Defeat for Derry City on a night of drama on and off the pitch at Tolka Park

Shelbourne 3

Derry City 1

Tiernan Lynch suffered defeat in his first game in charge as Derry City were well beaten by champions Shelbourne on a night of intensity on the pitch and drama off it at Tolka Park.

With City trailing 3-1 at half-time, a floodlight failure threatened the abandonment of the fixture completely, only for the game to eventually resume after a 45-minute break.

The champions applied the pressure in the early stages, with Lynch kept busy as he demanded his players press all over the pitch, well aware of the danger posed by the hosts. But there was nothing the new manager could do as he watched his team fall behind after just 10 minutes. A ball forward from Harry Wood was awkwardly intercepted by Sam Todd, but the ball went straight to Sean Boyd, who immediately spotted Brian Maher well off his line, and he curled the ball around the goalkeeper and into the vacant goal.

The Shels celebrations were cut short just three minutes later as Derry City responded emphatically, Dom Thomas’ deep cross finding Michael Duffy at the back post who headed down past Conor Kearns and into the net to make it 1-1.

It was the response Lynch wanted from his players, but the crazy start to this game continued with Shels restoring their lead just 60 seconds later. Another long ball forward caused problems with Todd and Boyd challenging in the air, and the ball dropped for Evan Caffrey, whose snapshot took a slight deflection off Mark Connolly to take it past Maher for a second time.

The City boss had plenty to work on at half time with his team lacking in intensity all over the pitch, and some of his players lacking sharpness and even belief. It got even worse for the Candystripes just before the break when referee Rob Harvey awarded Shels a penalty after Todd’s challenge on Boyd was deemed a fracture too late. The Shels striker picked himself up and scored from the spot, although perhaps a bit fortuitously as Maher dived the right way but the ball squeezed through his fingers.

Lynch walked towards the changing room at half time just as the floodlights went off at Tolka Park, a symbolic moment as it looked grim all around for Derry City.

Half Time 3-1

The game eventually resumed at 9:35pm, 45 minutes behind schedule, and there is little doubt that Derry City would have taken the chance to head back up the road early if given the opportunity.

That would have been especially the case had Shels scored a fourth just before the hour mark when striker Ademipo Odubeko went through with no offside flag, but hit the post with just Maher to beat.

Odubeko had a second chance just two minutes later when a sensational pass from Harry Wood split the Derry defence and sent the striker in behind again, but this time his effort across the face of goal flew just wide of the target.

City’s night got even worse when they lost debutant Carl Winchester to injury, replaced by Sadou Diallo, but the chances just kept coming to Shels, and in particular Odubeko, who drilled another effort wide with his left foot when he should at least have tested Maher.

Lynch made a number of changes from the substitutes’ bench, but despite some late pressure from the Candystripes, they never looked like mounting a comeback, a real lack of quality in the final third ensuring the Shels defence and goalkeeper Conor Kearns, were never really tested.

Teams

Shelbourne: C. Kearns; S. Gannon, S. Bone. P. Barrett, K. Ledwidge; H. Wood (R Tulloch 88’), K. McInroy (JJ Lunney 66’), M. Coyle, E. Caffrey (R O’Kane 88’); A. Odubeko (J Martin 88’), S. Boyd (E Chapman 81’).

Derry City: B. Maher; R. Boyce, M. Connolly, S. Todd, S. Ferguson; M. Duffy, C. Winchester (S Diallo 61’), A. O'Reilly, D. Thomas (P McMullan 78’); L. Boyce (G Whyte 69’), P. Hoban (S Patton 69’).

Referee - Rob Harvey (Dublin)