Derry beat Waterford to win FAI Cup

Darragh Burns made himself the hero for Derry City as they defeated Waterford to win the FAI Cup at the Aviva Stadium. The winger scored the only goal of a tense final, cutting in from the right before unleashing a low shot past Stephen McMullan. Burns, a Dubliner, contorted his body to find the pace and precision in the strike, a moment of class worthy of winning the cup.

Both sides struggled to create clear chances in a nervy first half played out amid a fog of pyro and smoke bombs in front of 36,093 fans. Waterford’s Tommy Lonergan had the best opportunity to break the deadlock on 33 minutes but headed over from six yards after a long throw from Beni Couto was flicked on by John Mahon. Derry’s limitations were shown when Michael Duffy fired a wild shot over the bar before the break.

At the final whistle, Derry’s players collapsed in triumph while Waterford were left broken and despondent. Winning boss Mark Connolly embraced veteran Waterford striker Padraig Amond in a show of respect at full-time. The victory marks a sweet end to a turbulent season for Derry, who changed manager and fell short of a title challenge.