Derry City 1
Shamrock Rovers 3
Simons Collins reports from The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium
AARON GREENE BAGGED a six-minute brace at the Brandywell as Shamrock Rovers issued a statement victory over title rivals Derry City in front of the RTÉ cameras.
The Dubliners showed their class and exactly why they’re four-in-a-row champions with three quickfire goals in the space of 13 minutes.
Greene twice got in behind the Derry defence at the start of the second half and finished clinically past Brian Maher – the second goal of real class as he lobbed it over the head of the City keeper.
The contest was over on 69 minutes when Rovers pounced again as Richie Towell slotted home at the back post as the Dubliners leapfrogged City into third spot, just three points behind leaders Shelbourne.
It was a disastrous night for Ruaidhri Higgins’ troops who slipped into fourth after one win in six.
The Derry fans left in their droves 10 minutes from the end as their team conceded three goals at home for the first time since a 4-2 loss to Rovers back in July 2021.
The Brandywell club have conceded 13 goals in their opening 11 matches with just Dundalk and Drogheda conceding more – an alarming statistic for Higgins who must pick his team up for the visit of St Pat’s to Foyleside on Monday night.
As for Rovers, they could potentially go top on Monday when they meet Shels at Tolka Park.
Derry did have their chances in the opening half with Danny Mullen striking the post and Paul McMullan forcing a decent save from Leon Pohls.
However, Rovers did what they do best in the second half with a clinical display.
The match was marred in the end by crowd disturbances sparked by a flare which was thrown over the perminator wall onto the pitch.
Rovers fans were forced to gather in the centre circle after the match until it was safe to leave the ground.
Duffy had the first sighter on goal three minutes in when he came in off the left flank and his right footed strike was parried behind for a corner by Pohls.
Gary O’Neill tried his luck moments later from 25 yards as the City defence invited him to shoot and his low effort was saved comfortably by Maher.
It was end-to-end and after a quick break the ball was worked to McMullan inside the Rovers penalty area but the Scotsman couldn’t direct his side-footed effort on target.
Mullen had the ball in the back of the net with a clinical first-time finish when Doherty found his run in behind the Rovers defence with a well-timed pass but the assistant referee raised his flag for offside and the celebrations were cut short.
Derry got off the hook on 20 minutes when Aaron Greene was played onside by Doherty but the striker was denied at the near post by a brilliant one-handed save from Maher.
The Rovers striker kept the move alive and sent it across the face of goal where Towell’s shot was turned around the post by Doherty who made amends for his error.
O’Reilly did brilliantly to overturn possession in midfield before finding Duffy in support on his left and the winger’s curling effort was turned behind at full stretch by the fingertips of Pohl on 33 minutes.
Duffy picked the pocket of Dan Cleary and crossed towards Mullen in the six yard box. The ball was headed away by Lopes but only to McMullan whose first time shot on the half volley was saved by Pohls.
Five minutes before the break Mullen made himself a yard on the edge of the penalty area before curling a left-footed strike off the inside of the post and it bounced across the face of goal with Pohls beaten.
Derry could so easily have been in front at the break despite Rovers’ dominance on the ball but the teams went in level.
Six minutes after the break Mullen was again in the thick of the action as he swivelled on the edge of the Rovers box but with Duffy in support on his left, the striker opted to shoot and his effort went high over the bar.
Derry had started brightly and when Mullen slipped Boyce into space with a neat pass into the box, the right back fired low towards the near post forcing a save from the feet of Pohls.
At the other end Greene was gifted possession inside the Derry penalty area and his powerful strike from an angle was parried behind at the near post by Maher.
Moments later Rovers were in front as Greene got in behind his man and slotted clinically into the far corner of the net past Maher.
It was the sixth time in 11 games Derry conceded the first goal and six minutes later Rovers doubled their advantage.
Watts again was the architect with a beautifully timed ball over the top, chased down by Greene who applied a lovely lobbed finish over the head of Maher.
Rovers were running riot and added a third to kill off their hosts on 69 minutes after a quickfire attack which began on the left wing.
Greene played it inside to Graham Burke who was in acres of space and picked out the run of Towell who slotted into the net from close range.
Derry fans were leaving the stadium in their droves with 10 minutes to go.
The Candystripes did manage a consolation striker as substitute Hoban turned Daniel Kelly’s cross into the net at the back post on 87 minutes.
The game was interrupted in the dying moments when a flare was thrown over the perimeter wall at the Lone Moor Road end of the ground and set fire to a section of the pitch.
When the flare was eventually removed the final whistle went on a miserable night for the hosts but Rovers are back, just three points off the top with a game in hand.
Derry City: Maher; Boyce, Connolly, S. McEleney (Kelly 65), McJannet, Doherty; McMullan, O’Reilly, Patching, Duffy (Hoban 65); Mullen; Subs Not Used – Ryan, Coll, Harkin, Todd, McGinty, Patton, Barr.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Honohan, Lopes, Cleary (Barrett 81), Watts, Green (Gaffney 72) Burke (Kenny 72), O’Neill (Clarke 60), Towell, Poom, Burns (Nugent 73); Subs Not Used – Stacey, Leitis, Kavanagh, Noonan.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.