Derrry City went down 4-0 losers to Dundalk at the Brandywell on Friday night. Pic by Derrycityfc.net
Tonight his team went down 4-0 to Dundalk (kick off 7.45 pm\) at the Brandywell and now lie fifth in the league, equal on points with Shamrock Rovers but with a worse goal difference.
The Lilywhites hit the ground running after Robbie Benson’s opening goal which helped to consolidate their second position in the league, with just one point behind Cork City.
Having produced a man of the match display in the same fixture earlier in the season, Dundalk’s Michael Duffy went close to breaking the deadlock on five minutes but his curling effort whistled just wide.
Derry slowly began to get into the game and they went close on 24 minutes as Aaron McEneff’s long range strike was tipped away by a fully stretched Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers.
Neither side had the upper hand in the opening half but it was the visitors who took the lead on 41 minutes as Robbie Benson’s tame strike was somehow fumbled into the net by City keeper Gerard Doherty.
Dundalk who started the second half on the front foot grabbed a second on 62 minutes.
Some neat passing ended with Michael Duffy’s run and cross down the left find Patrick Hoban, but the big striker’s close range header rattled the crossbar and Dylan Connolly was quickest to react and fired home the loose ball.
Ten minutes later another tremendous passing move by the Oriel Park men ended with a clever pass by Dane Massey found Duffy, who broke the offside trap, but with only Doherty to beat, the ex-Celtic starlet blasted over.
Dundalk did add a third on 74 minutes as that man Hoban continued his impressive goal-scoring run, turning the ball home from close range after Jamie McGrath’s shot had fallen to the striker.
Stephen Kenny’s side continued to run riot as they netted a fourth on 83 minutes as substitute Krisztian Adorjan played in Duffy and the talented winger made no mistake firing home with his weaker left foot, giving Doherty no chance.
In the closing stages Ronan Hale saw his right wing cross find his brother Rory, but his bullet header was superbly tipped away by Rogers.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty, Jamie McDonagh, Eoin Toal, Conor McDermott, Jack Doyle; Darren Cole, Rory Hale, Aaron McEneff; Rory Hale, Rory Patterson (Cathal Farren 69), Ronan Hale.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers, Sean Hoare, Brian Gartland, Daniel Cleary, Dane Massey; Dylan Connolly (Krisztian Adorjan 80); Chris Shields (Sean Gannon 75), Robbie Benson, Michael Duffy; Jamie McGrath (Ronan Murray 83), Patrick Hoban.
Referee: Mr Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).
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