It’s dressingroom mayhem as Galway United celebrate making FAI Cup history

By Ciaran Tierney

In May of 1991, Galway United pulled off the greatest triumph in the club’s history when a late goal by team captain Johnny Glynn saw the Tribesmen defeat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in the final at DALYMOUNT PARK. The Connacht Tribune takes a step back in time and reproduces our post-match coverage of a red letter occasion for the club.

“FANTASTIC”, “Unbelievable”, “Delighted”, “A Dream Come True” – a thousand cliches could hardly begin to describe the ecstatic mood in the Galway United camp after they had defeated Shamrock Rovers to capture a major trophy for the very first time.

Yes, there was that League Cup victory in 1986, but this was the day that will never be forgotten. “Wait ‘til Gazza sees Carraroe!” was the slogan of the moment in the post-match dressing room as players pinched themselves, guzzled back Harp cans, and kept asking each other whether it really was true or if it had sunk in yet.

It was an unusual sight, to say the least, as a large band of Dublin journalists mobbed the likes of Malone, Cleary, and Glynn and few ventured near the morgue which was the Shamrock Rovers room. Few noticed as the dejected Dublin players made a quiet exit from the ground. So much for the pre-match hype!

It was sweet revenge, too, for that narrow defeat back in ’85 when Rovers put an end to Galway’s cup dreams with a “sneaked” late goal. How sweet it was to go to Dublin, out-play the opposition (and a very biased-looking referee), grab a late goal . . . and win! So often in the near past we have seen Galway teams travel to the capital to play in a final, play well, and then have victory snatched from them.

The match programme highlighted the total contrast between the sides. Shamrock Rovers: League Championships, 14; F.A.I. Cup titles, 24. Galway United: League Championships, 0; F.A.I. Cup titles, 0. Galway, one of the youngest sides in the league, were up against the most successful club ever in domestic soccer.

Most of the Dublin papers favoured Rovers, which was hardly surprising considering that some of the journalists had probably not even seen United play this season. But those of us who had witnessed the team’s powerful displays in the earlier rounds – as they saw off the challenges of Cobh (3-1), Shelbourne (2-0), Limerick (2-1) and St. James’ Gate (3-1) – knew just what United were capable of.

This time they left it late, very late. No doubt many fans among the large contingent in the crowd of 15,257 had begun to think about another Dublin trip for the replay until Keane, and Glynn combined so brilliantly to produce the crucial goal.

“Was there really only four minutes left?” asked a delighted John Glynn once he had been surrounded by a sea of notebooks, tape recorders and pens. “Wow . . . I thought there was about ten to go!”

Who will forget 4.45p.m. on Sunday? We were 86 minutes into the game when the decisive breakthrough came. “The ball came in low, I just saw it flying into me and hit it with my left foot,” said John. “I had seen the advertising hoarding behind the goal before the match and decided to run over it if I scored.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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