Dundalk FC :: News

14 April 2008: “This is the best day of my life” - Carragher

The Dundalk Youths qualified for the FAI Youth Cup final following a wonderful come-from-behind victory over Saint Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park on Sunday morning. For coaches Stephen Carragher, Tommy Connolly and Cronin McCabe, the players and the club, this achievement is a magnificent one, with Carragher claiming afterwards that it was the best day of his life.

Speaking to dundalkfc.com shortly after the final whistle, Carragher said: “I’m over the moon. This is the best day of my life. I’m just thrilled for Tommy Connolly, who means everything to myself, this team and Dundalk Football Club. I cannot put into words what this means for the club. This is by far my biggest achievement in my football career, playing and coaching. The buzz up to this game was tremendous, and I can only imagine what it’s going to be like to the final. We have a tough game next Thursday night in the league against Rivervalley, and every game is a cup final now. We have seven games left in the league and they’re going to be seven cup finals; I’m delighted now to have an eighth.

“Early on, once again, the occasion got to us. For their goal, we had a chance to clear it twice, and we didn’t. In the first-half, it was a scrappy affair. We had a couple of chances, but at half-time, we spoke to the boys - we didn’t give out to them - we just said ‘you must get your foot on the ball and play it about, and get the ball out wide rather than go direct’. We sort of played into their hands in the first-half; we were looking for the long ball up to Billy (Smith), and we made it hard for him and ourselves.

“In the second-half, there was only one team in it. I thought it was going to be a case that the Pats ‘keeper was going to win it for them. He brought off a great save from Billy from the free-kick, and I genuinely thought our moment was gone, and that we weren’t going to get it. Thankfully, though, from a corner kick from Hutchy (Stephen Hutchinson), whose deliverance all day was excellent, Gerard Connolly, who I thought was absolutely immense - a tremendous captain - got on the end of it. After that, there was only going to be one winner, although we were afraid that we were going to be hit on the break.”

Sean Conlon put the Lilywhites in front with a last minute strike, however, Pats almost struck back immediately through Andy Haron, who was denied brilliantly by goalkeeper Donal Greene. “When you go ahead, that’s when you’re most vulnerable,” Carragher said, “the boys saw the cup final. Tommy and I were screaming at them when we scored what turned out to be the winner to get as many men behind the ball and to stay on our feet. But what a save by Donal Greene! That would have been an absolute choker if they had to have equalised then. Fair play to everybody that travelled from Dundalk today. Especially in the second-half, the support helped us along; it was tremendous.”