After Derry City’s implosion in the league, blow torches are being aimed at manager Ruaidhri Higgins ahead of today’s Sports Direct FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium (3.0). Higgins must oversee a second Cup success, to follow his first with the Candystripes in 2022, or a season that promised so much will end in failure and recriminations. While injuries rule out Ciaran Coll and Ben Doherty, Higgins has more ammunition to draw on than Drogheda’s Kevin Doherty, chiefly winger Mickey Duffy, whose game is tailor-made for the Aviva. Talisman Patrick McEleney is set to play some part too. Derry also have Adam O’Reilly, Will Patching and Sadou Diallo, suspended two years ago, to establish a bridgehead in midfield. Paul McMullan’s record of three goals in 62 games for Derry is shocking for an attacking player. Might this be the day he finds the net? For Drogheda midfielder Shane Farrell, there is the chance to win the League and Cup with two different clubs in he one season, having signed from Shels until July. Farell was part of the Shels team blown away in the 2022 final. This one will be tighter as Drogheda carry an inmproved goal threat in Dougie James-Taylor and Frantz Pierrot. For veteran defender Dave Webster, this may be his final shot at a winner’s medal after 16 years on the front-line. No one would deserve it more, but football doesn’t always deliver happy endings. The four games this season have been close, with two wins for Derry, one draw and, most recently, a hardearned 2-1 Drogheda victory at home. Derry, who have overcome a more difficult route to the final, appear better equipped to thrive on the open grasslands of the Aviva. Adding to their four Cup wins already this Millennium, all of whom have come in an even year, 2002, 2006, 2012 and 2022, would certainly ease the heat on Higgins.

The Build-up to the 2024 FAI Cup Final

The Candystripes face Drogheda United in the 2024 final at the Aviva Stadium (kick off 3 pm). Around 30,000 City fans are expected to travel from the city to Dublin by bus, car and train hoping their team can win a piece of silverware in the 2024 season. City have a superior league position during the League of Ireland Premier Division campaign will see them go into the game as favourites. But the Drogs will be confident of causing an upset in the showpiece occasion of the season. Derry City spent most of the 2024 season in second place chasing leaders and eventual winners Shelbourne. That was until a poor end to the campaign saw them win one of their last eight and twice after June, leading to a drop to fourth place. Drogheda United spent the majority of this year in the ninth spot they ultimately occupied at season’s end. A blip during June and July saw neighbours Dundalk leapfrog them but one defeat in nine through late summer and early autumn means they will have the chance to compete for a Premier Division place in a play-off next week. There is a gap of five places in the league table for the 2024 FAI Cup final opponents. The last time there was a bigger gap of league places between a pair of cup finalists was in 2011 when First Division Shelbourne made it to the second Aviva Stadium final in 2011 to face Sligo Rovers. Only two other times in the summer era (since 2003) has there been a gap bigger than five places, in 2009 and 2007.

Cup Form

Something that doesn’t suggest a cup final upset this Sunday is the record of both team this season against teams at the other end of the table. Derry City averaged 1.85 points per game against bottom half sides compared to 1.12 against top half sides. They lost just three of the 20 games, and all were close with a 2-1 scoreline away from home. City have proved capable of beating all types of opponents in the cup so far. On their way to four wins by an aggregate 8-0 they have overcome top teams like St. Pat’s and Shelbourne, a Bohemians side to struggled in the league and the best the First Division has to offer in Cork City. It gives them the chance to be just the fifth team ever to win the FAI cup without conceding a goal all tournament. A clean sheet with a win would see them follow Sligo Rovers in 2010, Shamrock Rovers in 1968, Dundalk in 1958 and Athlone Town in 1924 as the only teams to achieve this. As they were eliminated on penalties in 2023 after a scoreless draw with eventual winners St. Pat’s, Ruaidhri Higgins men have not actually conceded for 721 minutes of cup football. They have played 11 games without losing in the FAI cup (excluding penalties) going back to a second-round loss to Finn Harps in 2021.

A Season of Surprises

2024 has been a year of close competition and surprising outcomes. Shelbourne won the league despite starting out as big outsiders, both promoted teams competed for European qualification and the dominant team of the 2010s, Dundalk, dropped out of the top flight. The unpredictable nature of this season and recent results suggest that it is possible for Drogheda to overcome the odds. But as no side has won the FAI Cup with a league ranking as low as theirs since 2009, it would still be a remarkable achievement.

Michael Duffy's Motivation

Derry City have reached today’s FAI Cup final the hard way and Michael Duffy has single handedly dragged them there. But the ace winger is determined to make even more memories at Aviva Stadium as he wants to keep his biggest fan happy - five-year-old son Eli. The Candystripes saw off St Patrick’s Athletic, Cork City, Shelbourne and Bohemians to get to this point as they strive to repeat their 2022 success. They didn’t concede a goal in that time, and Duffy has weighed in with crucial goals to secure their seat at the table against Drogheda United. The PFA Ireland Player of the Year nominee scored both goals in the semi-final win away to Bohemians last month, and also netted against Shels and St Pat’s. Duffy is chasing his fifth FAI Cup trophy, having lifted it twice with both Derry and Dundalk but admits the 2022 success over Shelbourne was the sweetest. “That cup just felt extra special. Coming back to Derry, I really wanted to win trophies and I had a tough year with the leg break,” he said. “Being back with this club, it's different when you're from here and all those friends and family, day to day walking about and you see the buzz, so it meant that bit more.” Duffy’s son Eli was only three at the time, but was on the pitch with him for the celebrations and younger brother Georgie - 18 months - has arrived in the meantime. “My son is absolutely crazy about football. The last four or five months, he's been asking me about the cup final, constantly asking when it is and we weren't even there! So I had to keep saying that we had three games to go, two games to go. It would have hurt telling him that we're not going there. But after the semi-final at Dalymount, I wanted to get home and wake up the next morning to tell him we're in the Cup final.”

Duffy's Ireland Dream

Michael Duffy admits an Ireland call-up would have been the icing on the cake of a glittering career. Only red tape held him back and now that he is 30, he knows it is unlikely to happen at this stage. The Derry City ace was a league title winner with Dundalk under Stephen Kenny and Kenny tried to call him up as Ireland boss. But Duffy had played U21 for Northern Ireland and his international clearance kept getting delayed. “That happened twice which was a bit disappointing,” said Duffy. “I feel like there was one of the times when I had a great chance of getting called in. I remember waiting on a phone call and actually got one from Stephen, but it was him saying the clearance still hadn't come through. That was disappointing as I'd seen his name on the phone and thought I was getting called in here. It was around Covid time and they had a lot of players out, so I had a good chance of playing too. But it didn't happen and you move on.” And Duffy doubts he’ll be getting selected for Ireland at this stage, even though he has been one of the league’s standout players this season. “It's probably unlikely. My main focus now is winning stuff for Derry,” he added. A few years ago I might have had that in my head, that I'd have a good chance, but I don't think about that now. If something like that comes up, it would be unbelievable. But I feel my time has sort of passed with it, but you never know in football.”

Derry City Fans Prepare for the Big Day

It’s a case of last one out turn out the lights in the maiden city today as over 25,000 Candy Striped fans make their way south to watch Ruaidhri Higgins’ troops take on Drogheda United at the Aviva Stadium. Our photographer Kevin Moore got ahead of the curve and captured these snaps of Derry City fans who made the trip early ahead of the big match and got into the spirit of things at the Sandymount Hotel in Dublin. Waiting patiently on the big day, these Derry City fans have a quiet drink at the Sandymount Hotel in Dublin. Sporting their red and white Candy Stripes, these Derry City fans are getting into Cup Final form in Dublin. These two Derry fans are enjoying the peace and quiet at the Sandymount Hotel before the arrival of the rest of the Red and White Army. Derry City fans getting into the spirit of things in Dublin the night before the 2024 FAI Cup Final.