Michael Duffy scores late Derry City winner against Bohemians!

Derry City 1

Bohemians 0

Derry City moved up to second place in the Premier Division thanks to Michael Duffy’s late winner at the Brandywell.

The Candysripes were heading to their third successive draw until Duffy came off the bench to shoot home from close range to seal all three points.

James Akintunde, who scored the winner against his old team at Dalymount Park back in March, came so close to giving Bohemians the lead 18 minutes in. The former Derry City striker held off Mark Connolly to get onto the end of a James McManus cross, but his header came off the corner of post and bar with Brian Maher beaten.

Derry City were allowing far too many crosses to get into their penalty area and they should have fallen behind on 28 minutes with Akintunde again the danger. Jordan Flores’ ball collided off a combination of Connolly and Akintunde, and the Bohs striker reacted quickest, but shanked his effort over the bar from clos enrage when it seemed easier to score.

This game was a slow burner which was threatening to never ignite, although Declan McDaid did his best to change that just past the hour mark when he tested Maher twice in the space of two minutes, both efforts had to be pushed away by the Derry City goalkeeper.

Derry City should have scored with just six minutes left, when Will Patching wasted the best chance of the game. Adam O’Reilly’s low cross bounced perfectly into the path of the City midfielder, who volleyed it first time and fans were off their seats celebrating before realising to their dismay that he had actually shot just wide.

But the home supporters did not have long to wait as their team made the breakthrough just 60 seconds later, Duffy breaking into the area, and although his first effort was blocked, the ball broke into his path with Chorazka grounded and he made no mistake, driving home his third goal of the season.

Teams

Derry City: Maher, Boyce (P McEleney 80’), Connolly (S McEleney 45’), McJannet, Coll; O’Reilly (Todd 90’), Patching, McMullan, Kelly (Diallo 68’), Hoban, Doherty (Duffy 68’).

Bohemians: Chorazka, Keita, Flores, McDaid (Piszczek 76’), Rooney (Grant 87’), Akintunde, McManus, McDonnell (Clarke 45’,) Miller (Connolly 59’), Mills, Matheson (Kukulowicz 76’.

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin).