Duffy double sends Derry City into FAI Cup final against Waterford

Derry City reached the FAI Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday, with captain Michael Duffy scoring both goals. BBC Sport NI reported that Derry will face Waterford at the Aviva Stadium on 8 November, seeking the club's seventh cup triumph and its first since 2022.

Watch the highlights:

The result gives Derry an opportunity to finish a difficult campaign with a trophy. Interim manager Mark Connolly took charge following Tiernan Lynch's dismissal in August. Since that change, the team have moved clear of relegation concerns and progressed to the cup final, with Duffy crediting the former defender for giving the players greater freedom on the pitch.

Waterford secured their place by beating Bohemians 2-0 in Friday's other semi-final. That outcome meant an additional European qualification place would not become available through the league, according to the BBC report. Derry can still qualify for Europe by winning the cup, but Duffy said that possibility had not changed the team's approach to the Galway match.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI after the victory, Duffy explained that reaching the final and competing for silverware had been the priorities. He said the players had discussed putting European qualification and the previous evening's result to one side. For the captain, success in the cup mattered in its own right, rather than principally as a route into European competition.

Duffy also described how Connolly has encouraged defenders to use the ball and the wider team to take risks. He said those instructions are reinforced in training and before matches, with the interim manager accepting responsibility when an attempt to play that way results in possession being lost. Duffy linked the approach to the team's recent improvement while also highlighting the players' commitment.

The captain said reaching the final could help restore a positive feeling around Derry after a tough year. Leading his home-town club out at the Aviva Stadium would be a proud occasion, he added. Duffy nevertheless acknowledged the challenge posed by Graham Coughlan's Waterford, noting that the meetings between the sides this year had been difficult for Derry.