Derry City 1 Shamrock R 0:DERRY CITY blew the race for the Premier Division title wide open with this thriller at the Brandywell last night. It was a tale of two goalkeepers. Shamrock Rovers' Alan Mannus was credited with a howler in the 53rd minute following a Danny Lafferty free-kick, while his opposite number, Gerard Doherty, produced a series of top-class stops in the second half.
In the end Derry deserved their victory as Rovers only sparked into action after Derry had broken the deadlock.
With Reading boss Brian McDermott and his director of football, Nick Hammond, interested spectators on Foyleside, Derry had quality chances in the first half, but Stephen McLaughlin and Eamon Zayed failed to take advantage.
Doherty, meanwhile, signalled his intent with an excellent block on Gary Twigg in the 28th minute.
But the best chance of the opening period was created by the home side. In the 38th minute, following a catalogue of errors in the Rovers defence, Zayed drove a shot straight at Mannus one-on-one.
And while Patrick McEleney latched onto the loose ball, his pass into the danger area was poked clear by back-tracking Rovers skipper Stephen Rice.
Rovers defender Clive Sives headed the ball clear of his goal as Derry finished the half strongly, with Mannus doing well to produce a quality stop when denying Patrick McEleney.
The home side maintained the momentum after the break and got the goal their play deserved in the 53rd minute. Lafferty’s free-kick, 30 yards from goal, appeared to bounce off the ground before striking the hand of Mannus who spilled the ball into his net.
Dean Kelly came on five minutes later and was denied by Doherty, with the visitors claiming the ball had crossed the line. They seemed to have a strong case but the ref waved their appeals away.
Rovers stepped up a gear and went close to restoring equality in the 74th minute when a Twigg shot on the turn was superbly turned away from his goal by Doherty again. But Derry hit back with McLaughlin working his way forward before a James McClean effort was superbly parried by Mannus. Doherty produced the goods again when brilliantly pushing Billy Dennehy’s freekick onto the crossbar.
And the goalkeeper then made matters safe with a magnificent parry in the dying moments to deny Twigg.
DERRY CITY: Doherty; S McEleney, McBride, Greacen, Lafferty; P McEleney (Harkin, 72 mins), Higgins, Molloy, McClean; McLaughlin, Zayed.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Sives, Oman, Stevens; McCabe (Kelly, 58 mins), Finn, Rice (Turner, 58 mins), Dennehy; Twigg, Kilduff (O’Donnell, 72 mins).
Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).
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