2008 League of Ireland Cup
The League of Ireland Cup 2008 was the 35th staging of the Irish football knockout competition. It was won by Derry City.
24 four clubs participated in this year's competition. 12 Premier League and 10 First Division clubs were joined by Donegal intermediate side Kildrum Tigers and the Kerry League representative side who both entered in the First Round of the competition. For both the First and Second rounds of the competition, all participating clubs were split into 4 regional pools with the further rounds of the competition having an open draw.
The 2008 eircom League of Ireland Cup officially kicked off on the Bank Holiday weekend of Monday, 24 March 2008 when 14 eircom league clubs were joined by Kildrum Tigers and the Kerry League in the First Round. Bohemians, Cork City, Drogheda United and St. Patrick's Athletic all received a bye into the Second Round of the competition due to their future participation in European competitions. Four more clubs received a bye into the Second Round as a result of an open draw: Derry City, Finn Harps, Limerick 37 and UCD.
The competition ran until late September, with the final taking place on Saturday, 27 September 2008 at Ferrycarrig Park, Wexford[1] where Derry City delivered a spectacular performance to defeat hosts Wexford Youths 6–1.[2]
Contents
First round
Pool A
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kerry League | 1–1 (aet, p. 3–2) | Waterford United |
| Wexford Youths | 1–0 (aet) | Cobh Ramblers |
Pool B
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kildrum Tigers | 1–6 | Sligo Rovers |
| Galway United | 2–0 | Longford Town |
Pool C
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sporting Fingal | 2–2 (aet, p. 5–6) | Shelbourne |
| Dundalk | 3–0 | Monaghan United |
Pool D
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bray Wanderers | 3–0 | Athlone Town |
| Kildare County | 0–3 | Shamrock Rovers |
Second round
Pool A
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wexford Youths | 2–0 | Kerry League |
| Cork City | 3–0 | Limerick 37 |
Pool B
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sligo Rovers | 0–0 (aet, p. 5–6) | Galway United |
| Derry City | 3–0 | Finn Harps |
Pool C
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | 4–0 | Dundalk |
| Shelbourne | 0–2 | Drogheda United |
Pool D
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bray Wanderers | 1–0 | Shamrock Rovers |
| UCD | 2–0 | St Patrick's Athletic |
Quarterfinals
The matches were played on Tuesday, 1 July 2008.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Galway United | 3–0 | Bray Wanderers |
| UCD | 1–2 | Wexford Youths |
| Derry City | 4–1 | Bohemians |
| Drogheda United | 0–2 | Cork City |
Semifinals
| Galway United | 0 – 2 | Derry City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Morrow  72' (pen.)McGinn 82' |
|
Terryland Park, Galway
Referee: M. Gough |
Final
| Wexford Youths | 1 – 6 | Derry City |
|---|---|---|
| Furlong 25' |
Report | Morrow 15' 28' 70' McGinn 19' 30'Deery 27' |
|
Ferrycarrig Park, Wexford
Referee: R. Winter |
