Dundalk 1 Derry City 2
Goals either side of half-time from Ciaron Harkin and Jamie McGonigle saw Derry City come from behind against Dundalk at Oriel Park on friday night to give themselves a chance of European football next season.
Ruaidhrí Higgins’ side were very much second best in the opening half and could have little complaints about falling behind to Sean Murray’s superb strike on 33 minutes.
However, a deflected equaliser on the stroke of half-time from Harkin brought about a major improvement with McGonigle pouncing on Will Fitzgerald’s through ball on 52 minutes to slot past Peter Cherrie for his fourth goal in his last three matches to clinch a first win for Derry at Oriel Park in 14 attempts - a run stretching back over eight years to April 2013.
The Candystripes must still hope that St Patrick’s Athletic beat Bohemians in the FAI Cup final on Sunday week to ensure they’re competing in the Europa Conference League next season but their fourth placed finish is nevertheless impressive given they were bottom when Higgins took charge in April.
Dundalk: Cherrie; Jurkovskis, Cleary, Boyle, Leahy; Ben Amar (Kelly 53), Dummigan (Animasahun 90), Stanton, Murray (Hanratty 90); McMillan (O'Kane 68), Hoban.
Derry City: Gartside; Boyce, Cole, McJannett, Coll; Harkin, Thomson, Lafferty; Fitzgerald (Malone 81), McGonigle (Hery 88), Akintunde.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
Sligo Rovers 1 Bohemians 1
Georgie Kelly marked his return from injury with a goal, but it wasn’t enough to keep Bohemians in fourth spot on the final night.
Kelly flicked the ball to the net with his first touch just a minute after coming on, but Johnny Kenny’s first half strike for hosts Sligo Rovers meant Bohs were held to a draw and were overtaken by Derry City.
Keith Long’s side will now need to win the FAI Cup final against St Pat’s to secure European football for next season.
Kenny was presented with Rovers’ young player of the year award, and the fans’ player of the year award before the game, and took just 16 minutes to show why.
He took control of possession on the left before stepping inside Ciarán Kelly and smashing an unstoppable shot past James Talbot from the edge of the area.
Ten minutes later he was on the attack again, hitting the crossbar from a superbly instinctive effort on the right.
But Bohs were the better team in the second half, with Ross Tierney hammering an effort off the woodwork.
Kelly converted Stephen Mallon’s cross with 12 minutes left to level it, but Bohs couldn’t get the winner.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Banks, Mahon, Blaney, McCourt, Bolger (Morahan 70), McDonnell, Byrne (Horgan 65), deVries (Figueira 75), Wright, Kenny (Keogh 65).
Bohemians: Talbot, Wilson (G Kelly 77), Cornwall (Feely 88), C Kelly, Breslin, Devoy, Levingston (Mallon 57), Burt, Ward (Buckley 57), Tierney, Omochere.
Referee: G Kelly.
