Galway 0 Derry City 3:WITH A PERFORMANCE that was solid as it was stylish Derry City confirmed the suspicion that they possess the necessary guile to make a bold bid for Premier League honours last night at Terryland Park.
Deprived the services of several regulars, Galway United went tantalisingly close to pinching a third-minute lead when a Dave Cooke shot deceived Derry custodian Ger Doherty before it rebounded off the timber.
Having survived that anxious moment Derry proceeded to afford a young Galway outfit a footballing lesson and ought to have bagged a goal long before Sammy Morrow’s 35th-minute opener. Kevin Deery and Mark Farren crafted the opportunity for Morrow, who terminated his nine-month search for a league goal with a crisp, close-range finish.
That was precisely what Morrow managed from a 51st-minute penalty conversion too after Cooke was deemed to have handled Gareth McGlynn’s cross as Derry continued to control the game.
A third Derry goal was pocketed in the 64th minute with McGlynn’s assist ruthlessly stroked home by substitute David Scullion.
GALWAY UNITED: Ryan; Conneely, McKenna, Guthrie, Davoren; Cooke, McBrien, McGrath, O’Brien; O’Shea, Faherty (Molloy, 64).
DERRY CITY: Doherty; McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, Gray; McGlynn, Higgins (Molloy, 53, Martyn, 78), Deery, Kearney (Scullion, 47); Morrow, Farren.
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
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