Nathan Boyle grabbed an 18th minute goal for Derry City
DERRY City weren’t firing on all cylinders this evening but they did enough to see off a spirited Wexford Youths.
The Candy Stripes secured three points on their return to league action after the mid-season break but they could have easily have lost the game.
A Nathan Boyle strike on 18 minutes was enough to separate the sides at the end of the game.
Wexford had a superb chance to break the deadlock on 17 minutes but Andy Mulligan’s left-footed strike was saved by Derry shot stopper Gerard Doherty.
A minute later that missed chance came back to haunt the visitors as Derry took the lead.
Dean Jarvis’s long ball wasn’t dealt with by either centre-back Ryan Delaney or goalkeeper Graham Doyle and the alert Boyle was on hand to turn the ball into the empty net.
Youths had another chance to score on 25 minutes but striker Danny Furlong headed wide when well placed inside the box.
Doherty was called into action again on 37 minutes when the Derry goalkeeper had to be at full stretch to turn away Conor O’Keefe’s piledriver.
Soon after, Paul Murphy’s pass released Furlong but, with only Doherty to beat, the striker blasted wide from just inside the box.
City should have increased their lead on 47 minutes but the usually reliable Barry McNamee side-footed over from close range.
On 72 minutes, Doherty had to make an outstanding save to keep out Chris Kenny’s header after Derry failed to deal with Craig McCabe’s long throw-in.
Moments later, another ball into the City box caused problems and this time Gary Delaney’s header was chested off the line by Joshua Daniels.
The woodwork came to Youths’ rescue on 79 minutes when Aaron McEneff’s 25 yard shot, which had Doyle beaten, clipped the top of the bar.
Derry City: Doherty, Vemmelund, McBride, Barry, Jarvis; McEneff, McNamee, Ward (Holden H-T); Boyle (McDermott 65), Patterson (Allan 80), Daniels.
Wexford Youths: Doyle, McCabe, R Delaney, G Delaney, Mulligan (Whittle 77), Furlong, Molloy, Kenny (Dunne 77), O’Keefe (Peare 88), Bonner, Murphy.
Referee: Tim Marshall (Irvinestown).
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