Soccer

League of Ireland: Derry City secure European football for 2024

Shelbourne’s Jack Moylan scored a dramatic late winner as his hat-trick beats UCD

Derry City's Cameron McJannet and Shelbourne's Harry Wood. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Derry City's Cameron McJannet and Shelbourne's Harry Wood. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Fri Oct 27 2023 - 22:34

League of Ireland Premier Division: Cork City 0 Derry City 1

Courtesy of a Ronan Boyce screamer, Derry City secured European football for 2024 after victory over relegation playoff-bound Cork City at Turners Cross.

It was a promising opening half performance from the Leesiders, who threatened when Cian Bargary drilled wide on 17 minutes.

Derry went close from a free kick by Will Patching just before the half-hour that forced a solid save out of Tiernan Brooks in the home goal.

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The visitors almost took the lead in the opening stages of the second half. Michael Duffy saw his driving effort come back off the post, with Adam O’Reilly shooting wide from close range on the rebound. O’Reilly also went close for Derry with a low shot that was saved well by Brooks.

In the 74th minute, Derry went into the lead and in some style. From just outside the box, Ronan Boyce unleashed a rocket of a shot into the top corner of the net. The away side almost got a second when Danny Mullen fired just wide with a low strike.

Cork went close to equalising through Tunde Owolabi in second half stoppage time, who are set to face a crunch relegation playoff clash in two weeks’ time.

CORK CITY: Brooks; Čustović (Walker, 69), Coleman (Owolabi, 83), Honohan, Häkkinen; Worman (Murphy, 69), Kravchuk, Bolger, Coffey (Diksteel, 60), Bargary (Kabia, 70); Keating.

DERRY CITY: Maher; Boyce, Connolly (Todd, 77), McJannet, Doherty: Dummigan, Patching; McMullan (Mullen, 71), O’Reilly (P McEleney, 71), Kavanagh (J McEneff, 71); Duffy (Coll, 90 +1)

Referee: Damien McGraith

Shelbourne 3 UCD 2

Jack Moylan scored a dramatic late winner to complete his second hat-trick of the season to keep Shelbourne’s quest for Europe very much alive.

The win moves Shelbourne two points above Bohemians into fourth place with one match to play.

But Damien Duff’s side were far from their best as they laboured to victory over relegated UCD at Tolka Park.

Though Shelbourne enjoyed plenty of the possession, it took a route one attack to deliver the lead on 20 minutes.

Paddy Barrett’s ball over the top was controlled by Moylan before he was tugged back by Eanna Clancy to win a penalty which he duly converted.

The sides then swapped big chances just past the half-hour.

Mark Coyle first cleared an Adam Wells shot just in front of the Shels goal before Moylan brought a parry save from Moore at the other end.

The UCD keeper quickly saw further action, batting away Coyle’s shot from distance before Will Jarvis brought a somewhat subdued crowd to voice in first half stoppage time with a marauding run and shot that arrowed inches over Moore’s crossbar.

The home crowd were then silenced within four minutes of the restart when UCD punished a goalkeeping mistake to equalise.

Harry Fisk, on his debut for Conor Kearns who was ill during the week, miscued a Jarvis back pass that bobbled on the uneven pitch as he tried to find Barrett.

The ball ran straight to Mikey Raggett who rolled it to the unguarded net.

A below-par Shelbourne needed inspiration from somewhere and Jarvis provided it as they regained the lead on 62 minutes when the Hull loanee’s run was halted by Adam Verdon to concede a second spot kick.

Moylan once more obliged with another emphatic penalty.

UCD refused to lie down and levelled with an audacious goal on 81 minutes. Ciaran Behan’s cross was met by fellow substitute Danu Kinsella-Bishop whose clever flick beat Fisk.

But Moylan would win it with the goal of the night on 89 minutes.

Controlling Barrett’s long ball with a good first touch, he got it on to his right foot to curl his shot to the corner of the net for his 13th goal of the season.

Shelbourne: Fisk; Cabral (Caffrey, 63), Molloy, Barrett, Griffin (T. Wilson, 63); Lunney, Coyle; Farrell, Wood (Arubi, 88), Jarvis (Ledwidge, 76); Moylan.

UCD: Moore; Osam (Babb, 90+2), Clancy (O’Brien, h-t), Keaney, Dempsey; Verdon, Wells; Norris (Behan, 63), Brennan (Doyle, 74), Keane; Raggett (Kinsella-Bishop, 74).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).