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McEleney (left) bagged two for Derry. Lorcan Doherty
LOI

Seagulls all at sea as Derry put five past them

Patrick McEleney scored twice as Derry recorded a comprehensive win over Bray Wanderers.

Derry City 5-0 Bray Wanderers 

DERRY CITY WARMED up for Thursday night’s Europa League second round qualifier against Shaktyor Soligorsk with a five star demolition of Bray Wanderers at Brandywell.

The Candystripes’ in-form playmaker, Patrick McEleney netted two spectacular strikes to get the home side up and running in the first half. And Rory Patterson got in on the act with a brace of goals in the second half to take his tally to 11 goals in all competitions this season and his 50th goal for the club.

Derry City debutante, Stephen Dooley then completed the rout for Peter Hutton’s troops with goal in the final minute of what was a one-sided affair on Foyleside.

It was a bright opening to the match with both sides creating chances; Patterson dragging his shot from the edge of the area harmlessly wide while Ismahil Akinade blasted his effort just wide of the upright.

But it was a special strike which broke the deadlock on 11 minutes as McEleney rifled his shot into the top corner of the Bray net from 30 yards – a goal good enough to grace the World Cup Final.

That was his fifth goal of the season in all competitions and it ranked right up alongside those memorable strikes at Bohemians and Athlone Town earlier this season.

McEleney put daylight put daylight between the sides on 32 minutes when he controlled Patterson’s outstanding cross-field ball from the halfway line, before delicately lobbing the Bray keeper with his next touch. It was an excellent finish but it the goal was all about Patterson’s superb pass on the volley.

Just before the interval Patterson tested the goalkeeper with a well struck free-kick from right on the edge of the penalty area but Bray keeper, Stephen McGuinness parried it clear.

Deficit

Bray probably should have reduced the deficit 10 minutes after the break Jake Kelly drilled his cross into the Derry penalty area and when the ball broke to Shane O’Neill eight yards from goal, he put his shot over the bar.

One minute later and McEleney missed a glorious opportunity to complete his hat-trick when he got onto the end of Patterson’s slide-rule pass six yards from goal but his tame side-footed effort was saved by McGuinness before it was put behind for a corner.

Kelly send a curling free-kick into the side netting for Bray on the hour mark as the visitors continued to press forward. However, their hopes of a comeback were over on 62 minutes when Michael Duffy burst through the Bray defence, laid it off to McEleney who found Patterson unmarked at the back post. And the striker was gifted the easiest of tap-ins for his fourth goal in two successive games.

Patterson netted his second of the afternoon on 72 minutes when striking the ball into the net on the half volley from a corner kick for his 11th goal of the season.
Dooley tehn netted the game’s final goal in the final minute as he got on to the end of Philip Lowry’s deflected shot and drilled into the bottom corner to complete the rout.

DERRY CITY: G. Doherty; D. Jarvis (P. Lowry 50), S. McEleney, A. Barry, D. Ventre; M. Duffy (J. Tracey 72), B. Molloy, B. McNamee, M. Timlin (S. Dooley 72), P. McEleney; R. Patterson; Subs Not Used – S. Dunlop, R. Curran, N. Boyle, T. McNamee.

BRAY WANDERERS: S. McGuinness, N. Cooney, D. Cassidy, S. O’Neill (G. McDonagh 65), G. Kelly, G. Curran (R. Coombes 65), D. Scully, D. Zambra, S. O’Connor, J. Kelly, I. Akinade; Subs Not Used – S. Redmond, S. Hurley, M. Brown, C. Byrne.

Referee – Paul Tuite (Dublin)

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