Derry City 0
Shamrock Rovers 1


Roddy Collins was again the target of the Brandywell boo-boys following this defeat. The manager fielded a very youthful Derry City side against Shamrock Rovers.

With key players such as Rory Patterson and Patrick McEleney ruled out, Collins kept faith with the youth players who recorded a 1-0 victory at Sligo Rovers in the EA Sports Cup, but they failed to live up to that performance.

However, Derry did manage to create two glorious scoring chances during the early stages but both Enda Curran and Barry McNamee failed to hit the target when well placed.

But with Gary McCabe putting in a lively performance, Trevor Croly's side began to control this affair and it was the winger with Karl Sheppard going close before McCabe broke the deadlock with a superb strike.

Possession
Gaining possession in the centre of the park, McCabe strode forward and let fly from 30 yards, the ball appearing to bounce under the body of Derry goalkeeper Ger Doherty.

Try as they did to put the game to bed, Rovers struggled to get a second strike despite owning the ball for long spells.

Derry’s Barry Molloy was forced to clear the ball off his goal-line as the Tallaght-based outfit continued to push on and, indeed, cruised through the second half.

Highlighting Rovers’ dominance in the second half was the fact that Derry’s only scoring opportunity after the half-time break centred on a Ryan McBride header which sailing over the crossbar in the 79th minute.

DERRY CITY: Doherty; Collins, Byrne, McBride, Barry; Burke, Molloy, T McNamee, B McNamee (Stewart, 72); Boyle (R Curran, 76), E Curran (Duffy, 65).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Madden, Kenna, McGuinness, Byrne; McCabe, Robinson, McPhail (Brennan, 83), Waters; Sheppard, Kilduff.
Referee: T Connolly (Dublin).