North by North West

Dublin may have won the football final and Clare, much to my despair, the hurling after a replay against Cork, but the garrison games still have a central place in the Irish sporting consciousness. While Ireland beat Australia in the compromise rules series and Scotland in the hurling meets shinty tests, proper football was drawing to a close as the 2013 Irish domestic season concentrated on the FAI Cup Final at the AVIVA Stadium.

Anthony Elding’s 93^rd minute winner helped settle a pulsating final in front of a disappointing crowd of 17,753 when Sligo Rovers, who came third in the league overall, overcame a spirited Drogheda United side 3-2 in a game that managed to outdo the drama of the other excellent FAI Finals  that have taken place since the showpiece event moved to the AVIVA in 2010. The Bit o’ Red’s third success in 4 years at this venue was achieved with 5 Englishmen in the team: Elding, two-goal Man of the Match Danny North, ex Newcastle United trainee Jeff Henderson, captain Danny Ventre and former AFC Wimbledon player Kieran Djilali, not to mention their former Scunthorpe United boss Ian Barraclough. In addition, 38 year old Cameroonian international Joseph Ndo, the finest player in the League of Ireland for 10 years of more, bossed the centre of midfield all game. Sligo are a great club, with a smashing ground in a fabulous part of the world and I’m delighted to see them doing so well.

The cup final brought down the curtain on the 2013 domestic season that saw the usual collection of superb games and farcical financial malfeasance that characterises the Airtricity League. St Patrick’s Athletic were deserved champions, winning the title from Dundalk, who had a great campaign to finish only 3 points behind. The EA Sports League Cup saw Drogheda United again fail at the final hurdle, going down 2-0 to Shamrock Rovers, who finished the league in a disappointing 5^th place, but who have apparently signed a pre contract agreement with departing Hibs boss Pat Fenlon, to bring the former Bohs supremo to Tallaght. Lucky him. Unlucky Drogs, who lost their third cup final of the season early on, when Shams won the largely ignored “cross border” Setanta Sports Cup, by the enormous margin of 7-1. After all those cup adventures, it’s no wonder that Drogs ended the season down in 8^th place. Poor sods.

Consequently, the European qualifiers are St Patrick’s Athletic in the Champions’ League and Dundalk, Sligo Rovers and Derry City in the Europa League, where they’ll all be granted the opportunity of having their pants taken down by a double digit two legged loss to the likes of Sheriff Tiraspol in mid July 2014. 

Cork City were a solid 6^th and Limerick, featuring former Newcastle United reserve Patrick Nzuzi, had a commendable first campaign back in the top flight to finish a place below them and above the cupless Drogs. UCD were 9^th and former Big Club Bohemians were just about safe in 10^th. Oh how Da Boez have come to regret not selling Dalier at the height of the Irish property bubble and relocating out by the airport; the club, Ireland’s finest, still struggles along. This all meant Shelbourne, who finished bottom, went back down after 2 undistinguished seasons in the top flight that they’d struggled so bravely to get back into. Bray Wanderers went into the play-offs and overcame Longford Town over 2 legs to maintain their status in the top flight, much to the relief of denizens of what is always referred to as Wicklow’s soccer-mad town.

As ever, the first division held the most intrigue and farcical happenings. Athlone Town were champions by 5 points from Longford, who were required to play off home and away against Mervue United to face Bray. If Longford had lost, Bray would have been safe without a play off as Mervue had no intention of accepting promotion as, after their best ever season in the senior game Mervue have, along with fellow Galwegians Salthill, who finished adrift by 14 points, both served notice of their decision to quit the league. They may also be joined in the departure lounge by 5^th placed Wexford Youths, on account of the business troubles of owner Mick Wallace TD, the love interest of purged former Socialist Party TD Clare Daly. Unless some kind of reanimated Galway United are admitted to the league, which is the FAI’s dearest wish, then the first division will presumably run on 5 teams next season. Absolutely insane. Waterford United, as is their wont, blew any chance of the play-offs by finishing 4^th, only 3 points behind Longford, while Finn Harps and Cobh Ramblers, the latter re-joining the league after a 4 year hiatus, were second and third bottom, both on 31 points.

Of course, all this is subject to the machinations of the FAI licensing committee, who’ll not confirm the make-up of the league until mid-February 2014. Before then, they’ve the unenviable task of persuading a cynical support (especially me) that the ideal solution to the hangover lingering after the terrible Trappatoni era is to appoint Martin O’Neill with Roy Keane as his assistant, to the gig of national team boss.

Two mad, paranoid, self-obsessed failed ex Mackem managers; what could possibly go wrong? Expect Ireland to win the 2016 European Championships…..