DERRY City’s midfield pairing Aaron McEneff and Rory Hale spoke of their delight following the Lone Moor Road sides’ EA Sports Cup victory on Sunday evening.
The Candy Stripes saw off Stephen Henderson’s Cobh Ramblers, beating them 3-1 in a game that saw City dominate for large periods.
Congratulations to @derrycityfc – the 2018 EA Sports Cup winners. #EASportsCupFinal pic.twitter.com/fBiCFWqR72
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 16, 2018
McEneff told Derry Daily earlier in the week that it would be a ‘brilliant feeling’ if he could lift the trophy and he was almost at a lost for words following the final whistle.
“It’s an amazing day, this is something that I am very proud of,” he said. “This is something that I have dreamt of while watching Derry City. I was one of those kids that ran on the pitch up to players after days like this, so it is amazing to win a trophy.”
“I am a bit (lost for words) because I didn’t know what to expect if we did we win it. I knew we had a good chance to win the trophy, but I never thought ahead, but to have all my family and girlfriend’s family here, it is unbelievable.”
Hale, 21, and McEneff, 23, played some attractive football in the middle of the park under difficult conditions, a point Derry City manager, Kenny Shiels raised after the final whistle, putting the Derry City and Strabane District Council on blast for not having a sprinkler system in place, a shortfall he felt was an ‘injustice’ and prevented City from turning on the style.
Those calls were echoed by McEneff, who admitted the team played on a ‘sticky’ pitch, which made it difficult for the home side.
Asked what the game was like to play in, McEneff said: “It was hard, very hard, they sat in and we had a lot of the ball on a pitch that was very sticky today, there wasn’t much water on it and there was no rain, so it was hard to move the ball as quickly as you would like.
“But, we knew if we stayed patient and kept shifting (the ball) then gaps would open up and I thought out wide is were we hurt them today.”
Derry City had found a weakness against a very brave Cobh side, who managed to frustrate Derry for periods of the first half, but Rory Hale proved effective, linking up extremely well with his brother, Ronan, unlocking the Ramblers defence on numerous occasions from wide and central positions.
The Hale brothers linked up well together in Sunday’s EA Sports Cup Final
Speaking after the game, Hale said: “It’s brilliant, it was a tough game, but I am delighted to get it over the line, we made it hard for ourselves at times, but we came out on top at the end.
“I know what runs he (Ronan) is going to make, we talk about it in training all of the time and I try and help him as much as possible,” he said.
“He has been playing on the wing this season, so when he gets his chance up front he has got to take it. Today, we managed to link up well together and luckily he got a goal.”
Here’s the penalty incident and the penalty from Aaron McEneff that has put @derrycityfc 3-1.
LIVE now on eir sport 1! #EASportsCupFinal pic.twitter.com/pR8OvQ9gLS
— eir Sport (@eirSport) September 16, 2018
McEneff also got himself on the scoresheet with a 72-minute conversion from the penalty spot and he admitted the taste of victory makes the appetite for success exceedingly more ahead of Wednesday’s FAI quarter-final bout against Bohemians.
“We know the FAI Cup final is massive, it’s a brilliant day in the Aviva (Stadium). It is one that every player in Ireland wants to be involved in, so we will give it our best go on Wednesday.”
There was little time for celebration following yesterday achievement as all attention turns towards Keith Buckley’s Bohemian in the last eight, a deed Derry City need to be prepared for, following a 2-0 home defeat in the league against the Dublin side two weeks ago.
“We have won today, but the aim now turns to Wednesday in the quarter-final against Bohs’ and hopefully we can get to a semi-final,” Hale said.
Ahead of another crucial night on Wednesday, McEneff urged the Candy Stripe support to turn out in the same numbers.
“The support today showed by our supporters was second to none and if we got this on Wednesday and every week, the players would be buzzing because it gives us a massive lift before the game.”
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