Derry City 1 Cobh Ramblers 0: COBH RAMBLERS' boss Stephen Henderson raced across the Brandywell pitch last night to remonstrate with referee Tom Connolly, following this slender defeat.

Henderson was clearly furious at a number of decisions made by the Dublin official, who not only disallowed Cobh what appeared an equaliser but also red carded defender John Meade for a professional foul on Mark Farren. In the end, however, Derry just shaded the game, with goalkeeper Gerard Doherty prominent at vital stages.

Derry bossed the ball from the outset, Farren squandering a glorious chance after 30 seconds when he carelessly drove a Niall McGinn pass wide from close range. Conor Sammon also had a chance to break the deadlock in the seventh minute but he too blasted wide.

Cobh's John Kearney brought the best out of Doherty in the 24th minute but the home side's dominance was rewarded five minutes after half-time when Eddie McCallion's intelligent low centre was guided to the net from close range by the advancing Farren.

But Cobh came ever so close to netting an equaliser in the 65th minute. Michael Mulconry played a superb ball through to Kearney but Doherty pulled off a magnificent one-handed save.

Cobh's misery was compounded in the 67th minute when full-back Meade was shown a straight red card following a last-man tackle on Farren, who had broken clear from midfield. And making matters even worse, Kearney headed an Alan Carey cross firmly to the net in the 70th minute but the "goal" was ruled out for offside.

Derry continued to dominate; Owen Morrison had two clear-cut chances to kill the game off, but goalkeeper James McCarthy did well to deny the winger.

DERRY CITY: Doherty; McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, Gray; McGinn (Higgins, 74 mins), Molloy, McGlynn , Morrison (Deery, 90 mins), Farren, Sammon (McHugh, 80 mins)

COBH RAMBLERS: J McCarthy; Carey, B. McCarthy, Murray, Meade; Cambridge, Kearney, Mulconry, Coleman (O'Neill, 82 mins); Cummins (Long, 86 mins), O'Reilly.

Referee: T Connolly (Dublin).