St Patrick's find their rhythm

St Patrick's Athletic 4 Derry City 1Derry City's early season struggles continued last night in Inchicore where Kevin Mahon's side were overrun by a home side whose three second-half goals ensured a first, and surprisingly comfortable, win of the season.

There had been little to separate the two teams in the first half in which both sides found it relatively straightforward to carve scoring chances but neither could actually put them away.

Derry's opener from the spot-kick came courtesy of John Paul McBride in the 26th minute after the midfielder had initially failed to take full advantage of a fine cross field ball by Gary Beckett. Having taken an age to line up a shot and then opted to cut back on to his right foot, McBride was rather fortunate to have his feet taken under from him by the home side's left back, but there was little disputing Hugh Whoriskey's decision to penalise the defender.

It should been Derry's second after Barry Prenderville had been fortunate to escape being punished for being caught in possession by no fewer than three opponents inside his own box early on while Beckett, moments after the goal, should have doubled the lead when he failed hopelessly to control a long, high ball that had sent him clear inside the home side's area.

It was far from one-sided stuff, though, and Jimmi Lee Jones, a lively performer for the Dubliners up front on his debut, went close on a couple of occasions during the opening half hour to either grabbing a goal himself or setting one up for those around him.

Despite the couple of chances it looked as if Kevin Mahon's men would take their lead into the break but almost on the stroke of half-time Paul Osam produced with the equaliser, a close range header at the far post after one of the home team's other strong performers, Keith Fahy, had picked his skipper out with a sweetly struck free from some 40 yards.

The visitors' prospects of taking their first point of their campaign diminished further 12 minutes into the second period when Prenderville drove past Andy Petterson from the right of the box.

Charles Mbabazi pretty much put the outcome beyond question when the Ugandan calmly finished from 10 yards after Fahy had again done well with the cross.

Jones made it four 11 minutes from time when he sprang a hopelessly mistimed offside trap before slipping the ball into the bottom right corner.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderille, Foley, Maguire, El Khebir (Marney, 81 mins); Fahy, Donnelly, Osam, Mbabazi; Bird (McGuinness, 88 mins), Jones (Harris, 85 mins).

DERRY CITY: Petterson; Deery (Friars, 68 mins), McChrystal, McLaughlin, E McCallion; McBride (McGlynn, 73 mins), Hutton, Doherty, Hargan; Beckett, Moran (Martyn, 86 mins).

Referee: H Whoriskey (Meath).