Derry City 3
Bray Wanderers 1
DERRY CITY CARETAKER boss Paul Hegarty appears to be steering the Candystripes ever nearer to Premier Division safety after a crucial victory over Bray Wanderers which takes them into sixth spot.
Bray were clearly feeling the effects from their FAI Cup semi-final defeat to Cork City last weekend as Derry flew out of the blocks and into a two-goal lead after just 10 minutes.
City’s top goalscorer Mark Timlin netted a fine strike on four minutes to take his season’s tally to 11 goals and Dean Jarvis headed Derry into a comfortable lead six minutes later.
Bray hit back after the break when Graham Kelly took advantage of Ben McLaughlin’s loose pass and slotted past Doherty. And just as Bray seemed to be finding a way back into the game, Patrick McEleney lit up the Brandywell with a sublime strike from 25 yards to restore Derry’s two-goal advantage.
Bray’s FAI Cup exertions appeared to be catching up with them as a rejuvenated Derry began brightly and Ciaran O’Connor probably should have done better after 50 seconds when he got on to the end of Stephen Dooley’s cross, but his cushioned header was gathered cleanly by Peter Cherrie.
One minute later, Timlin was played through on goal by McEleney but his low strike was closed down by the retreating Niall Cooney.
The Candystripes finally broke the deadlock on four minutes when Barry McNamee found Timlin on the edge of the penalty area and he curled his left-footed shot sweetly into the far corner of the net.
There was no let-up from City and the Seagulls looked all at sea when, from Dooley’s corner kick, Jarvis nipped in at the front post and stooped to head past the helpless Cherrie — his second goal in three games.
Bray were not to be disheartened and Gerard Doherty needed to be alert to turn Kelly’s shot from distance around the post on the half-hour mark. However, O’Connor should have done better when he was put clean through on goal by Timlin but he delayed his shot and Cherrie made the save on 39 minutes.
It was an unconvincing start to the second-half form both teams but Bray took full advantage of a loose pass from Ben McLaughlin deep inside his own half and Graham Kelly ran through on goal before calmly slotting past Doherty.
Just as Bray began to get a foothold on the game, McEleney produced a moment of brilliance when he curled his right-footed shot into the top corner of the net to restore the home side’s two-goal advantage on 62 minutes.
Bray almost pulled another goal back on 70 minutes when substitute David Scully found himself in behind the Derry defence but his low strike bounced back off the post before the ball was cleared.
In the end, Derry had done enough to see out the game and the win takes them into the top-half of the table with just three games to go.
Derry City: G. Doherty; B McLaughlin, S Sharkey, R Cornwall, D Jarvis; S Dooley (A McEneff, 63), B McNamee, C McCormack, M Timlin; P McEleney (R Curtis, 90), C O’Connor, (M Quigley, 59).
Bray Wanderers: P Cherrie; H Douglas, A McNally, N Cooney, M Barker; A Hanlon (E Onwubiko, 78), J Sullivan, R McEvoy, D Cassidy, G Kelly (L Fitzgerald, 66); C Lyons, (D Scully, 66).
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin)
Man-of-the-match: Mark Timlin (Derry City)