Derry City - 4 Waterford Utd - 1: Derry City bounced back from last week's 5-1 humiliation by Shamrock Rovers to stop Waterford United moving top of the Premier Division at the Brandywell last night.
Jimmy McGeogh's men may have enjoyed a bright start but, overall, Derry controlled the proceedings and appeared to be entering the break leading 1-0.
However, the visitors stunned their hosts in the 44th minute to draw level and the equaliser was of Derry's own making.
Having failed to adequately clear their lines, Darryl Murphy drove in a low cross from the left and the unmarked Willie Byrne poked the ball home under the body of startled goalkeeper David Forde.
Up until that point Derry had the enjoyed the majority of possession and they deservedly broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute following a fluent move on the right flank.
Gary Beckett and Gareth McGlynn linked effectively before the ball was worked into the path of Kevin Deery and the 19-year-old's curling effort took a deflection on its way to the net, his first goal of the season.
One minute later, Derry should have doubled that lead when Ciaran Martyn blocked a defensive clearance and when the ball broke to Padraig Moran, the striker failed to score in a one-on-one situation with Waterford goalkeeper Dan Connor.
The home side maintained the momentum after the break and in the 52nd minute Derry returned to the driving seat.
Another superb move involving Deery and Beckett saw the teenager cross the ball low into the area and Martyn was on hand to divert it wide of the stranded Waterford goalkeeper.
And Derry made the points safe in the 71st minute from another deflection.
On this occasion Beckett let fly from 25 yards, the ball striking the head of Byrne, sending keeper Connor the wrong way to make it 3-1.
Derry ended the rout in the 86th minute when Ciaran Martyn played another low cross into the area and substitute Gerry Gill had the easiest of tap-ins from close range.
DERRY CITY: Forde; Clery, McLaughlin, Hargan; Deery, McGlynn, Hutton, Martyn, McCallion; Beckett, Moran. Subs: Gill for Moran (78 mins); Darren McCready for McCallion (87); Mullan for Beckett (88).
WATERFORD UNITED: Connor; Hughes, Breen, Byrne, Frost; Cosgrove, Clifford, Mallon, Watters; Murphy, Sullivan. Subs: Reilly and O'Neill for Cosgrove and Clifford (both 58); Wilson for Hughes (76).
Referee: Hugo Whoriskey (Dublin).
Alan Murphy was Galway United's saviour with an 86th-minute penalty which gave them the share of the honours with Limerick in last night's First Division game at the Pike Field. Limerick had gone ahead 10 minutes earlier through Derek McCarthy.
