Dubs’ opinions sought for cup finals poll

THERE is nothing like good old-fashioned debates when it comes to the beautiful game.

Now Dublin soccer fans can actively take part in one thanks to a campaign to find out what was the greatest ever FAI Cup final.

FAI Cup sponsors Ford recently launched the campaign with Dublin clubs Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, St Patrick’s Athletic, UCD and St Francis all featuring in the poll.

A list of the top 10 best finals was announced and League of Ireland fans have been urged to vote for their favourite ever final at facebook.com/fordireland.

The shortlisted matches include 10 cup classics, each with their own story to tell.

The first game on the poll was the 1935 final, a seven-goal thriller between Bohemians and Dundalk, with the Gypsies emerging winners in the joint highest scoring final to date.

The next match was Shamrock Rovers’ 3-2 comeback win over Cork Athletic in 1956. Rovers were 2-1 down with only 12 minutes to go, before they sealed an injury time win which sparked wild scenes amongst the Hoops’ supporters.

Miah Dennehy became the first player to score a hat trick in the 1972 final as Cork Hibernians ended Waterford’s hopes of a double with a memorable 3-0 win. In 1983, it was the turn of Sligo Rovers as Harry McLoughlin ended his side’s cup hoodoo with a 2-1 win over Bohemians.

The following year saw one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history as UCD triumphed over Shamrock Rovers. The student’s needed a replay, which they won 2-1. In 1990, Bray Wanderers’ John Ryan scored a superb hat trick to end St Francis’ hopes in a 3-0 win at a packed Lansdowne Road.

The 1996 finale saw Shelbourne come from behind to defeat St Patrick’s Athletic 2-1, with the winner coming from Stephen Geoghegan. A decade later it was the turn of Derry City as St Pat’s were again on the losing side of a special encounter, this time in an extra time thriller, as the Candystripes won 4-3.

The 2008 final was a game that had goals, controversial penalty calls and the drama of a shootout to decide the destination of the cup, which went to Bohemians as they overcame Derry 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes.

The final game on the shortlist was a very entertaining 0-0 draw between the two Rovers’, Sligo and Shamrock, in front of 36,000 fans at the Aviva Stadium in 2010. Sligo

‘keeper Ciaran Kelly saved an incredible four penalties in a shoot-out.

The winning game will be announced ahead of this year’s final. All fans who vote will automatically be entered into a draw for fuel vouchers and a HD 3DTV.