Big date sure to beguile despite lack of romance

It's fitting the two best teams in the league will go head to head in the ultimate reckoning, writes Emmet Malone

FOOTBALL, AS we know, rarely gives us everything we want. And so, after another FAI Cup campaign seriously lacking in romance, we should be grateful the weekend's semi-finals have set up a final at the RDS between the best two sides in the competition.

Around Richmond Park they might point to the league table and beg to differ. But the reality is that Friday's defeat by Bohemians, or more precisely the manner of it, underlined dramatically the gap between the Premier Division's top two. And Derry's form of late as well as the way they have reached the final suggests they are better equipped to mount a challenge to the champions on November 23rd.

Admittedly, Bohemians having run away with the title, it's hard to read much into the recent league form of their two nearest rivals.

Both sought to focus on the cup competitions in which they maintained an interest, but while Derry lifted the League Cup and have qualified for the final of the more coveted, Ford-sponsored event, John McDonnell's side have nothing to show for their efforts.

McDonnell half joked at a press event last week that some would regard the St Patrick's campaign as a "disaster", but his failure to show for the post-match interviews at Richmond Park on Friday clearly indicated what the defeat meant to him.

In truth, most of the reporters suspected as they left that they had seen the last of McDonnell in the role.

The home side had been badly depleted for Friday's game but the yawning gap at the top of the league table was the real issue even before the game, and neither the selection the other night nor the collective performance of the team suggested 19 points was an unfair reflection.

Certainly, this was a world away from the efforts against Hertha Berlin, and the decision to switch players like Damien Lynch and Jamie Harris from the roles they filled so well against the Germans looked to have backfired badly.

McDonnell is well liked by the media but that hardly changes the fact the hierarchy - at a club spending big money these days - must decide if he is the man to strengthen the squad or get more out of those already there.

Rumour has it Stephen Kenny will be targeted as a replacement, but there has been no indication of that from the club itself.

It is, indeed, all a little unfortunate for McDonnell, who having lived so long in the shadow of Brian Kerr in Inchicore now finds himself under threat again in people's minds.

To be fair, Kerr has left the club and McDonnell is still there - having, as it happens, signed a new contract this year - but then a trophy, as we know, often counts for much more - in the context of deciding the manager's future - than the time left on a contract.

Jeff Kenna will have no silverware to show for his first campaign in management but if he keeps Galway up over the next few weeks retaining his services would doubtless be a priority in the close season at Terryland Park. And of course some clubs in England, where his family still live, might decide he has done enough to merit an opportunity.

In truth, United did not look a great side on Sunday but, before a big and passionate crowd, Kenna clearly had them giving their all and a goalless draw would not have flattered them.

The narrowness of their system looked likely to entail disaster early on, Gareth McGlynn and Niall McGinn finding acres of space whenever Derry broke forward in the first half.

But Galway worked so hard to make life difficult for Derry that their weaknesses were never fully exploited until the closing minutes, when Galway were having to take chances in pursuit of an equaliser.

Kenny clearly took pride in how his side had survived a tough test despite not having sparkled, and he predicted they would be much better in the final.

Their record this year against St Patrick's (three wins out of four) and Bohemians (one win and two draws) suggests they are capable of rising to the occasion.

None of which changes the fact that Bohemians, having produced one of their best 45-minute spells all season to lead 3-0 at the break on Friday, will make the cross-city trip as favourites to complete a double in a few weeks' time.

Speaking to journalists last week, Jamie Harris expressed the hope his side would be the hungrier in the semi-final. But one of the key things about Friday's game was that Bohemians seemed to want it so much more.

Indeed, comments by the Welshman to the effect that this was not the best Bohemians side he had seen, that they had a knack of winning even when not playing well (generally taken as a compliment) and that the hosts were out to show 19 points exaggerated the gap between the teams (hardly controversial) appear to have been a significant motivation for Bohemians.

Harris was, in reality, respectful, modest and fair, though it would not be the first time the same player came across in print as somewhat more confrontational that he intended.

In any case, Pat Fenlon had his Bohemians players fired up for the occasion, and there's not the slightest doubt he will again for what has the potential to be an excellent Cup final.