Derry City come out on top as Bohs’ struggles continue

Rory Patterson was the difference as the Candystripes ran out winners at Dalymount

Bohemians 0 Derry City 1

Rory Patterson proved Derry City’s match winner once again as they snatched three precious points from Dalymount Park.

Striker Patterson’s early goal was sufficient to move Kenny Shiels’ side to within three points of second placed Cork City to maintain their challenge for Europe.

Bohemians carved the first chance in bringing a sluggish game to life on nine minutes, only for Derry to take the lead seconds later.

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Gypsies’ striker Ismahil Aquinas’s out-muscled Derry defender Niclas Vemmelund, though just couldn’t lift the ball over keeper Ger Doherty who easily gathered.

Within a minute Derry had what proved their winner with a superbly contrived goal.

Josh Daniels linked with Aaron McEneff on the left to feed the ball into the area for the run of midfield partner Conor Cormack. He squared it to Patterson’s to scoop the ball over Shane Supple for his ninth league strike of the season.

Bohs responded with a decent passage of possession culminating with Doherty making the save of the half on 28 minutes, the visiting skipper tipping over Eoin Wearen’s crisp drive from distance.

Jake Kelly thought he’d levelled for Bohns 11 minutes into the second half, but his effort from Paddy Kavanagh’s cross was offside.

Substitute Mark Quigley flashed a header off target from another Kavanagh delivery on 63 minutes as Bohs pressed for the equaliser.

And they really should have been level on 72 minutes. Quigley nipped in behind onto Vemmelund’s weak back header. Doherty got his central defender out of jail with a finger-tip save to Quigley’s attempted flick over him.

Another chance of an equaliser was then wasted deep in stoppage time when Ian Morris toed wide from Kurtis Byrne’s pullback.

Bohemians: Supple; Pender, D. Byrne, Mulcahy, Morris; Wearen (K. Byrne, 74), Lopes; Kavanagh (Chindea, 90), Kelly (Quigley, 57), Ben Mohamed; Akinade.

Derry City: Doherty; McDermott, Vemmelund, Barry, Jarvis; McEneff, McCormack; Schubert (Monaghan, 81), McNamee, Daniels (Boyle, 74); Patterson (Allan, 90+1).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).