REBELS UP FOR FIGHT

FAI Cup Finals are always special, but this one is an absolute beauty.

- patdolan

Dublin v Cork is always epic.

Shamrock Rovers are chasing a double, while the Rebel Army need to salvage another disastrous relegation season with the comfort of a Cup win — and unbelievably, a European place — while playing in the First Division.

The pot of UEFA qualification gold at stake will have massive implications for next season's title races in both divisions.

Incredibly, Bohs supporters will be desperate for Rovers to win so that their fourth-place finish secures European football. How often does that happen?

The bookies have made it an odds-on Hoops win at 8/15, and few experts are putting money on a Cork City shock.

But in a Cup final, anything can happen, and Cork City should feel inferior to no one.

After a mess of a league season, the Rebel Army need to stand up and believe they can cause an upset — just as they did in the semifinal against the mighty St Patrick's Athletic.

Rovers are in their worst form for a long time, while City didn't just beat Pats at Turners Cross; they battered them 3-0.

Remember, a team getting relegated but winning the FAI Cup has been done before — as recently as 2001/02, when Dundalk went down but still beat Stephen Kenny-managed Bohemians in the final.