Derry City keep title hopes alive with victory in Dundalk

Dundalk 0

Derry City 2

Derry City kept their title hopes alive with a much-needed victory at Oriel Park, with goals from Colm Whelan and Will Patching relegating Dundalk in the process. 

With the top four in the Premier Division all winning, it means there are now just four points between Shelbourne, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick’s Athletic heading into the final two games of the season.

On a night when both teams desperately needed to win, it was Dundalk who threatened first on 12 minutes when Jamie Gullan got to the ball ahead of Shane McEleney and bore down on goal before switching onto his left foot and curling an effort into the hands of Brian Maher.

But it was Derry City who struck first on 16 minutes, when Michael Duffy’s corner was met by Danny Mullen, whose header struck the back of Colm Whelan, with the ball deflecting past Ross Munro in the Dundalk goal to make it 1-0. The striker knew little about it, but it was enough of a touch to go down as his first goal in 18 months, since scoring against St. Patrick’s Athletic last April.

Dundalk didn’t let that goal get them down and they responded well, almost levelling in the final 10 minutes of the half when Aodh Dervin sent Gullan away from the left and the striker bore down on goal before shooing past Maher, but right across the face of goal and wide.

Dundalk were straight onto the attack when the game resumed and Jad Hakiki should have done better from Horgan’s cross, heading straight at Maher from close range.

Derry City responded in kind by going close with their first attack just seconds later, and after Adam O’Reilly had a goal-bound header blocked by Hayden Cann, the ball dropped invitingly for Diallo 20 yards from goal, and he caught it perfectly on the volley, with Munro having to push the ball away.

Derry struggled to get a foothold in the second half, and as a result, Higgins switched Whelan for Will Patching in an attempt to gain some control for his team.

It took Derry until the 70th minute before they offered any real threat and it came from their first corner of the half when Patching sent Duffy into the area, and his shot right across goal took a slight deflection as it narrowly missed the target.

The visitors should have doubled their lead 15 minutes from time when Duffy put a goal on a plate for McMullan, who was completely alone in the penalty area, but the winger saw his effort saved by Munro.

McMullan breathed a big sigh of relief when Derry City doubled their lead within two minutes. Will Patching’s ingenuity caught the Dundalk defence out, as he backheeled the ball into the path of Duffy, who was sent tumbling by Benson, giving referee Gavin Colfer an easy penalty decision. It was Patching who took the kick moments later, and he casually sent Munro the wrong way to seal a hugely important victory.

Teams

Dundalk: Munro, Boyle, Oostenbrink (Keane 64’), Horgan, Benson (Garbbett 79’), Mountney, Keogh (Animasahun 72’), Cann, Dervin, Hakiki (O’Kane 64’), Gullan (Kenny 72’).

Derry City: Maher, Boyce, Wisdom, Connolly (Idehen 79’), McEleney, Diallo, O’Reilly, Duffy, McMullan, Mullen, Whelan (Patching 64’).  

Referee: Gavin Colfer.