FAI Cup Second round/ Derry City 2 Monaghan United 0: Derry City have had a miserable start to their league campaign but they put their troubles behind them by booking their place in the third round of the FAI Cup but only after they made a faltering start to their defence of the cup against Monaghan United at the Brandywell last night.
Pat McCourt gave Derry the perfect start with a fifth minute goal after Monaghan's centre half Aaron Mooney failed to clear Kevin Deery's corner kick. McCourt quickly pounced to hammer a low right-foot drive through a packed penalty area beyond goalkeeper Alvin Rouse's reach and into the net.
Five minutes later McCourt's angled drive was narrowly off target and in the 11th minute Gary Beckett was put through by Gareth McGlynn but the City striker fired his shot straight at Rouse and should have done a whole lot better.
One minute later McCourt's close-range header from another Deery corner was cleared off the goal-line by left back Kevin Williamson and two minutes later Mark Farren left-foot shot from an acute angle rolled inches outside Rouse's right-hand upright.
It was not all one-way traffic as United gave City a major fright in the 15th minute when goalkeeper Pat Jennings finger-tipped Peter D'arcy's 25-yard left-foot free kick over the crossbar for a corner.
Farren squandered another scoring change for Derry in the 42nd minute when, with only Rouse to beat, he pulled his shot wide of the target, but made amends in the 86th minute.
DERRY CITY: Jennings, McCallion, Kelly, Oman, Brennan, McGlynn, Molloy, Deery, (Higgins 80), McCourt, (Hargan, 80 mins), Farren, Beckett (McHugh, 55 mins).
MONAGHAN UTD: Rouse, Whelan, Williamson, Burke, Mooney, Gannon, Mackay, (Meenan, 73 mins), D'arcy, Farrell, Doyle, Feeney.
Referee: P Tuite(Dublin)
