'We'll let history sort itself out,' says Perth after leading Dundalk FC to EA SPORTS Cup glory

Vinny Perth hailed his “brilliant group” following Dundalk FC's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Derry City in the EA SPORTS Cup final at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Midfielder Chris Shields stroked home the decisive spot-kick after a long and dramatic Saturday night, where the hosts led twice before being reduced to 10-men.

An emotional Perth told eir Sport: “It’s brilliant for the group. I’m here seven-and-a-half seasons. We’ve won a lot of trophies. Yes, this one probably falls on my shoulders and it’s probably really special for my family and people close to me, but for me personally, it’s about the group. The group have been marvellous over this year.

“I’ve been challenged and they’ve stood up for me. I have to really thank the group and the club - brilliant owners, brilliant staff and everyone deserves what they get at this club.”

Asked how special this squad of players is, the head coach added: “Time will tell. We’ll let history sort itself out. I don’t like debating eras but they’re certainly putting themselves up there for that argument in terms of who is the best team.

“To be fair to them, they just keep going. We have a game every three days. The last month, six weeks, has been driven by our players. It hasn’t been driven by staff. They have constantly come in every day; they’ve been fresh and they’ve been ready to go.

“For me, it’s an honour to be associated with this bunch of players. We’ll keep going, we have a bit of work to do – this is just a small part of what we want to achieve this year.”