A cracking 65th-minute goal and another in injury time earned Derry City their first victory of the season at Buckley Park yesterday. Gary Beckett struck in the 65th minute. A long throw on the right by San Hargan was messed up by the home defence, and when the ball broke loose Beckett hammered it into the top left-hand corner of the net from 16 yards.

Kilkenny nearly sneaked an equaliser a minute from time. Ray Kenny drove a powerful shot from 20 yards, but Derry goalkeeper John Connolly brought off a terrific save.

Two minutes into injury time Derry wrapped up the points. The home team gave away possession from a throw-in, and when the ball was knocked into the area Darren McCaul let fly, and his effort took a deflection off a defender before spinning into the net. Kilkenny will have thoughts of what might have been after this game. They had the ball in the net three minutes into injury time at the end of the first-half. A corner on the left by Greg Costello was headed home by Jason Kabia but for some mysterious reason the referee disallowed the score.

Kilkenny City: R Forde, Mulcahy, Carolan, T Byrne, Riordan, Brennan, Kerley, Mullen, Murray, Costello, Kabia. Subs: Kenny for Mullen (60 mins), McGrath for Costello (60 mins), Jordan for Kerley (80 mins).

Derry City: Connolly, McCallion, Hargan, Hutton, Kelly, Doherty, Harkin, Hegarty, Coyle, Beckett, McIvor. Subs: P McLaughlin for McIvor (69 mins), McCaul for Coyle (81 mins).

Referee: J Casey (Waterford).