Page 31 - COBH WANDERERS V SLIGO ROVERS FAI CUP 3RD ROUND 2015

in the team following an injury to regular keeper Richard Brush. He would put in an inspired
performance saving the next two penalties as well from Pat Flynn and then Chris Turner. How-
ever the shoot-out remained in the balance as Rovers had also missed their second through
regular take Alan Keane and their third through ConorO’Grady. Next to take was Gary McCabe
and he placed the penalty into the top corner of the goals meaning that Shams had to score
their next penalty to keep their hopes alive. But once again Kelly pulled off a wonderful save
to deny PatrickKavanagh to seal the shoot-out and the Cup for Rovers sparking massive cel-
ebrations among the Rovers fans as the cup was lifted for the third time.
Sligo Rovers te: Kelly, Keane, Davoren, Peers, Lauchlan, Ventre, Ndo, Russell, McCabe, Doyle,
Boco Subs: Gibson, Brush, Foran, Dillon, O’Grady(Ventre 117’), McGoldrick, Nelson
2011 - And again, again,

Rovers confirmed their status as cup kings of the time by retaining the FAI Cup won in 2010
the following year and making their first successful defence of a trophy. Theeurophia sur-
rounding the win over Shamrock Rovers had barely died down when Rovers began the 2011
campaign with a home tie against non-league side Pike Rovers. It looked like a repeat win
would not be on the cards as the Limerick side stunned the Showgrounds by taking a lead
on the hour but that just proved to spur Rovers into action with Jason McGuinnessequalising
shortly afterwards. He followed that up with another goal shortly after which was added to by
RaffaeleCretaro with Rovers eventually winning 3-2. The next round would also provide diffi-
culty for Rovers despite being drawn at home to First Division Monaghan United who had been
beaten in the previous year’s campaign. However RoddyCollins’ team frustrated Rovers to
come away with a scoreless draw and force a replay in Monaghan. That game however would
prove a much more straight-forward affair with Rovers running out comfortable 4-0 winners.

That result meant a repeat of the 2010 final would take place with Shamrock Rovers coming
to the Showgrounds for the quarter-final. Just as with that final the league-leading Dublin
side would be denied with Eoin Doyle once again being the thorn in the side of his old club
by scoring the winning goal in the first half. That meant that a repeat of the previous year’s
semi-final would take place as Rovers were once again drawn away to Bohemians in their
third consecutive FAI Cup semi-final. This time however Rovers would go into the game as
favourites but the game proved to be a very tight affair and it wasn’t until the 73rd that Jason
McGuinness produced the only goal of the game to knock out his former club and send Rovers
back to the Aviva.

As with the 2009 final Rovers were faced with First Division opposition in the shape of Shel-
bourne who were making their first cup final appearance in 11 years. Again a large crowd
made their way to Dublin in the hope of seeing Rovers lift the cup but again it wouldn’t be
achieved without a struggle. It was Shelbourne who took the lead on the half hour as Phillip
Hughes looped the ball in over Brendan Clarke in the Rovers goals and they would hold that
lead to half-time despite being reduced to ten men. But Rovers came out strong in the second
half and left-back Iarfhlaith Davoren picked the perfect moment to score his first Rovers goal
with a long-range effort two minutes into the half. Despite both sides making chances to win
the game in both normal and extra time neither could find a second goal so penalties would
be required to decide the final again. As the penalties loomed in the final minutes of extra-
time Paul Cook made the decision to replace keeper Brendan Clarke with the hero of the pre-
vious year’s finalCiaran Kelly. Once again Eoin Doyle stepped up first and put Rovers into the
lead and despite Kelly being beaten by Shelsfirst penalty he would find the midas touch again
and save the next two. This time Rovers penalty takers were clinical with captain Richie Ryan
in his last game for the club scoring with Alan Keane making up for last year’s miss to make it
3-1. This left it for Tubbercurry’s Raffaele Cretaro to take the final penalty which he put home
to ensure the Cup would remain in Sligo for another year.

Sligo Rovers team that won the 2011 FAI Cup final: Clarke, Keane, Davoren,
Peers,McGuinness, Ventre, Ryan, Russell, Dillon, Doyle, Greene. Subs: Kelly(Clarke 119’),
Foran, Powell, Cretaro(Russell 78’), Kirby, Blinkhorn(Dillon 60’), Martin