Derry City into the FAI Cup semi-finals!

Derry City 2

Shelbourne 0

Goals from Michael Duffy and Danny Mullen made the difference as Derry City defeated Shelbourne to earn a place in the semi-finals of this season's FAI Cup. 

It is now just Derry with dreams of a double as they finally beat a stubborn Shels side they had previously drawn with on six previous occasions.

The Candystripes have had to wait two weeks to respond from their defeat at Galway United, but they did so emphatically here as they controlled the game from start to finish. 

This game was expected to be tight and tense, especially in the early going but the home side could have taken the lead with less than two minutes gone. Paul McMullan found Will Patching in space running towards the Shelbourne penalty area, and he had the chance to pick his spot, but he blazed high over the bar.

It was an open and energetic start to the game and Sadou Diallo should have gone one better than Patching on seven minutes when Michael Duffy’s low cross found him all alone in the Shels area, but the midfielder – with just one goal in 18 appearances this season - shot just wide of Conor Kearns’ goal.

Derry City’s promising start to the game was rewarded midway through the half when they opened the scoring with a rare first half goal.

It was a goal of the highest quality which began with O’Reilly winning the ball in his own half. Mullen dropped back to receive the ball with his back to goal, but instead dummied it into the path of Patching 20 yards from goal. The midfielder in turn found Duffy one on one with Tyreke Wilson, and with the Brandywell fans expectant, Duffy shot across goal into the bottom corner for his seventh goal of the season.

It could well have been 2-0 just five minutes before half-time when the dangerous McMullan picked out the run of Mullen in behind, and the striker took the ball around Kearns only to be denied by Shane Griffin, who stopped the ball on the line.

The next goal in this game was going to be absolutely crucial and it almost came Derry City’s way on 58 minutes. McMullan cleverly nutmegged Kamerin Ledwidge as he passed to Ronan Boyce in the area, and Mullen threw himself at the defender’s whipped cross, but could only guide his header across goal and wide.

But Mullen was always there and he was in the right place at the right time to double Derry City’s lead on 64 minutes.  Again, McMullan was involved, as he sent Patching in behind and his ball across the face of goal was met by the striker who fired in his tenth goal of the season.

Teams

Derry City: Brian Maher, Andre Wisdom, Mark Connolly, Ciaran Coll, Ben Doherty (Ronan Boyce 41’); Sadou Diallo (Patrick McEleney 65’), Adam O'Reilly, Will Patching (Jacob Davenport 86’); Paul McMullan, Daniel Mullen, Michael Duffy.

Shelbourne; Conor Kearns, Kameron Ledwidge, Paddy Barrett, Shane Griffin (Rayhaan Tulloch 61’), Tyreke Wilson; Matty Smith (Sean Boyd 61’), Mark Coyle, Ali Coote (Evan Caffrey 73’), John O'Sullivan (Liam Burt 73’), Harry Wood (Samuel Bone 61’); Aiden O'Brien.

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin).