Derry City 2
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
DERRY CITY PUT their Brandywell frustrations behind them as Colm Whelan made it two goals in two appearances to secure only a second home win of the season against a disappointing St. Patrick’s Athletic side.
The Derry fans have had to be patient with the former UCD forward as he recovered from an ACL injury but Whelan has been worth the wait.
It took the striker only four minutes of his debut against Cork last week to open his Derry account and he followed that up by heading the Candystripes second against Tim Clancy’s men, 18 minutes after coming off the bench.
It was little more than Ruaidhri Higgins’ team deserved, having dominating from the first whistle against a Pat’s side who were on the ropes long before Ryan Graydon’s driving run was ended by Noah Lewis’ outstretched leg inside the Dubliners’ penalty area.
Referee Paul McLaughlin pointed to the spot and, despite Pat’s protestations, Ben Doherty’s rifled home the resultant penalty to relieve any growing frustration and leave Derry in good stead for Monday’s visit of Shamrock Rovers.
The home side dominated had the opening half with the left sided combination of Michael Duffy and Doherty causing all sorts of trouble for the St. Pat’s rearguard. Ironically though it was the Dubliners who fashioned the opening opportunity when defender Noah Lewis rose above a crowded penalty area to glance a corner inches wide of Brian Maher’s far post.
From there though it was one way traffic with Duffy central to every Derry attack. The frustration was chances created were not bring translated to the scoreboard and it kept Pat’s in the game.
There were only 10 minutes on the clock when the Duffy-Doherty partnership superbly freed Ollie O’Neill but his left footed strike from 12 yards struck the base of the post and was scrambled clear.
Duffy then almost turned Cameron McJannet’s wayward header into the opening goal but his 16th minute header was too close to Dean Lyness.
Another excellent Derry move down the left ended with O’Neill teeing up Doherty who really should have done better but his scuffed shot lacked power and was easily gathered by a grateful Lyness.
The chances kept coming for Higgins’ team as Saduo Diallo freed Ryan Graydon, this time down Derry’s right. The winger’s cross perfectly picked out Duffy’s run into the penalty area but the winger misjudged the flight of the ball and sent his volley high and wide.
Two minutes before the break, another Doherty break was the catalyst for Derry’s fourth gilt edged opportunity of the half but it’s fate was the same at he first three. The full-back brilliantly skipped past Jake Mulraney before linking well once more with Duffy but the winger’s shot from an acute angle was cleared at the far post as the half ended scoreless.
The second half began as the first ended with Derry going close as McJannet and Graydon both went close with efforts but still Lyness’ goal remained intact.
Ruaidhri Higgins introduced both Colm Whelan and Jordan McEneff in a bid to break the deadlock but it was Graydon who gabbed the game for Derry, his driving run creating the penalty from which Doherty made no mistake.
Whelan’s fairy-tale home debut secured the points and leaves Derry coming to the boil nicely ahead of Monday’s huge date with Rovers.
Derry City: Brian Maher, Ronan Boyce, Shane McEleney, Cameron McJannet, Ben Doherty; Sadou Diallo (Jordan McEneff, 68), Adam O’Reilly, Oliver O’Neill; Ryan Graydon, Cian Kavanagh (Colm Whelan, 63), Michael Duffy (Ciaran Coll, 84).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Dean Lyness, Noah Lewis, Anthony Breslin, Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester, Eoin Doyle (Tommy Longerman, 75), Mark Doyle (Conor Carty, 86), Jake Mulraney (Serge Atakayi, 83), Carl Axei Sjoberg, Sam Curtis, Thijs Timmermans (Adam Murphy, 75).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).
