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