David McMillan's hat-trick was pivotal in securing a 12th FAI Cup title for Dundalk against a Shamrock Rovers side who saw their hopes of making all kinds of history come up agonisingly short.
Dundalk would end up winning 4-2 on the night after extra-time.
It was a result that looked highly unlikely for long stretches of the evening as Rovers dominated possession and created most of the chances but McMillan's treble and an effort from Sean Hoare proved vital.
It was Hoare who put Filipo Giovagnoli's side ahead in extra-time, his scuffed shot slipping under Alan Mannus after 11 minutes of play. McMillan made it safe with his third on the break shortly after as Dundalk avenged last year's loss to the Hoops on penalties.
It also means that Rovers' hopes of a first club double in 33 years, and a first unbeaten domestic campaign in the League of Ireland since 1925, came to naught at the very last hurdle and in the Cup's 100th final.
That has to hurt.
A thick fog drifted in from the Havelock Square End and lingered over the stadium all night but, crucially, didn't descend to a pitch which looked bare and bumpy after Ireland and Scotland's Autumn Nations Cup here yesterday.
The quality of football belied that for the most part with two teams eager to keep the ball on the turf and move it around.
The first quarter was even enough but Rovers began to turn the screw from there to half-time with Gary Rogers forced into a handful of saves and the Hoops having another couple of chances besides.
Rogers' first intervention was a dive to his left to deny Aaron McEneff and, while he injured his right shoulder in doing it, the veteran showed he was still up to it by flying low to that side on the half-hour to deny a Graham Burke free-kick.
Dundalk, defending for long periods, did have glimpses of an opening or two with Brian Gartland, David McMillan, and Cameron Dummigan all failing to trouble Alan Mannus with efforts of varying difficulty and effectiveness.
Lee Grace replaced the evergreen Joey O'Brien at the break and put himself centre stage after just four minutes when rising to head a Byrne corner towards the back post where an unmarked Aaron Greene nodded home under Rogers.
Report from the AVIVA Stadium as #DundalkFC defeat Shamrock Rovers and claim their 12th FAI Cup!!!https://t.co/oE3T3n3PXC
📸 @sportsfile pic.twitter.com/YXCcsT6w9H— Dundalk FC (@DundalkFC) December 6, 2020
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Here again was an example of Dundalk's Achilles heel. Setpiece defending has been an issue for them all season and their strict adherence to the zonal system had coughed up three headers in Norway on Thursday.
Finally ahead, Rovers paused and lost the initiative.
That said, Dundalk had hardly threatened until the 69th minute when McEleney's cross was deflected to the feet of McMillan whose half turn and low shot pinged in off the butt of one post and then the other.
It was a brilliant finish by the striker who stepped up to make it 2-1 from the spot just two minutes later when Liam Scales was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Cleary as a Dundalk corner floated into the box.
It was a stunning one-two for Rovers to absorb but they replied instantly with centre-back Lopes rising to head home another corner. Like Greene earlier, it was superbly taken but it was harder to point the finger at the defence.
Tight and structured for the most part, the game had opened now like a flower in spring and both sides pressed for the winner as the last of the 90 minutes began to expire. But to no avail.
Extra-time it was. Nothing new there for an FAI Cup final.
Rovers, who created the better openings at the back end of normal time, had the edge again in the extra period and Graham Burke should have put them ahead after 102 minutes when he blazed high and wide after a superb end-to-end team move.
How they paid for all those misses.
