Soccer

LOI round-up: Derry get back to winning ways

Meanwhile, Bray were held by St Pat’s while there was late drama in Drogheda

Derry’s Joshua Daniels battles with Bohemian’s Lorcan Fitzgerald for the ball. Photo: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho

Fri May 5 2017 - 22:04

Derry City 2 Bohemians 0

Goals on either side of half time saw Derry City get back to winning ways in Buncrana.

The victory moves the Candystripes into fourth spot in the Premier Division table, with a trip to Galway on Monday for their game in hand.

In truth Bohs struggled and rarely troubled Derry custodian, Ger Doherty, throughout the proceedings.

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Derry moved into the driving seat in the 31st minute when an Aaron McEneff free-kick was met by centre-back, Dean Jarvis, who headed the ball home to bring the home attendance to life.

Following the change of ends, Kenny Shiels’ side bossed the ball and, having squandered two chances to put the game to bed through Conor McDermott and Nathan Boyle, the second goal did finally arrive in the 69th minute from the penalty spot.

Having been booked minutes earlier, Bohs centre-back, Dan Byrne, put in a rash tackle on Ben Doherty, the Derry full-back falling just inside the penalty.

Up stepped McEneff who successfully drove the ball low into the corner, turned away to celebrate but referee, Rob Harvey, ordered the spotkick to be re-taken due to encroachment into the area.

McEneff dusted himself down and, on the second occasion, he drove the ball down the middle giving Shane Supple no chance.

DERRY CITY: G. Doherty; McDermott, Barry, Jarvis, B. Doherty; Daniels, Monaghan (Holden, 88), McEneff, Curtis; McNamee, Boyle.

BOHEMIANS: Supple; Hayes, Cornwall, Byrne, Fitzgerald; Kavanagh, Morris, Brennan, Doyle ( Sule, 75); Poyton (Casey 75) ; Simon.

Referee: R. Harvey (Dublin).

Bray Wanderers 1 St Patrick’s Athletic 1

Kurtis Byrne scored a sublime second half equaliser as St Patrick’s frustrated Bray, who finished with 10 men, at the Carlisle Grounds.

The draw was enough to lift Bray up to second place in the Premier Division table as St Pat’s remain in the bottom three.

Dominant from the start, Bray deservedly took the lead on 24 minutes.

Dylan Connolly headed wide from Aaron Greene’s cross before Ryan Brennan should have done better than slice wide after he was put through by Gary McCabe’s clever flick.

But midfielder Brennan made no mistake when heading a cross from Keith Buckley into the net after St Pat’s failed to properly clear Greene’s free kick.

Scarcely in it in the first half, St Pat’s were back in the game 51 seconds into the second with a stunning goal as Byrne found the top corner with a sublime 20-yard shot.

Greene then missed a sitter from Connolly’s cross as Bray blew a chance to regain the lead four minutes later.

But St Pat’s were a revitalised side since equalising and might have won it on 90 minutes but for Buckley taking the ball off substitute Billy Dennehy’s toe from Byrne’s cross.

Bray had left-back Jason Marks sent off for a second booking in stoppage time.

BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Buckley, Kenna, Clancy, Marks; Salmon, Sullivan; Brennan (Flood, 74), McCabe, Connolly; Greene.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: O'Malley; Barker, Feely, Desmond, Bermingham; Verdon, Cregg; C. Byrne (A. O'Hanlon, 84), Markey (Kelly, 88), K. Byrne; Fagan (B. Dennehy, 73).

Referee: Ben Connolly (Dublin).

Drogheda United 2 Galway United 2

Late, late drama saw Drogheda United and Galway share the spoils as Jesse Devers 90th minute strike cancelled out what appeared to have been a late winner for Drogheda.

Drogheda opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Wixted hit a sublime shot from 25 yards out which nestled into the bottom corner of Connor Winn’s goal.

Galway had their chances to level as Ronan Murray continued to threaten Stephen McGuinness’ goal.

Right at the start of the second-half Galway won a corner. Kevin Devaney whipped in the ball and Lee Grace rose highest to head down only for Stephen Folan to block the ball on the line.

It wasn’t until midway through the second-half when the eventual equaliser came. Padraic Cunningham, newly introduced, shot low from outside the box to level.

Drogheda though seemed to have snatched a winner when on 90 minutes Sean Brennan squared to Wixted who fired into an empty net.

From the re-start though Galway pumped the ball into the box and Devers turned it in at the back post.

DROGHEDA UNITED: McGuinness; Elworthy, Gallagher, McGuigan, Kane; Gavin Brennan, Wixted, Purdy, Hyland; Elliot (Sean Brennan 73) Griffin (McCaffrey 73).

GALWAY UNITED: Winn, Horgan, Grace, Folan, Ludden; Shanahan (Melody 68), Holohan, Cawley, Devaney, Faherty (Cunningham 68), Murray (Devers 88).

Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary).

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