Shelbourne FC V St.Patricks Athletic – FAI Cup | OneFootball

Shelbourne and St.Patrick’s Athletic have met in thirteen FAI Cup ties, (nineteen games including replays), seven wins to Pats, six to Shels. However, the bragging rights goes to the Reds, with two semi-finals wins and one cup final win at the business end of the competition.

The clubs first meeting in the cup was in a second-round tie at Glenmalure Park, Milltown in March 1949. The game attracted a crowd of 20,000, which Shels won by 1-0 with a strike from outside right, Matt Cranley. Youth prevailed over their more experienced opponents. The victory was the second step on the road to a cup final with Dundalk.

One year later, 1950 Pats completely outclassed Shels, finalist the previous year, in a first- round meeting at Milltown with a resounding 3-1 win. Barney Curtis equalised Pats earlier opener. However, a Haughey OG and a last-minute goal sealed a deserved win for the Saints.

In February 1953 St. Patricks easily mastered a listless Shelbourne by 3-1 in a first-round replay at Dalymount. The Reds never recovered from the concession of two goals in the first nine minutes. Rory Dwyer the Shels goal scorer. The first game ended in a 1-1 with Paddy Cunningham on the scorecard for the Reds.

In 1961 Shelbourne, the cup holders were beaten 2-1, by Pats at a crowed Richmond Park. The home team took the lead after twelve minutes, but Shels struck back with a glorious goal by Eric Barber in the twenty fifth minute. Eleven minutes into the second period Pats got the winner. To sum up a fine victory for Pats, the better side over a gallant Shelbourne, who were just not good enough.

On Friday April 13, 1962, Shels beat Pats 3-0 in the first FAI Cup seme-final played, under lights in front of a crowd of almost 20,000 at Dalymount Park. The Reds were not at their best, but they took their chances. Joey Wilson opened the scoring in the thirty third minute. Fifteen minutes after the interval Ben Hannigan scored from an acute angle, Pats missed a penalty ten minutes from the end, Ben got his second and his sides third, in the dying minutes, heading home a beautiful goal from a cross by Conroy.

It would be eleven years before the clubs next meeting in the cup. On February 26,1973 Shels hammered a hopelessly inept Pats 4-0 in the first round before a big crowd at Tolka Park. The Reds took the lead in the 38th minute and added three more in the second half. Eric Barber scored the first with second half goals from Vinnie McKenna, John Rogers and Paul McNaughton. The Reds marched on to another cup final against Cork Hibernians.

There was no relief for problem-plague Shels in the Richmond Park mud as St.Patrick’s Athletic strolled to a 4-1 victory in the fourth round of the FAI Cup on Sunday, February 08, 1981. Two early goals and Shels were in real trouble, however Willie Donnelly scored from the spot and suddenly were back in business with eighteen minutes of the first half remaining. However, six minutes from the interval Pats struck again and in the seventy third minute the home side scored a fourth. Even the appearances of veteran Ben Hannigan for the second half could not lift Shelbourne.

A late, late goal from St.Pats gave them a 2-1 victory of an exciting cup tie at Harold’s Cross on Sunday, February 14, 1988 and gave the Inchicore side a place in the next round. Pats scored first in the thirty second minute however Paul McDermott levelled the tie in the fifty first minute, scoring from five yards. Just when the game appeared to be heading for a draw Pats scrambled home the winner in the eighty fifth minute. Shelboune were feeling sore that a solid performance wasn’t enough to force a replay.

The clubs met for the first and only time in an FAI Cup final in April 1996 at the Old Laansdowne Road. It was a cup final for the ages, a once in a generation cup final that was full of drama. The Reds were reduced to 10 men early on as goalkeeper Alan Gough was sent off for a handling offence outside of the penalty area. And with no sub keeper on the bench, midfielder Brian Flood played 70 minutes in goal. Despite trailing 1-0 Tony Sheridan equalised with a stunning lob in the last few minutes to force a replay. With Alan Gough back in goal for the replay at Dalymount Park, Shels won the trophy after Gough saved a late penalty and Stephen Geoghegan scored an even later winner.

Two years later the clubs played each other in Quarter Finals of the 1998 cup. 330 minutes failed to separate two well matched teams and talented sides. In the first replay Shels were close to defeat but for a very late goal from Tony McCarthy. Three games with two periods of extra-time with a penalty shoot-out needed to overcome Pats. The first and third games finished 2-2 and sandwiched in between was a 1-1 draw. Shelbourne won the tie 5-3 on pens. Scorer 1st game Liam Kelly & Stephen Geoghegan, 1st replay Tony McCarthy, 2nd replay Stephen Geoghegan 2. Scorers of pens: Neville, D.Baker, S. Geoghegan, Cos

Eircom League champions Shelbourne were drawn against rivals St. Patrick’ Athletic in the third round of the 2002 FAI Cup. Pats saw this as a grudge match after they were docked points at the end of the previous season, a move that handed the title to Shels. The home side, Pats took the lead with a penalty after thirty-one minutes, but Ollie Cahill replied for Shels with two minutes of normal time remaining. However, with prospect of a replay just minutes away, Pats found the net deep into added on time to send Pats through 2-1. Richmond Park erupted.

In 2011 Shels and Pats met in semi-finals of the FAI Cup at Tolka Park. Pats took the lead just before half time and Shels task was made much harder when Colin James was sent off two minutes later for kicking out at a Pats defender. However, Shels fought gamely in the second half and Philly Hughes struck on 72 minutes to set up a replay at Richmond Park.

In the replay in Inchicore Pats scored first before Kevin Dawson equalised from the penalty spot after the home keeper was red carded. The Reds took the lead in the 48th minute when David McGill drilled home from close range. Shels had a great chance to increase the lead further, but Dawson missed from the penalty spot, but David Cassidy wrapped up the win with a breakaway goal four minutes from the end. It was a masterful man of the match performance from Cassidy. First Division Shelbourne booked a date with Sligo Rovers in the,” Richie Winters” FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium.

The last meeting of the clubs was in a third-round tie in August,2014, which ended all square 1-1 at Richmond Park. The two goals coming in the opening minutes, with O’Sullivan on the scoresheet for the Reds. First Division, Shels battled hard throughout but neither side could get the winner. In the replay at Tolka Park the visitors scored what proved to be the winner on the stroke of halftime. Pats advanced to the quarter finals.