Pleasure and pain for United old boy

While all around him team-mates were celebrating a victory produced by two goals in a frantic 90-second spell late in the game, Alan Kirby cut a bewilderingly downbeat figure and he stood on the sideline and reflected on another cup success for Longford.

Kirby works with Longford's sponsors, Flancare, these days and has become a key figure in the team's midfield over the last few seasons. He hails from Waterford, though, and having spent a couple seasons with yesterday's losing side he seemed acutely aware of the pain many of his friends were feeling after seeing the game pinched from beneath their noses.

"I was well overdue a goal," he said, "but I've still got very mixed emotions about scoring it against my hometown club. I decided beforehand that I wouldn't celebrate if I scored. There's great people at Waterford just like there is at Longford and I really didn't want to look as though I was rubbing it in.

"I'm a little gutted for Alan Reynolds and the lads to be honest," he continued in one of the more sober reflections on a FAI Cup final by a member of the successful team. "I didn't think that we played too well or deserved it overall. They deserved it just as much as us. But I've got to be professional and say that it's great for Longford and important for us to be in Europe again next season."

A few feet away the scorer of the winning side's second goal wasn't quite so ambivalent about the turn of events late on that handed Longford another FAI Cup.

Paul Keegan, who was signed by Alan Mathews before the start of the season but who had not scored for the club prior to yesterday, had looked almost completely overcome by the emotion of grabbing the winner three minutes from the end. Indeed, it seemed, for a while, that he was intent on personally hugging every one of the club's supporters before making his way back to collect his winner's medal.

"I'm elated," said the former Bray and Bohemians striker. "The goal was overdue to say the least and to be honest I really couldn't believe it when the chance fell to me. Then to see it go in was just incredible, I can't put into words.

"It's been a very frustrating season with injuries and things and it seems like this just made it all worthwhile.

"Everybody at the club has worked so hard for this, not just the players but also the committee and everyone who is involved and it's so good to be able to show them that I came to Longford for a reason."

There was general agreement within the Longford camp that they had failed to perform prior to going a goal behind but obvious delight with the way they eventually found their stride when it mattered.

"I asked them to fight for every inch out there," said the team's manager, Alan Mathews, afterwards, "and I told them if they all did that we'd see the benefits and I think that's what happened towards the end.

"For most of the 90 minutes we didn't play but I always felt that if we kept our heads down, retained our focus and composure then we'd be in with a shout and once we got the equaliser I always felt that we could go on and win it.

"We're up there now with Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers as one of the only clubs ever to win this trophy in successive years and I think that when you consider the background of the club and the resources we work with at a time when so many of the others are going professional, you'd have to accept that that's quite an achievement."