UCD 1 Derry City 3

Inspired by two first-half goals in the space of a minute from striker Rory Patterson, Derry City moved into third place in the Premier Division with a comfortable victory over UCD at the Belfield Bowl last night.

College had an early chance on 18 minutes when midfielder Craig Walsh fired wide from an angle on the right.

Ruaidhri Higgins had an opportunity to open Derry’s account but he headed wide at the far post after a corner by Paddy Kavanagh.

Derry took control of the game with two goals in a minute from Patterson. On 34 minutes minutes the striker latched onto a pass from midfield by Michael Duffy to sweep the pall past UCD goalkeeper Mark McGinley.

And just seconds later, Patterson was on target again when volleying home a shot from 16 yards after Kavanagh had created the opening on the right.

UCD went close to pulling a goal back in first-half additional time when a free by Sean Russell on the right was powerfully head goalwards by Creevy only for Derry goalkeeper Ger Doherty to go full length to save.

College got on the scoresheet on 53 minutes when Russell’s pass from the left allowed substitute Samir Belhout to cut in from the right past Eoghan Osborne and fire a low angled shot past Doherty from 12 yards.

Cillian Morrison nearly had the sides level when he slipped past two defenders only to see his parting effort pushed round the post by Doherty.

Derry grabbing a third goal on the hour when Simon Madden's cross from the right was fired home from ten yards by winger Duffy.

UCD: McGinley; Douglas (Boyle 66), Leahy, O'Connor, Matthews; Morrison, Kelly (Belhout 45), Creevy (McCabe 69), Walsh, Russell; Clarke.
DERRY CITY: Doherty; Madden, S.McEleney, McBride, Osborne; Kavanagh, Higgins, P.McEleney, Duffy (McNamee 88); McDaid (Houston 74), Patterson.
Referee : Neil Doyle (Dublin).