never remember it being that bad.'

"A lovely stand as well and it's great to see a very progressive chairman as well. I suppose it’s everyone's boyhood dream, imagining if you had a few pounds, what would you like to do with it and it's a fantastic thing to live out your boyhood dream.

"If that's what he's doing and that's his intention then that's fantastic. I hope he gets the rewards. If they go and win the league next season that would be fantastic for him and everyone associated.

"Just being upstairs [in the Mark Farren Stand] having a cup of tea there; the amount of people we met is incredible. There are a lot of lads I recognised but I don't know if they recognised me because it's been 40 years," he smiled.

As Derry attempt to lift the FAI's blue riband trophy for a seventh time, Dalton will be fondly reminiscing about that special maiden win which began the Brandywell club's love affair with the competition.