FAI Cup final: Derry City 1 (Burns 69) Waterford 0
Waterford team: McMullan; Caan, Mahon, Long; Voilas, Mawene, Noonan, McLaughlin, Couto; Amond (capt), Lonergan.
Derry City: Maher; Fleming, Stott, P McClean, Dummigan; Twisk, O’Reilly, Chapman, Burns, Duffy (capt); Clarke
Derry City lift the cup, remarkably their seventh trophy since 1988. Only won two league titles in that time, so they’ve been cup specialists. The win will see them in European football next year with Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and St Pat’s.
Patrick McClean who was named man of the match on RTÉ: “I thought Waterford were probably the better team, but we showed resilience. I thought they should be incredibly proud of how they played, we really had to dig it out. With Jamie Stott, what he’s been through and put in some massive performances.
“Words mean nothing, actions means nothing, we need to keep moving forward and challenge for the league next year.
“I said to Burns this morning he’s going to score. He’s a top lad, he’s probably not got the goals and assists he wanted but he got the important one.
“Derry is built on resilience, thinking of standing in that Guildhall tomorrow in front of all the fans.”
Full-time: Derry City 1 Waterford 0
Derry City are FAI Cup champions!
Derry City’s Darragh Burns celebrates scoring his side’s first goal of the game. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Very little between the two teams, that one moment of quality from Burns won the game for Derry. Waterford will be frustrated they couldn’t take their chances when they were on top.
90+2 mins: Mowene goes down again in the box, big claim for a penalty but the replay suggests it would have been soft. Then another big collision in the box, no penalty. Duffy counters and is taken out by Mowene.
90 mins: Mawene is caught by Fleming about 40 yards out, chance for Waterford to whip it in. Three minutes stoppage time. Couto’s delivery is headed behind for a corner.
88 mins: Strong running by Lonergan down the wing and tries to cut it back but just overhit. Time running out for Waterford to equalise.
85 mins: Chance for Lonergan with a header and a fine effort, but just wide with a looping header that was difficult to get power on.
82 mins: Kevin dos Santos just curls it wide on the counter, Clarke could have set him up better.
77 mins: The goalscorer Burns has been subbed off, Kevin dos Santos is on instead. Waterford now going for it, Mawene takes a low shot from just outside the box that skids wide.
74 mins: Derry City are encouraged after the goal and Duffy nearly finds a team-mate for another goal. Another flare on the pitch delays the game briefly. Dean McMenamy off the bench for Waterford.
The flares are back after that one, obscuring the view of parts of the pitch. Attendance of more than 36,000 today, it is announced.
69 mins: GOAL FOR DERRY CITY! Burns with a cracking goal to give Derry the lead. Cutting in from the wing, he shoots low into the corner from the edge of the box. Outstanding finish.
Derry City 1 Waterford 0
67 mins: Great play by McLaughlin to the back post, Amond heads back and Couto should do better with a header.
64 mins: Chaotic piece of play where there looked like there could have been 2-3 fouls before Duffy takes a shot blocked out for a corner. They go short but make a mess of it, Dummigan straight into the keeper’s hands.
56 mins: Derry growing into the game more in the past five minutes but it’s mostly end to end. Good intensity to the match but just lacking a bit of quality so far. Best chances for Waterford from set pieces and another great delivery to the back post sees Lonergan flying at it but it goes wide.
52 mins: Derry are struggling here, making sloppy decisions in possession, but Waterford haven’t taken advantage so far.
49 mins: Good pass by Lonergan to Noonan on the wing, who skins his man but then shoots on the byline when maybe he could have crossed to Amond, Maher bats away at the front post.
47 mins: Bright start to the second half by Waterford, McLaughlin has a shot from the edge of the box but well blocked.
45 mins: Amond and Lonergan combine well for the first time really in this match, flicking to each other in the box, but it’s just offside.
Half-time: Waterford 0 Derry City 0
No breakthrough yet, Waterford will be encouraged by that first half. Derry will be less satisfied with how things are going, but all to play for.
43 mins: Duffy is Derry’s main threat and he beats Caan on the wing and accelerates towards goal but his shot is well over the bar.
40 mins: Waterford are having a good spell, McClean had taken a great touch and looking forward but had his pocket picked in midfield. O’Reilly has to recover well to stop the counter.
37 mins: Another long throw by Couto right into the mixer and Mahon involved again but this time he’s penalised.
34 mins: Waterford unsurprisingly pumping the long balls forward and winning some of them, Voilas winning one to Amond but couldn’t flick it on. Couto also a long throw specialist and it’s well flicked on by Mahon and Lonergan has a good opportunity to head in from about 8 yards but he pulls his header wide.
29 mins: Derry City have the ball in the net, but it’s ruled offside, Duffy’s goal ruled out. Close call.
26 mins: Chapman snatches at a long-range shot from 35 yards well wide. Then a decent chance for Waterford as they deal better with the loose ball and Noonan takes a shot from inside the box, but not a strong shot and easily saved.
Some of the flares before the game.
A view of Derry City fans amongst the flares ahead of the game. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
22 mins: Good chance on the counter for Derry after clever pass by Twisk to Duffy on the wing who tried to find Burns with an outside the boot pass but it’s cut out in the box.
16 mins: Voilas wins a free-kick for Waterford, then another peach of a hit by Couto, which the goalkeeper Maher barely stops from going under the crossbar. Closest either team has got to scoring so far.
12 mins: First shot on target for Derry City as Duffy gets space on the edge of the box and hits it low but solid save by McMullan.
9 mins: Dummigan overhits a pass when O’Reilly had a chance to be through. Waterford win a corner after an error by Fleming, it’s a great delivery by Couto and chaos at the back post, but Derry manage to see it out of play.
6 mins: Good tackle by Twisk before playing to O’Reilly and Duffy, Duffy played back to O’Reilly but he gave away the chance with a poor touch.
3 mins: A scrappy enough start to the game as Duffy tries to get things going by running at the Waterford defence but his team-mate wasn’t on the same wave length.
The match is under way.
The teams are coming out on the pitch at the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland assistant manager John O’Shea in the crowd watching on his native Waterford. Smoke covering the pitch with flares so tricky to see, but a great atmosphere.
Read Gavin Cummiskey’s preview of today’s match:
The unique pairing of Derry City and Waterford will attract at least 34,000 fans to Dublin 4 to witness Sunday’s FAI Cup final on the Aviva Stadium’s new hybrid surface.
The old boxing adage that styles make fights applies to this meeting of two recently rejuvenated clubs.
Derry City will aim to control possession and play their way through a Waterford defence that is marshalled by former Republic of Ireland international Kevin Long and John Mahon.
Waterford, guided by Graham Coughlan since the Dubliner replaced Jon Daly as manager back in May, will adopt a defensive stance until the opportunity arises to spring from their low block.
Waterford’s Pádraig Amond ahead of the match. Photograph: Dan Clohessy/Inpho
Gavin Cooney spoke with Waterford’s manager Graham Coughlan, as the Dubliner has guided a team that looked down and out to Premier Division survival and a first FAI Cup final in 22 years
Waterford’s manager Graham Coughlan. Photograph: Dan Clohessy/Inpho
The Derry City team is out:
⚡️ TEAM NEWS ⚡️
Here’s how City line up to face Waterford in the Club Orange FAI Cup Final at the Aviva.
Come on City!
Live on RTE 2 pic.twitter.com/JwiiBAQM9i
— Derry City FC (@derrycityfc) November 8, 2026
Derry City team: Maher; Fleming, Stott, P McClean, Dummigan; Twisky, O’Reilly, Chapman, Burns, Duffy (capt); Clarke
The Waterford team is out:
Waterford team: McMullan; Caan, Mahon, Long, Couto; Voilas, Mawene, Noonan, McLaughlin; Amond (capt), Lonergan.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the FAI Cup final between Waterford and Derry City, which kicks off at 3pm at the Aviva Stadium. After a mixed year in the league for both teams, this could make their year with Waterford looking for their first cup since 1980, Derry City their first since 2022 after losing in 2024 to Drogheda United. There is also European football on offer for the winner, with neither side qualifying automatically through the league table.
Derry City have the experience and quality to do it, but Waterford have been in fine form in the second half of the season, with under-21 star Tommy Lonergan and Pádraig Amond a formidable forward line. Should be an intriguing contest, we’ll keep you posted with team news before kick-off.