Derry City 2 Treaty United 1
Derry City may not have given their “A” performance against First Division side Treaty United in this Extra.ie FAI Cup semi-final, but Ruaidhri Higgins’ troops will return to the Aviva Stadium for the final on November 13th.
If truth be told, Derry never looked in danger having opened on the front foot with their Limerick opposition always happy to flood their defence constantly getting large numbers behind their ball.
Treaty will have no complaints with this defeat, their memorable moment centring on Enda Curran’s penalty kick which boosted their confidence levels midway through the opening period.
However, the Brandywell side dominated after the break and while Treaty keeper Jack Brady certainly played his part in keeping them in the game, Derry always looked comfortable.
Derry should have won by more, but the City Faithful will take this victory and look forward to that important trip to the capital next month.
Deadlock was broken early when Patrick McEleney set up Jamie McGonigle who guided the ball home from six yards in the eighth minute.
Minutes later winger Michael Duffy found McGonigle, who dragged the ball wide with an angled shot.
In the 16th minute the Premier Division side doubled their lead and Treaty United were in difficulty.
The ball was played down the left flank and when Duffy opted to play it back into the path of Cameron McJannet, his perfect cross was headed home by Brandon Kavanagh for his second goal of the season.
However, the attendance of 3,500 were stunned in the 28th minute when a former Derry player came back to haunt them.
Derry full back Cameron Dummigan appeared to make minimal contact with Treaty skipper Jack Lynch when inside the danger area and when he hit the ground, referee Neil Doyle pointed to the spot.
Up stepped former City midfielder and now Treaty United striker Enda Curran and the now 30-year-old drove the ball into the corner, much to the delight of the 300 travelling fans.
That goal clearly unsettled the “Candystripes” who failed to build on their early dominance and, no doubt Treaty boss Tommy Barrett will have been the happier of the two managers at the break.
Derry really should have extended their lead in the 54th minute when Kavanagh and McGonigle combined before the latter’s cutback into the path of the unmarked Declan Glass but his shot was deflected off the head of a defender and a glorious chance had been lost.
Content to sit back and defend in numbers, Treaty continued to frustrate the home lot.
Two minutes after entering the fray as a substitute, Ryan Graydon, could have been hailed a hero when Shane McEleney found him with a superb pass but the Longford native failed to control the ball having made a superb run.
As Derry continued to press, McGonigle squandered another chance in the 61st minute but he failed to direct Patrick McEleney’s delivery on to the target.
In the 71st minute, the busy Patrick McEleney launched a shot from 35 yards but his effort was parried wide by Brady, at the expense of a corner.
Derry continued to dominate the ball during the latter stages as the side from Limerick appeared to struggle with fitness levels
With four minutes remaining Treaty’s William Armshaw broke from inside is own half and his shot on the run narrowly failed to hit the target
And at the other end in the 87th minute, Derry sub, Joe Thomson, failed to hit the target when well placed while Duffy drove a decent shot high into the side netting and in the 93rd minute keeper Brady did well to deny Patrick McEleney.
Derry City: Maher; Dummigan, S. McEleney, Connolly, McJannett; Diallo, P. McEleney, Diallo; B. Kavanagh (Thomson, 80), Glass (Graydon, 57), Duffy; McGonigle (C. Kavanagh, 68).
Treaty United: Brady; O’Riordan, McNamara, Guerins, Ludden; Christopher (Doherty, 85), Devitt, Walsh, Armshaw; Lynch (Keane, 74); Curran.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
