For much of the 2026 campaign Derry City looked destined for a season to forget, with managerial uncertainty, internal tensions and inconsistent performances threatening to derail their ambitions.
But Sunday’s FAI Cup final against Waterford offers the Candystripes a chance to turn their fortunes around, with silverware and a return to the Europa League in 2027 at stake.
Advertisement
Tiernan Lynch departed the club on 5 August, with the Candystripes sitting sixth in the Premier Division and having managed just one win in their previous seven outings.
Former captain Mark Connolly took charge on an interim basis and has done more than steady the ship, winning eight of his 13 games at the helm and guiding Derry to the final with victories over UCD, Dundalk and Galway United.
For Connolly, Sunday’s final also presents the opportunity to complete a rare cup double, having been part of the Coleraine side that defeated Dungannon Swifts to lift the Irish Cup in May.
Having since retired from playing, he now has the chance to add another FAI Cup to his collection, this time from the touchline.
Advertisement
Just a few months ago, a trip to Lansdowne Road in November would have seemed a distant dream for the Candystripes, with supporters more concerned about the teams below them in the league than the prospect of a place in the FAI Cup final.
“Probably midway through the season, I don’t think many Derry people had their hotels booked for the Aviva.
“Now we’ve a trip to the Aviva and we’re all going to go there and enjoy every moment of it,” Connolly told BBC Sport NI’s Dessie McCallion.
“We’ve enjoyed every moment with the schools and all the preparation that’s gone with it.
Advertisement
“Now this week we’ll bounce into it, bounce into training with a smile on our faces and look forward to Sunday.”
Despite the turmoil that has characterised much of their campaign, the Candystripes head into Sunday’s final as favourites, backed by a large and expectant support.
“There’s always pressure when you play for Derry City and the expectations of winning things, and that’s been here for a lifetime, you know what I mean? It doesn’t change,” Connolly said.
“I’ve said to the boys, and I’m not trying to pull any sort of wool over anyone’s eyes, that we have to enjoy this.
Advertisement
“It’s been a really, really tough season and we were written off for large spells, rightly so, because we haven’t been good enough.
“Now it’s all about enjoying it and people obviously say, ‘we have to win, we have to do this’ – but we don’t.
“We have to go out and enjoy every single moment and give absolutely everything. Don’t leave anything out there and hopefully it’ll be enough. And if it’s not, we’ll have given everything.”
Connolly is preparing Derry for their third cup final in five years, but this time he will experience it from the touchline, trading his role as an on-field enforcer for that of the man leading from the dugout.
Advertisement
The 2022 final proved a memorable occasion, with Derry sweeping Shelbourne aside 4-0, but their hopes were dashed in 2024 as Drogheda United claimed victory, adding to the disappointment of a failed league title challenge.
“Mickey (Duffy) touched on it that the 2022 one, I’d sort of come in midway through the season. We were on a really, really good run of form. We were winning a lot of football matches. We were playing together, playing a real good way,” Connolly said.
“We sort of had a real good understanding for each other. And then you fast forward to 2024, going for a league title, to lose that and about nine, 10 boys were out of contract.
“The feeling now compared to the 2024 one is a drastic difference. We don’t really have many out of contract now. The boys are all in a really, really good place.
Advertisement
“They’re happy, you can see that in training. You can see that every day, the smiles on their faces. I think there’s a big difference from 2024 to now.”
The four league meetings between Derry and Waterford this season have produced 20 goals, with both teams claiming a victory apiece and the other two encounters ending in draws.
Waterford’s campaign has followed a similar trajectory to Derry’s, with a dramatic upturn in fortunes after managerial changes.
Before Graham Coughlan’s appointment, the Blues looked destined for a difficult end to the season, but the goals of Tommy Lonergan (16) and Padraig Amond (15) helped them finish as the league’s two top-scorers while, steering their club clear of relegation and into the decider.
Advertisement
“I think our team, on our day, we can beat anyone. If we’re not on our day, we could probably get beat by the majority of teams in the league,” Connolly added.
“So we know that if we turn up and we’re at it, we’ve a right chance and that’s what I’m expecting, hopefully, on Sunday.
“They carry a lot of threat. Obviously, the two boys, Padraig Amond and Tommy Lonergan have scored the majority of their goals.
“So we know that they’re a massive threat but also set-pieces. They’re very, very big, strong and physical and they rely a lot on long throws and corners and free-kicks. So we know in transitions they’re direct,” Connolly explained.
Advertisement
“We have to make sure we stand up for that and we can hopefully deal with it.
“Sunday is going to be extremely tough and fingers crossed we can finish off what’s been a strange season. Hopefully we can finish on a high.”
