FAI Cup Final: Derry City’s last chance to turn chaos into cup glory
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.
“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.
“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.”
