Double Preview: Derry City v. St. Patrick’s Athletic, Shamrock Rovers v. Derry City

 Derry City v St. Patrick’s Athletic, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 3, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 1^st March 2024, 7.45pm kick-off

 

Shamrock Rovers v Derry City, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 4, Tallaght Stadium, Monday 4^th March 2024, 7.45pm kick-off

 

The Sligo curse struck again for Derry City as a scoreless draw in the Showgrounds last weekend saw their winless run away to Sligo Rovers extend to five games. The Candystripes haven’t beaten the Bit’O’Red on their own patch since August 2021, but the point they claimed on Saturday was one more than they did in both of their away games to Sligo last campaign. A win and a draw in City’s first two games marks an unbeaten start to the season, but also means that no team in the Premier Division has maintained a 100% record in 2024.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men now face both last season’s champions and FAI Cup winners within the space of four days and there’s already a feeling that points against the top teams will be precious – even this early on in the campaign. St Patrick’s Athletic are up first in the Brandywell on Friday. The Inchicore side have put serious investment into their squad ahead of the 2024 season, but losses against Shamrock Rovers in the President’s Cup, and Bohemians last weekend, have seen their start to the season stutter. Three points in Galway on the opening day, holding out for a 1-0 win with the only goal coming after just three minutes, shows that Pat’s can’t be disrespected though – even if they haven’t got off to the flier that they hoped for.

 

Derry make the journey down to Tallaght on Monday, facing the four-in-a-row champions in what will be a gruelling few days for the City players. Shamrock Rovers haven’t begun 2024 as hoped either though. It seemed like it was business as usual for the Hoops when they cruised to a 3-1 victory over St. Pat’s in the President’s Cup in early February, but one point from their opening two league games seems to have curtailed some of that optimism. Rovers came from behind to draw to a new-look Dundalk side on the opening day before falling to a 2-1 defeat away to Shelbourne. As always with Shamrock Rovers, it would be foolish to write them off. At the start of 2023, Rovers were winless until the seventh game of the season before finishing the campaign top of the table, with a seven point buffer on Derry City in second.

 

Derry City’s defence was solid against Sligo, with Connolly and Todd repelling any Sligo threat down the centre. Boyce and McJannet were good going forward on the flanks, as was Michael Duffy. City just couldn’t get the ball to stick in the final third and will ultimately be happy enough to come up the road with just the one point. The main concern of the evening came in the form of injuries to Patrick McEleney and Cameron Dummigan. McEleney, who started the game after missing the season opener through a groin injury, suffered an unrelated injury and was replaced by Adam O’Reilly after 40 minutes. Dummigan, who missed large parts of 2023 with a serious hamstring injury, landed awkwardly on his ankle after a tackle on the stroke of half-time. The 27 year old was visibly struggling and had to be stretchered off. Hopefully their injuries aren’t serious, as both players suffered injury-hit campaigns in 2023 and will want to get a good run at it in 2024. With Sadou Diallo out for another 6 weeks or so, City are looking light in midfield going into the next few games.

 

Focus: St. Patrick’s Athletic –

In this fixture last season, Derry won twice, St. Pat’s one once and a 1-1 draw was played out in Inchicore in the season opener in February. The battles between these two were interesting to say the least last year. Derry won 2-0 in the Brandywell in April, with goals coming from Colm Whelan and Ben Doherty. Just over a month later, City slumped to a 4-1 defeat in Inchicore, despite having more than 60% of possession. Pat’s progressed against the Candystripes again, beating Derry on penalties in the FAI Cup second round before going on to lift the cup in November. This marked Derry’s second penalty-shootout defeat in the space of a week back in August. The Candystripes got one back on the final day of the season though, winning 3-0 in the Brandywell in what was one of the most impressive performances of the campaign. Brandon Kavanagh, who signed for Pat’s from Derry in the off-season, got on the scoresheet, as did Will Patching and Jordan McEneff. The Inchicore side haven’t won a league game in the Brandywell since October 2019 and haven’t scored in open play in Derry since a 2-1 defeat in March 2022 – Will Patching bagged a 92^nd minute winner that day too.

 

Jon Daly has been very active in the transfer market in the off-season. He has added quality in all areas of the pitch and has built a sizable squad down in Inchicore, but there were some high profile departures from St Pat’s in January. Right-back Sam Curtis, arguably the best prospect in the league, left for Sheffield United and has already been on the bench in the Premier League. Adam Murphy left for Bristol City, Darius Lipsiuc left for Stoke City and Tommy Lonergan’s release clause was triggered by Fleetwood Town. Goalkeeper Dean Lyness joined Hamilton Academicals in Scotland, whilst David Norman and Mark Doyle made the move across the pond to Canada and America respectively.

 

Daly swooped early in the window for Derry City duo Cian Kavanagh and Brandon Kavanagh, paying a fee for the latter. Cork City’s top scorer Ruairi Keating, also on the radar of Derry City, was quite the coup, as was the loan signing of highly-rated Liverpool goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga. Liverpool paid Fluminense a fee in the region of £1m for the Brazilian in 2020. Conor Keeley, who signed from Drogheda United was subject to interest from Notts County, whilst Aaron Bolger made the move from Cork City. Luke Turner joined from Cliftonville to bolster defensive options and former Man City and Barnsley midfielder Romal Palmer was signed on loan from Turkish side Goztepe. Alfie Taylor, Aaron Pettifer and Kieran Freeman joined from Hull City (loan), Bolton Wanderers and Dundee United too. There’s been a lot of change in the St. Pat’s squad, but there’s the potential for serious quality if it clicks.

 

Focus: Shamrock Rovers –

Derry City have only one once in their last eleven away games to Shamrock Rovers and only won four of the last twenty meetings between the sides. City’s 2-1 win in March of last year was the first time since a 2-0 win in August 2017 that the Candystripes triumphed down in Tallaght. Last season, Shamrock Rovers claimed wins in two of the four games between the sides: a 2-0 win in the Brandywell in May and a 1-0 win in Dublin in June. Aside from the aforementioned 2-1 win for Derry in March, the other fixture in the Brandywell ended 1-1 when a late Graham Burke penalty rescued a point for the Hoops. This time out, Derry could do with capitalising on Rovers’ slow start to the campaign if they want to push the Hoops to the wire this year. The Tallaght side host Drogheda United on Friday, a team who they have beaten just twice in eight league meetings since 2022. Drogheda are bottom and pointless this season so far though, so momentum could have a big part to play in these Friday-Monday game-weeks.

 

Shamrock Rovers added quality to their squad in the transfer window too, bringing in tried-and-tested players in their hunt for a fifth league title in a row. Veteran goalkeeper Alan Mannus retired, whilst captain Ronan Finn left for UCD and decorated full back Sean Gannon joined Shelbourne. Simon Power, who saw action mostly from the bench, signed for Sligo Rovers and highly rated youngster Naj Razi joined fellow Irishman Liam Kerrigan at Serie B side Como 1907. Winger Liam Burt was another noticeable departure, albeit on loan to Shelbourne for the season. Josh Honohan was brought in from Cork City to add depth in the full back positions and Trevor Clarke’s loan from Bristol Rovers was made permanent. Former St. Pat’s winger Darragh Burns joined on loan from MK Dons, meanwhile the loan deals of Johnny Kenny and Marcus Poom from Celtic and Flora Tallinn were extended for another year. Former Derry City midfielder Aaron McEneff returned to Shamrock Rovers after stints at Hearts and Perth Glory, as did goalkeeper Lee Steacy, who departed Rovers in 2012 and signed to provide competition for Leon Pohls.

 

It seems very early in the season to be reinforcing how important games like these are, but getting points from a double header against the two teams who Derry will be watching closest in the race for the title could be decisive come November. Pats have high expectations coming into 2024 and Shamrock Rovers still remain the team to beat in the League of Ireland. Two wins and a continuation of their unbeaten run would be ideal, but the City faithful wouldn’t turn their noses up at a draw in Tallaght – especially considering how injury-hit the centre of the park is already. If all goes well for Higgins and his players, two wins this weekend could see the Candystripes in good stead going into the rest of the season.

 

Pól O’Hare – 26^th February 2024

Sligo Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Sligo Rovers v Derry City, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 2, Sligo Showgrounds, Saturday 24^th February 2024

 

Goals from Ronan Boyce and new signing Pat Hoban saw Derry City begin 2024 with a win against Drogheda United last weekend. Only City and St Patrick’s Athletic recorded wins in the Premier Division on the opening day, meaning that the Candystripes sit top of the league going into Saturday’s fixture away to Sligo Rovers. The Bit’O’Red were unlucky to leave Dalymount with just a point last week, as James Clarke’s stoppage time equaliser rescued a point for Bohemians in a two-all draw.

 

It was a Derry City debut to remember for Pat Hoban as he bagged a goal and an assist against Drogheda. His link up play in the front-line gave Ronan Boyce space to open up and curve a left footed strike into the top corner from outside the box just one minute after half-time. A quarter of an hour later and Hoban had opened his own account for the season, reacting fastest inside the box to slot past Andrew Wogan after the Drogs’ keeper palmed a Will Patching strike into the path of the Galwegian forward. The Louth side responded just four minutes later as left-back Evan Weir, who left Drogheda for Walsall in the off-season before returning on loan, whipped a free kick off the crossbar and in. A deflection off the City wall left Brian Maher stranded, but it was certainly an impressive way to pull a goal back for the away side. Maher had a good game himself though, saving three shots including a Ryan Brennan penalty – his first league penalty save since denying Shelbourne’s Shane Farrell in June of last year.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins will hope that the injury sustained by Mark Connolly isn’t too serious. The 32 year old centre back was replaced by Shane McEleney just before the Drogheda goal. It was good to see Cameron Dummigan and Adam O’Reilly return to the squad after niggling injuries, and the twenty or so minutes of action that Dan Kelly saw on his debut looked promising. Ciarán Coll also played the last ten, nearly five years to the day since his Derry City debut back in 2019. The absence of captain Patrick McEleney was the one glaring omission from the matchday squad, but it’s believed that the midfielder’s injury isn’t long-term.

 

Sligo Rovers were getting some criticism in the off-season for not strengthening a squad which had an unimpressive 2023. An eighth place finish saw them survive in the Premier Division, finishing six points above Cork City in the relegation play-off spot. Rovers won just two of their last twelve league games last term, one against UCD and the other which all but ended Derry City’s title hopes in late September. Their performance against Bohemians last week showed positive signs for 2024 though. After going behind just five minutes into the first half, goals from Reece Hutchinson and Fabrice Hartmann had Rovers ahead going into the break. If it wasn’t for a 94^th minute leveller, they would’ve headed home with all three points. There were some big departures last year, namely the moves of David Cawley to Finn Harps, Johan Brannefalk to Ariana, Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt to Gefle, Frank Liivak to Levadia Tallinn and the double switch of Karl O’Sullivan and Garry Buckley to Galway United. Derry man Danny Lafferty left the club to return home and join Institute whilst Greg Bolger rejoined Cork City. Striker Pedro Martelo left and goalkeeper Luke McNicholas’ loan to Wrexham was made permanent. This left John Russell with a fairly light squad going into 2024.

 

English winger Ellis Chapman joined Sligo from Cheltenham and seems to have been a shrewd acquisition. He scored a hat-trick in his first appearance – a 5-4 friendly win over Derry in January. The signings of JR Wilson and Simon Power from Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers respectively bring Premier Division experience and pace on either flank. Ed McGinty returned to the club on loan from Oxford United to solve their goalkeeping woes, whilst Wilson Waweru and Conor Malley signed from Galway United and Dundalk. Charlie Wiggett, who appeared at senior level in a friendly for Newcastle United last year, joined Rovers to give more options in defence – something which they’ll need after John Mahon suffered another unfortunate ACL injury. The return of Max Mata on loan from Shrewsbury Town is undoubtedly Russell’s biggest coup of the window though – the New Zealand international striker netted eleven goals in twenty three games last season in Sligo. He finished as the club’s top goalscorer despite leaving in the summer, Stefan Radosavljević came second with just five in the league. Fabrice Hartmann is always one to watch when Sligo Rovers play too. The German winger, who replaced now Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha for RB Leipzig in a Europa League qualifier in 2018, has experience playing in the 2.Bundesliga and Dritte Liga in Germany. He scored a wonderful solo goal in Dalymount last week too.

 

Derry City haven’t won in Sligo since beating Rovers 2-1 back in August 2021. The Bit’O’Red have won three of the last four league meetings in the Showgrounds, with the other being a 0-0 draw in October 2022. Will Patching scored the decider in Derry’s last two league wins over Sligo Rovers too: a 95^th minute penalty back in July last year and the only goal of the game in September 2022. There haven’t been more than three goals scored in this fixture since City won 4-0 in 2017 and only once in the last thirteen meetings has the deficit been more than one goal. The aforementioned 5-4 friendly in January hints that the trend of low-scoring games between Derry and Sligo may be due to change however. Derry notoriously struggle in the Sligo Showgrounds but revenge may be on the mind of the City players after last time out. Home and away tickets are expected to fully sell out, so this one should be a good one.

Pól O'Hare - 22nd February 2024

 

Derry City v. Drogheda United: Match Preview

Derry City v. Drogheda United: Match Preview

Derry City v. Drogheda United, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 1, 16^TH February 2024, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

 

It will have been 84 days since Derry City’s 3-0 home win over St. Patrick’s Athletic in the final game of the 2023 season, closing the curtain on a campaign full of ups and downs for the City faithful. The excitement from the Candystripes’ run to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League was quickly extinguished after two penalty shootout losses in the space of a week in August which saw City crash out of both Europe and the FAI Cup. A lack of clinical edge in the final third saw Derry drop valuable points towards the business end of the season, resulting in a second place finish for the second season in a row. Some good football was played and good moments were had but fans, players and staff alike will hope that the Candystripes can go one better in 2024 and claim the League of Ireland Premier Division for the first time in 27 years.

 

Similarly to Derry, Drogheda United dropped points in 2023 due to the lack of a deadly forward. Freddie Draper got off to a flying start on loan from Lincoln City, finishing as Drogheda’s top scorer in the league with eight goals despite his loan ending in June. Drogs’ next top league scorers were Adam Foley with seven and Dayle Rooney with five. The latter did, however, create eight assists and will be a big loss after signing for Bohemians in the off season. A seventh place finish for Drogheda capped a solid campaign, especially considering that the team from Louth claimed the scalps of Derry, Shamrock Rovers and St. Pat’s along the way. Tying manager Kevin Doherty down on a full-time basis until the end of the 2025 campaign may prove to be their biggest victory of 2023 though.

 

The visit of Drogheda United on Friday marks the first time since 2019 that Derry City have played the first game of the league season in the Brandywell, when they beat UCD 3-0 nearly five years ago to the day. City have played Drogheda just three times on the opening day of the season since the turn of the century too. They claimed the three points with 1-0 and 2-0 wins in 2009 and 2005 respectively, whilst Drogheda won 2-1 in the Brandywell in 2002. Drogheda haven’t lost a season opener since a 1-0 defeat to St. Patrick’s Athletic back in 2013 however. Meanwhile, the aforementioned win over UCD in 2019 was the last time that Derry won on the first game of the season. Since then, the Candystripes have lost twice and drawn twice. Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men may want to look back to 2017, when they beat Bohemians 4-1 down in Dalymount, for some inspiration on winning big on the first game of the season.

 

In this fixture last season, Derry won twice, Drogheda won once and a fairly scrappy 0-0 draw was played out in Weavers Park in October. Derry’s 3-0 win in the Brandywell in August was their joint biggest league win over United since a 4-0 win in March 2017. In 2022, three of the four league fixtures between City and Drogheda ended in 1-1 draws, showing just how even this fixture can be. Drogheda are known for being tough to break down for a reason.

 

In the off-season, Drogheda United have had to deal with the scenario that many a League of Ireland club has had to face, that of their best players being tempted to other clubs in the league on free transfers at the close of the season. Dayle Rooney, who made thirteen goal contributions in the league in 2023, signed for Bohemians on a two-year deal. Conor Keeley was the other standout departure. The big centre back, who Drogheda were glad to hold on to after interest from Notts County during the summer, signed for St. Pat’s, also on a two-year contract. Arguably Drogs’ two best players last term, they leave big boots to fill. Kyle Robinson, who scored four goals in twelve games in 2023, left for Arbroath in the Scottish Championship. Luke Wade-Slater and Jamie Egan both joined Longford Town whilst Dylan Grimes left the club and Jarlath Jones signed for Athlone Town.

 

Despite their relatively small budget, Drogheda have recruited well ahead of 2024. Frantz Pierrot, who scored twenty goals in thirty four First Division games for Athlone Town last season, was the marquee signing brought in to solve their goal issues. The Haitian striker also scored in both of Athlone’s play-off games and is already off the mark for Drogheda, scoring and assisting against Bohemians in the Leinster Senior Cup. The 24 year old is only on a one year contract in Louth and may attract suitors if he continues his goalscoring form into 2024. The signing of UCD’s captain Jack Keaney was a smart acquisition in replacing Conor Keeley. Keaney can play in both defence and holding midfield and impressed in 2023, despite UCD’s dire campaign. The transfers of Andrew Quinn and Conor Kane from Shelbourne add depth, whilst the loan signings of Derry native Oisin Gallagher and Hayden Cann from Lincoln City will give both a taste of senior football. The capture of South African international goalkeeper Jethren Barr, who most recently played for Portadown, will run Andrew Wogan close for the number one spot. Keep an eye on 18 year old Irish/French striker Killian Cailloce and 21 year old American/Nigerian winger Steve Zishim Bawa who signed from SM Caen and Bodens BK respectively. Kevin Doherty will hope his youthful squad can repeat at least a mid-tabled finish once again this year.

 

Derry City did considerably less business in the transfer market than Drogheda United, with Ruaidhrí Higgins feeling that City needed just one or two more pieces to add to the puzzle of a potentially title winning team. The sale of Brandon Kavanagh to St. Patrick’s Athletic allowed money to be spent elsewhere, most of which I presume went into the €30k fee demanded by Dundalk for Pat Hoban. Kavanagh impressed last season when given a run in the team, but the City faithful will hope that he won’t do too much damage to his former employers in 2024. Cian Kavanagh, who scored important goals against KuPS both home and away in the second round of the UECL also returned to St. Pat’s, where he spent time as a youth player. He’ll probably be second choice behind Ruairí Keating in Inchicore, especially after the sale of Tommy Lonergan to Fleetwood Town. Evan McLaughlin, who missed most of last season due to a health issue, signed for Cork City in the First Division. He did well at a brief loan spell at Coleraine last year and could be important in Cork’s proposed promotion push this term. Speaking of Coleraine, that’s where Jamie McGonigle returned to after two and a half years at Derry. He scored some huge goals for City and was electric in 2021 and the first half of 2022. After spotting that his squad number had changed to free up the number 9 shirt, speculation had begun that his future lay elsewhere. An undisclosed fee was agreed, again which I presume helped in signing Hoban. Jack Lemoignan joined Harland & Wolff Welders in the hunt for game time after impressing on loan at Ballinamallard, meanwhile Caoimhin Porter and Daithí McCallion joined Institute and Ballymena United on loans until June. Assistant manager Paddy McLaughlin left the club too, being replaced with former Derry City player, assistant manager and caretaker manager Paul Hegarty. Derry have recently been hit with a blow going into the season after it was confirmed that Sadou Diallo will miss around two months of action due to a meniscus injury sustained in a high tackle against Finn Harp in pre-season. 

 

Derry’s two signings in the off-season seemed to show the two different types of transfers these days. Firstly, once word got out that City were interested in signing Daniel Kelly from Dundalk, it seemed that the deal was wrapped up fairly smoothly and the player was announced on a two year contract in mid-November with little fuss. Kelly is an athletic and quick winger who can read the game well. At 27, he’s in the peak of his career and has worked with Ruaidhrí Higgins in the past. He’s won the Premier Division, FAI Cup and League Cup during his career and brings pedigree, experience and another option in wide areas. Derry’s other signing this window was quite the opposite of a quiet transfer. Despite being contracted to Dundalk for 2024, the club made it clear that record goal-scorer Pat Hoban was surplus to requirements and could leave the club. Then it was announced that Dundalk found new owners and investment who stated their desire to keep the forward. Talks with Derry were going well despite rumoured interest from Hoban’s hometown club Galway United, as well as Bohemians, St. Pat’s and more recently Shamrock Rovers. Talks were thought to have stalled, before Hoban was announced in the Brandywell a few days later. It was a saga that Fabrizio Romano would have wanted to get in on. Hoban is exactly what Derry need in order to mount a proper title charge though. The 32 year old was the Premier Division top scorer three times and won the Premier Division itself three times, alongside two FAI Cups and a League Cup. He also played in the Europa League group stages in 2020, as well as holding the record as Dundalk’s best ever goal scorer with 148 goals.

 

Both Kelly and Hoban have netted in pre-season and it seems that Derry are going into the league campaign in good form. Despite a 2-2 draw to Finn Harps in mid-January, and a 5-4 loss to Sligo Rovers shortly after, City are coming off the back of 2-0, 4-0 and 3-0 wins over Finn Harps, Glenavon and Institute. Behind closed-door friendlies against Glentoran and Dundalk wielded 5-0 and 3-0 wins also. Drogheda have had a good pre-season too, defeating Bohemians 3-1, rivals Dundalk 2-1 and Malahide United 4-2 to progress to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Senior Cup. Their most recent friendly ended in a 2-1 win against Bray Wanderers. Killian Cailloce scored in a 2-1 friendly defeat against St. Pat’s in January too.

 

It’s hard to predict which way games will go this early in the season but City will hope to get off on the right foot against Drogheda in the Brandywell on Friday. After Shamrock Rovers’, 3-1 win over St. Pat’s in last week’s President’s Cup, it seems that they will, once again, be the team to beat in 2024.

 

Pól O’Hare – 14 February 2024