Country |
Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland |
||
---|---|---|---|
Teams | 9 | ||
Champions | Bohemians (1st title) | ||
Runners-up | St Patrick's Athletic | ||
Matches played | 23 | ||
Goals scored | 59 (2.57 per match) | ||
|
The 2009–10 Setanta Sports Cup was the 5th staging of the cross-border Setanta Sports Cup competition - which features football clubs from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It commenced on August 28, 2009, and the final was played on May 15, 2010, with Bohemians defeating St Patrick's Athletic 1–0 to claim their first Setanta Cup triumph.
On June 22, 2009, the draw for the competition was postponed because of the financial troubles of organizer Setanta Sports. However, on July 19, 2009, it was confirmed that the competition would be going ahead as planned, and the draw was made at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown, Dublin, on July 28.
"It is only fair for the tournament winners to be given the chance to defend their crown."
In the 2009–10 season, the Setanta Cup was expanded to nine teams, comprising three groups of three. The three group winners qualified for the semi-finals, as did the group runner-up with the best record. Teams were drawn from the top four of both leagues, with an additional place for the winners of the previous competition, Cork City. In a further change to the format of previous years, games were expected to take place on weekends instead of midweek.
Teams that progressed to the Semi-Finals are indicated in bold type.
Teams eliminated from the Setanta Sports Cup this stage are indicated in italics.