Soccer

Airtricity League round-up: Michael Duffy’s goal caps Derry City win as they close gap on leaders Shamrock Rovers

Dundalk and Shelbourne share the spoils while St Patrick’s Athletic keep European hopes alive

Derry City’s Michael Duffy celebrates scoring a goal with team-mates during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at the Ryan McBride Brandywell. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Derry City’s Michael Duffy celebrates scoring a goal with team-mates during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at the Ryan McBride Brandywell. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Fri Sept 02 2022 - 22:12

Derry City 3 UCD 0

Michael Duffy’s first goal of the season for Derry City, five minutes from the end, brought the Brandywell to life in lashing rain on Friday night. Having returned to action following a fractured leg break last season, the 26-year-old completed the scoring against UCD, who remain in the Premier Division basement position.

In fact, Derry’s last victory on Foyleside dated back to April 22nd when, interestingly, the students had also been the visitors.

However, with Ruairí Higgins’s side failing to build on an early first-half lead, the students always remained in the game with Seán Brennan and Dylan Duffy causing the home side no shortage of problems.

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Derry’s promising start got under way after just five minutes following a flowing move.

Cameron McJannet sent Duffy scampering clear on the left and his low cross saw James Akintunde divert the ball on to the upright before Ryan Draydon side-footed the ball home from point-blank range.

UCD went close to levelling matters when Brennan broke clear on the right but he failed to hit the target having ballooned the ball high over the crossbar.

But back came the home side and Akintunde met Duffy’s cross but his tame header was easily dealt with by UCD goalkeeper Kian Moore.

Derry began to lose their focus allowing UCD space when going forward and both Dylan Duffy and the lively Brennan almost made them play with quality shots saved by the alert Brian Maher, who spared his side’s blushes nearing the end of what had been an insipid opening period.

As the heavens opened after the break Derry’s Sadou Diallo crashed a shot off the post in the 54th minute as the Candystripes struggled to net that vital second goal.

But with the heavy rain presenting difficulty for both teams, a cheeky back-heel by Michael Duffy in the 70th minute, saw Derry finally put the game to bed.

The winger had raced into the UCD penalty area and as he was crowded out, his backheel into the path of Diallo who curled the ball into the top corner from 12 yards.

And Michael Duffy had the final say in the 85th minute when he netted his first goal for his home town club since returning to action following having sustained a fractured leg last season.

Patrick McEleney played the winger in and his effort saw the ball find the net under the body of advancing goalkeeper Moore.

Derry had chances to increase their advantage having finished the game on the front foot.

DERRY CITY: Maher; Dummigan, Connolly, S McEleney, McJannet (Coll, 65 mins); Diallo; Graydon (McEneff, 85 mins), P McEleney, Kavanagh (Boyce, 60 mins), Duffy; Akintunde (McGonigle, 60 mins).

UCD: Moore; Dunne (Cirrish, 82 mins), Gallagher, Todd, Norris; Caffrey, Keane, Brennan (Scott, 82 mins), Duffy; Dignam (Lonergan, 55 mins); Nolan (Higgins, 68 mins).

Referee: O Moran.

Dundalk 0 Shelbourne 0

There was no separating Dundalk and Shelbourne at Casey’s Field on Friday night.

This was the Co Louth side’s first game at their renamed ground which has reverted from Oriel Park until the end of the season in memory of honorary club president Des Casey, who passed away on August 23rd.

The former FAI president and Uefa vice-president was a goalkeeper in his playing days and would have been pleased with the level of defending and goalkeeping on show.

It would have been of little joy to Stephen O’Donnell, who has now seen his side go from potential title challengers this time last month to facing a battle to hold on for a European place next season.

This result saw them fall two points behind Derry City in second, with fourth-placed St Patrick’s Athletic closing the gap behind them to two points – with both sides having games in hand.

Damien Duff’s visitors had started on top with Nathan Shepperd making good saves to deny Shane Farrell and Jack Moylan

Dundalk grew into it, however, and should have taken the lead on 31 minutes when John Martin seized on a loose pass from Gavin Molloy only to fire agonisingly wide.

The Lilywhites had big penalty appeals turned down shortly after when Keith Ward looked to have been hauled back by Luke Byrne, with referee Paul McLaughlin further infuriating the home fans a minute before the break when he opted to only book last man Molloy after he hauled down Martin.

John Mountney headed against the crossbar in the second half with Brendan Clarke denying David McMillan with a fine point blank save three minutes from the end.

DUNDALK: Shepperd; Macari (Doyle, 82 mins), Bone, Boyle, Mountney (Adams, 64 mins); Sloggett, Lewis; Bradley, Ward (Hauge, 76 mins), O’Kane; Martin (McMillan, 64 mins).

SHELBOURNE: Clarke; Molloy, Byrne, Griffin; Farrell, Lunney, Dervin, McManus (Ledwidge, 67 mins), Kane (O’Driscoll, 96 mins); Moylan; Smith.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).

St Patrick’s Athletic 2 Finn Harps 1

Anto Breslin provided an assist and his first goal for the club, with what proved the winner, as St Patrick’s Athletic made it four wins on the bounce to keep their quest for European football next season on the boil.

Unbeaten now in their last six league games, Tim Clancy’s side edge to within two points of third-place Dundalk with a game in hand.

Harps’ consolation was UCD losing at Derry City meaning they remain two points ahead of the students in the relegation playoff place.

Though St Patrick’s started slowly, they blitzed the visitors with a two-goal salvo inside four minutes.

Their first meaningful attack on 15 minutes saw Serge Atakayi release Breslin down the left for the wing back to skip past Jose Carrillo to cross for Chris Forrester to apply the finish.

Rattled, Harps conceded again three minutes later from an attack down the opposite flank, Barry Cotter getting to the end line to cross.

Goalkeeper James McKeown spilled the ball into the path of Breslin who rifled it into the roof of the net.

Harps hit back on 24 minutes to punish poor defending at the other end.

Eric McWoods got free down the right to cross for unmarked skipper Barry McNamee to tap home.

McKeown kept Harps in the game in the second half with big saves from Forrester and substitutes Mark Doyle and Tunde Owolabi before they finished with 10 men following the 86th-minute straight red card shown to defender Liam McGing for a challenge on Adam O’Reilly.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers; S. Curtis, Redmond, Brockbank; O’Reilly, Lennon; Cotter, Atakayi (M Doyle, 67 mins), Forrester, Breslin; E Doyle (Owolabi, 76 mins).

FINN HARPS: McKeown; Carrillo, Boyle, McGing, Donelon (Timlin, 77 mins); N’Zeyi, Boylan; Mihaljevic (Staj, 89 mins), Duncan (Jones, 75 mins), McNamee; McWoods.

Referee: Ray Matthews (Midlands).