Soccer

FAI Cup wrap: Holders St Patricks’ Athletic knocked out by Derry City

Damien Duff’s Shelbourne labour to victory over Bray Wanderers

Derry’s Danny Mullen celebrates scoring a goal. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Sun Jul 21 2024 - 20:31

Holders St Patrick’s Athletic crashed out of the FAI Cup in their first defence of the trophy as Stephen Kenny’s side suffered a sobering 3-0 defeat to Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

It was just the fillip Derry needed following their hugely disappointing Uefa Conference League exit to part-timers FCB Magpies last Thursday.

All the action came in the second half on Foyleside with Derry affording themselves the luxury of failing to score from a 47th-minute penalty after visiting defender Axel Sjoberg had fouled Paul McMullan.

Recently re-signed Joseph Anang provided a reprieve for St Patrick’s when saving Will Patching’s poorly struck spot kick.

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Unbowed, Derry were ahead within four minutes. Ben Doherty sent Michael Duffy away on the left and his pullback was deflected to the net.

Danny Mullen doubled Derry’s lead seven minutes later with a bullet header from a Doherty corner.

The game was over as a contest on 67 minutes when Duffy scored a well-taken second, collecting Adam O’Reilly’s pass to slide the ball past Anang.

Sean Boyd’s early goal should have signalled a comfortable afternoon at the Carlisle Grounds for Premier Division leaders Shelbourne.

But Damien Duff’s side lost their way in the second half and laboured to a far from convincing 1-0 win over First Division play-off challengers Bray Wanderers.

Indeed, Shelbourne fans had to hold their collective breaths in stoppage time when Wanderers’ Max Murphy first shot wide across goal before bringing the save of the game from Lorcan Healy.

With the kick off delayed for 15 minutes due to crowd congestion at the turnstiles, Shelbourne, with eight starting changes from Thursday’s Conference League win in Gibraltar, laid virtual siege to the Bray half from the start and were deservedly ahead on 15 minutes with a fine team goal.

John O’Sullivan, who slotted in at right-back, got forward to link with new signing Rayhaan Tulloch.

Boyd, wearing a protective mask following a facial injury sustained in Europe, timed his run on to Tulloch’s pass to perfection to side-foot past Jimmy Corcoran to the bottom corner of the net.

Bray had far more about them after the break, Guillermo Almirall working Healy while Ben Feeney headed over the top from a Murphy corner.

And though Evan Caffrey rifled narrowly wide for Shelbourne, Bray pressed till the end, but just couldn’t muster an equaliser.

Elsewhere, Sligo Rovers maintained their good form with a 3-0 win over non-league Cobh Wanderers at the Showgrounds while First Division UCD and Wexford also progressed against non-league opposition.