Derry leave no room for doubt

LEAGUE OF IRELAND:IN FRONT of fans a few weeks back who had had their reserves of optimism refuelled over the close season, St Patrick's Athletic took just 52 minutes to fall 3-0 behind to Galway United. They've won at home since but after Friday's late defeat out in Bray, the sense of dismay was unmistakable at Richmond Park last night as Jeff Kenna's men matched their opening-night surrender in what seemed like double-quick time.

In fact, they were three down seven minutes before the break this time with a mixture of hapless ball retention and hopeless defending handing victory to their visitors on a plate.

To be fair, City looked decent at times but they never had to raise themselves much above that to emerge comfortable winners.

The Dubliners lacked conviction in almost every area during the first hour with a little firmness in the challenge enough to see City players winning possession more often than not.

During the early part of the second half they might even have extended their lead but Stephen Gray’s dismissal 70 minutes in for a second bookable offence prompted more caution for a spell with the northerners drawing back for a while with the intention of holding what they had.

The locals then pressed for even a consolation goal but without any success. Against 10 men they reorganised in order to get more men forward but still looked rather toothless. As the game entered its closing stages a break by Stuart Byrne from midfield, which forced Ger Doherty to save well at his feet, was as close as the hosts had come to getting themselves on the scoresheet.

City, on the other hand, made scoring look simple. Stephen Kenny’s men were already comfortably the division’s top scorers before last night’s round of games but few of their previous 10 can have been as straightforward as the three that gave them their half-time lead here.

Ciaran Martyn set up the first just nine minutes in with a short ball to the near post for Thomas Stewart, who shook off his marker all too easily before clipping the ball past the helpless Gary Rogers.

Before conceding a second, the hosts did briefly threaten to level things up but once Dave Partridge’s close-range effort had been cleared off the line by Barry Molloy, the attention shifted back to the other end.

After 34 minutes Stewart and Molloy were both involved in getting the ball to Gareth McGlynn 20 yards out from where the midfielder drove the ball rather sweetly to the bottom right corner.

Within five minutes, any chance of a comeback had been killed off with Martyn this time the scorer by way of a glancing header after he had drifted, almost unnoticed it seemed into the box to turn home Ger O’Brien’s cross.

At that stage things only seemed likely to get worse for the home side who looked disorganised and terribly ineffective at the back. Shortly after the break, Rogers too had to dive bravely at the feet of an opponent when Sammy Morrow was sent racing clear.

But the sending-off then shifted the balance of the game, at least for a spell.

As their opponents pushed forward in the hope of giving their supporters something to cheer about, City again began to venture forward themselves and Liam Kearney’s low drive forced a decent save.

Late on, Mark Quigley returned fire, shooting narrowly over from distance but the hosts ultimately proved incapable of reducing the deficit and their fans made their frustration known as the final whistle sounded.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Rogers; Lynch, Gavin, Harris, Partridge; Moran (Haran, 60 mins), Byrne, Lester, Ryan (Cawley, half-time); Fitzpatrick, Quigley.

DERRY CITY:Doherty; O'Brien, Hutton (Delaney, half-time), McChrystal, Gray; McGlynn, Molloy, Martyn, Kearney; Morrow (McClean, 75 mins), Stewart (Farren, 84 mins).

Referee:A Buttimer (Cork).