Double Preview: Derry City v. Galway United, Shelbourne v. Derry City

 

Double Preview: Derry City v. Galway United, Shelbourne v. Derry City

 

Derry City v. Galway United, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 7, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, 29^th March 2024 kick-off 7.45pm

 

Shelbourne v. Derry City, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 8, Tolka Park, 1^st April 2024, kick-off 5pm

 

Derry City come into an Easter weekend double-header after Bohemians ended their unbeaten start to the season nearly two weeks ago. First up are newly promoted Galway United, who make their first voyage to the Brandywell in eight years and are coming off the back of a three game winless streak. Table-toppers Shelbourne play host to the Candystripes on Easter Monday and sit with a five point buffer on Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men in second. With Will Patching and Patrick McEleney both fit again after the international break, the City faithful will hope that the 2-1 defeat in Dalymount last time out will turn out to be a one off.

 

Ronan Boyce’s second goal of the season wasn’t enough to pull back a point for City, who went 2-0 down against Bohemians thanks to goals from Dayle Rooney and former Derry striker James Akintunde. Despite keeping the majority of the ball in Dalymount, Higgins will hope that his side translate the possession into chances going into the Easter period. It’s a Good Friday encounter against Galway United first, a side who haven’t played City since September 2017. The Tribesmen were the runaway winners of last season’s First Division, winning 30 of their 36 games and being crowned champions with a twenty-five point lead on second placed Waterford. Scoring 98 goals and conceding just 18 last year, Galway were always going to be an interesting prospect coming back into the Premier Division.

 

John Caulfield’s men are currently sat fifth in the table, picking up wins against Waterford and Dundalk so far this term. Three 1-0 losses to St. Pat’s, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne show that, despite losing, Galway aren’t getting thrashed in the way that some may have expected a newly promoted team to do so. Their 4-0 win over Dundalk in last year’s FAI Cup quarter-final raised eyebrows and sent a message to the rest of the league that they meant business.

 

Galway United didn’t splash the cash in the transfer window. Despite early rumours that they were in for Galwegian striker Pat Hoban, who just happens to be the league’s top goal-scorer, Caulfield and Ollie Horgan prioritised keeping the quality that they had. Conor McCormack and Aodh Dervin have been stalwarts in the midfield, whilst striker Wassim Aouachria was tied down to a new deal. Keeping hold of David Hurley, who registered 22 goals and six assists from the midfield last term is perhaps Galway’s most impressive piece of business. League of Ireland experience was brought in with the signings of Garry Buckley and Karl O’Sullivan from Sligo Rovers. Leo Gaxha, who impressed for Kerry FC last year after signing from Sheffield United, joined to strengthen striker options whilst Patrick Hickey, Joe Wright and Jeannot Esua signed from Athlone Town, Millwall and Ekanas IF respectively. Wide midfielder Al-Amin Kazeem, who has made a raft of League Two appearances in the last couple of years, joined on-loan from Colchester United and already looks impressive.

 

It’s been eight years since Galway played in the Brandywell, and seven since they last played Derry away – back when the Candystripes played out of Buncrana’s Maginn Park in 2017. Galway’s captain Conor McCormack started for Derry City in that game back in 2016. The Tribesmen’s last away win against Derry came back in May 2015 but you have to go back to September 2009 to find Galway’s next most recent away win against City. In saying that, the Candystripes have won just twice of their last ten games in all competitions against Galway, going back to March 2015.

 

Three points against Galway United would be crucial in keeping pace with Monday’s opposition, Shelbourne. Damien Duff’s men are the only side unbeaten in the Premier Division this season and have won five of their last six games. They’re challenging more for the title this year than people may have expected but home victories over Galway United and Shamrock Rovers, and away wins against St. Pat’s, Sligo Rovers and Bohemians, show that they’re currently the team to beat in the country. Getting one over Shelbourne is getting more difficult too. They haven’t lost a league game since September of last year and haven’t lost to Derry since that March. That win for Derry back in March is the only time that the Candystripes have beaten Shels since the 4-0 2022 FAI Cup final victory, with three draws and three red cards seeing the honours shared across the rest of 2023’s encounters between these two.

 

After Hull City’s Turkish owner Acun Ilicali bought a stake in Shelbourne in June 2023, before terminating his ownership in November, it seemed that Shels might have been in for a rough patch. That wasn’t the case, however. Damien Duff’s contract was renewed shortly after Mickey O’Rourke of PremierSports ownership fame took over. Shelbourne’s financial backing wasn’t dented either. League of Ireland veterans Sean Gannon and Keith Ward came in, followed by Dean Williams and John O’Sullivan from Bohemians. John Martin was brought in from Dundalk whilst goalkeeper Lorcan Healy was signed to rival Conor Kearns.

Losing Jack Moylan, one of the standout performers in the league last year, to Lincoln City wasn’t ideal from a Shelbourne point of view but it seems like Will Jarvis has been the perfect replacement. The 21 year old Englishman spent the second half of last season on-loan at Tolka from Hull City before putting pen to paper on another loan deal for 2024. Four goals in six appearances, including both goals in a derby win over St. Pat’s, shows that he’s one of the division’s best players at the minute. The acquisition of Liam Burt from Shamrock Rovers, albeit on loan, certainly doesn’t seem to be bad business either.

 

Three wins and two draws from Derry City’s opening six is still a promising start. With Pat Hoban sitting at the top of the goalscoring charts after bagging six in six, the five point gap between first and second may not be as big as it seems. Best case scenario, City register two wins this weekend and Dundalk beat Shelbourne on Friday – meaning the Candystripes would be top this time next week. Easter hasn’t been the kindest to City in recent times though, losing both on Good Friday and Easter Monday last year. In fact, City’s last win on Easter weekend came with a 2-1 win over Finn Harps back in 2018. Four points out of Galway and Shels this weekend certainly wouldn’t be a bad return. I’ve also gotten to the end of this preview without making ANY April Fools jokes about Monday as they’ll probably come back to bite me.

Pól O'Hare - 28 March 2023

Bohemians v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Bohemians v Derry City: Match Preview

Bohemian FC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 6, Dalymount Park, Friday 15^th March 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Pat Hoban's hat-trick against Waterford ensured that Derry City's unbeaten start to the season extended as they prepare to face a Bohemians side who play their first game without Declan Devine at the helm since October 2022. A front-post flick, overhead kick and penalty trio saw City's number nine raise his goal tally to six for the campaign already, making him the Division’s top scorer and meaning that he needs just two more goals to equal Jordan McEneff’s league goal tally of eight to match last year’s record. Bohemians, on the other hand, go into Friday’s fixture one Derry man down as Declan Devine's tenure came to an end following a 2-0 home defeat to table-toppers Shelbourne. Derek Pender and Trevor Crolly will be in charge for Bohs, who look for their second win of the season.

 

Hoban’s hattrick on Friday was the first competitive hattrick scored by a Derry City player since Declan Glass netted three in the first half of his City debut against Oliver Bond Celtic back in the First Round of the FAI Cup in July 2022. It also means that City are now joint top scorers in the league and joint top in terms of goal-difference. There were doubts from some quarters surrounding the signing of Pat Hoban prior to the season starting, but he's showing exactly why the club forked out €30,000 for his services. His partnership with Michael Duffy is a throwback to their Dundalk days and it seems that both are bringing out the best in each other. Duffy’s started the season in fine form himself too, playing a role in two goals already this campaign.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins and his players really deserve credit for the manner in which they’ve started the season, especially when considering how unfortunate their injury record has been. Sadou Diallo was injured in preseason whilst Mark Connolly, Patrick McEleney, Cameron Dummigan, Will Patching, Michael Duffy and Adam O’Reilly have all suffered knocks already. Dummigan and Patching are still out, whilst Connolly, Duffy and O’Reilly all came off with injuries against Waterford last weekend. As it stands, it seems like Jordan McEneff is the only 100% fit midfielder. The City management staff will see it as a mini-win if they come away from Dalymount without further injury woes.

 

Bohemians have been on the receiving end of some injuries to key players themselves already too. Keith Buckley suffered an ACL tear just before the FAI Cup final last November whilst January signing Rob Cornwall, who rejoined the club after two years in America, came down with the same injury just half an hour into the opening game of the campaign. Although back training with the team, goalkeeper James Talbot has commendably taken some time away from football in order to focus on his mental health.

 

They may have left it late but the Gypsies did add in numbers across the January transfer window. The sale of Jonathan Afolabi, who scored fifteen league goals last season and received a senior Ireland call-up, for around €200,000 to Belgian side KV Kortrijk left a sizable gap in the forward line. He has scored once in Belgium so far –  equalising in a 3-3 draw away to Club Brugge. The moves of John O’Sullivan and Dean Williams to Shelbourne, Kris Twardek to Atletico Ottawa and Ali Coote to Detroit City left Bohemians light in squad-depth at the top end of the pitch. The losses of Kacper Radkowski and Krystian Nowak also left the Phibsborough side with a serious amount of business to be done. Dayle Rooney, who impressed at Drogheda United last year, was signed on a two-year contract to give options on the wing. Strikers Sten Reinkort and Filip Piszczek were brought in from Flora Tallinn and FC Imabari to replace Afolabi, whilst Kacper Chorazka signed from ASIL Lysi to provide goalkeeping options. He has started every game this season, keeping a clean sheet against St. Pat’s.

 

Bohemian’s raid on Flora Tallinn continued further as the club brought in Estonian internationals Martin Miller and Michael Lilander. Brian McManus was signed from Shelbourne whilst full-back Luke Matheson, who scored against Manchester United for Rochdale when he was just sixteen, was signed on loan from Bolton Wanderers. Jevon Mills and Aboubacar Keita were also captured on loan deals from Hull City and Colorado Rapids. The signing of highly rated centre back Divin Isamala from St. Francis capped Bohs’ transfer activity.

Derek Pender's men have only scored four all season, three of which have come from midfielders James Clarke and Jordan Flores, showing that it will take time for the club’s new signings to gel and replicate Afolabi’s goalscoring prowess. Clarke, however, was one Bohs’ standout performers last campaign, scoring five and assisting four from centre midfield. He opened the scoring against Derry City down in Dalymount last August too. Sten Reinkort bagged a debut goal against Sligo Rovers but hasn’t yet contributed to another goal. Bohemians are rumoured to be courting former Ireland and Derry City manager Stephen Kenny to come in as manager on a permanent basis - a signing which would be a massive coup. The Dubliner won the Premier Division with the club back in 2003. 

 

It was pretty much honour’s even in this fixture last year. Both Derry City and Bohemians beat each other 1-0 away from home whilst drawing 0-0 and 2-2 in the other two fixtures. You’d have to go back to Derry’s 4-1 win in Dalymount Park in February 2017 to find the last time that this fixture ended with a deficit of more than two goals too. 3-3 and 2-2 draws in the last three seasons, alongside a 3-2 Derry City win, shows that there is potential for fireworks in the tie though. A win for City on Friday would be their fifth win in their last seven Phibsborough outings and would put the Candystripes top if Shelbourne fail to beat St. Pat’s in Inchicore. Another three points, or at least a continuation of their unbeaten run, would be ideal going into the international break.

 

Pól O'Hare - 13 March 2024

Match Preview: Derry City v Waterford

 

Match Preview: Derry City v Waterford

 

Derry City FC v. Waterford FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 5, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 8^th March 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Derry City’s unbeaten start to the season has continued after a tough weekend double-header, where they defeated St. Patrick’s Athletic on Friday and won a point away to Shamrock Rovers on Monday. The Candystripes now gear up to face Waterford on Friday, a team they haven’t come up against since November 2021. The visitors haven’t taken long to get into the swing of Premier Division action after a two season absence, picking up seven points from their first four games and coming off the back of a 3-1 home win over St. Pat’s.

 

Good teams scrape wins when they aren’t playing well and that was certainly the case for Derry City against St. Pat’s on Friday. The away team came to the Brandywell with a new look squad and investment across the pitch, setting up with a tough-to-break-down back five. City couldn’t get the ball to stick and it was the end of the first half before they got any sort of momentum. Ruairi Keating firing past Brian Maher just two minutes into the second half didn’t help things either. The introductions of Scottish duo Paul McMullan and Danny Mullen changed the game though. After a Pat Hoban header got Derry level on the 65^th, Mullen stylishly stabbed the ball into the top corner from a Michael Duffy cross on the 92^nd minute – clinching a huge three points for the Candystripes.

 

Hoban and Mullen got in on the act again in Tallaght on Monday night. After Darragh Burns slid the ball under Brian Maher to put Shamrock Rovers ahead, Pat Hoban converted a Derry spot-kick to level the game. Mullen, once again introduced from the bench, bundled in a Paul McMullan corner to give City a 2-1 away lead. A 92^nd minute header from Estonian international Markus Poom shared the spoils, but a point away against the four-in-a-row champions in dreadful conditions certainly isn’t a negative result.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ injury woes have, however, only increased after the weekend. Will Patching, who assisted Hoban’s goal on Friday, pulled up in the warmup in Tallaght and subsequently had to watch the game from the stands. It’s unknown how serious the former Manchester City midfielder’s injury is but the City faithful will be hoping it’s not long-term by any means. This leaves Jordan McEneff and Adam O’Reilly, who both played well over the weekend, as City’ s only two fit senior midfielders. Sadou Diallo still faces some weeks on the side-lines and Cameron Dummigan’s injury severity hasn’t yet been revealed. On a more positive note, Patrick McEleney’s injury wasn’t as bad as first feared and Ciaron Harkin played his first football in two years when he lined out for the U20s last weekend.

 

Waterford were something of an unknown quantity coming into the Premier Division this season. In 2021, their Last season in the top flight, the Blues lost out to UCD in the promotion/relegation a play-off. Another painful defeat against UCD in the 2022 play-offs, in which Waterford missed a 93^rd minute penalty in Inchicore, saw the Students stay in the Premier Division for 2023. In all honesty though, it really should have been Waterford in the top flight that year – UCD finished the season with just 11 points and a goal difference of -77. Waterford and Galway United definitely had the quality to complete with the big boys last year too, finishing the First Division ten and thirty-five points ahead of third placed Cobh Ramblers. Galway’s season was an anomaly, as they breezed the league, losing just twice all year and winning thirty of their thirty-six games. Any other year and Waterford would have been automatically promoted, scoring 84 goals on their way to clinching second place. They triumphed over Munster rivals Cork City in the play-off, beating the Rebels 2-1 in Tallaght to go back up to the Premier Division.

 

The issue with having a fantastic season in the First Division, and having a ‘sister’ club in the English Football League, is that your best talent will inevitably be poached. If you look at Waterford’s stand out player in each of the last couple of years you will notice that they have been snapped up by Fleetwood Town, the team whom they share owners with. Phoenix Patterson, Junior Quitirina and more recently Ronan Coughlan all joined the League One side, staving off competition from Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and sides across the Irish Sea. It’s hard to know what sort of fees Waterford demanded, seeing that they share the same owner and have benefited massively from loan signings of players on Fleetwood’s books. The English club have clearly seen the value in the underappreciated and undervalued Irish market in recent times, Fleetwood signed our own Ryan Graydon for around £125,000 last summer. Promising (pardon the pun) Bohemians winger Promise Omochere was snapped up for an undisclosed fee, as was Cork City keeper David Harrington. At least these players are being given a platform to showcase their talents in England though.

 

Back to Waterford though, Blues manager Keith Long was faced with the task of replacing Ronan Coughlan. The striker, who has been linked with Derry in the past, never really lit up the League of Ireland during spells with Bray Wanderers and Cork City, although he did find goalscoring form at Sligo Rovers before joining St. Pat’s. A move to Waterford preceded the 2023 season and Coughlan really turned on his form. 37 goals in 35 games in all competitions saw him sign for Fleetwood Town, unsurprisingly. Roland Idowu, who bagged fourteen goals across two years at Waterford, left for Shrewsbury Town too. Killian Cantwell and Shane Griffin left for Bray Wanderers whilst Thomas Oluwa, Liam Kervick and Harry Nevin moved to Wexford, Cobh Ramblers and Cork City respectively.

 

Losing your main goal threat after winning promotion is never ideal, but the signing of Pádraig Amond, who comes with a wealth of experience playing in England, is seeming to have been the perfect option. Starting out with Shamrock Rovers, before playing for Sligo Rovers and in Portugal with Pacos de Ferreira, Amond has a history of scoring wherever he’s gone in the English football pyramid. Known for bagging FA Cup goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Manchester City, the 35 year old is currently pipping Pat Hoban to the Premier Division top scorer position with four goals in four games so far at Waterford. He’ll certainly be a threat on Friday night.

 

The signings of Robbie McCourt, Darragh Leahy and Ben McCormack bring tested Premier Division experience - Leahy has already chipped in with two goals from left-back. Centre back Kacper Radkowski, who played for Bohemians last year, was signed permanently from Slask Wroclaw. Kacper Skwiercynzski joined on loan from Ruch Chorzow as did Maleace Asamoah, Harvey MacAdam and Barry Baggley - all from Fleetwood Town. The latter has recently been nominated for the Player of the Month Award for February alongside Derry’s Mark Connolly. The signing of Grant Horton from Cheltenham Town also proves that Waterford are willing to splash their cash on proven Premier Division talent in a bid to consolidate their top flight status come November.

 

Defensive midfielder Rowan McDonald spent time on trial at Derry City before joining Waterford last year. Conor Parsons is one to watch too having scored a brilliant goal in the play-off final and contributed to more throughout the First Division campaign. Ireland U19 international Romeo Akachukwu, the 17 year old midfielder who netted a hat-trick against Athlone Town last year, will sign for Southampton when the July window opens. Waterford will be substantially rewarded for his promise too, with the fee believed to start at €375,000 rising to €0.5m with add-ons.

 

Waterford are the Premier Division’s current top goal-scorers with nine in four games this term. Amond has four and Leahy as two, as I’ve mentioned, but loanee Maleace Asamoah has also found the net on two occasions whilst Niall O’Keefe netted in Waterford’s 4-1 away win over Drogheda United in matchday two. There have been two or more goals in thirteen of the last fifteen league meetings between Derry and Waterford, going back to February 2018, meaning that there is a history of fireworks in this tie. The Candystripes have also won seven of the last nine encounters between these two in the Brandywell in all competitions. Derry’s 4-2 win against Waterford in the League Cup semi-final in 2019, in which David Parkhouse scored all four, is another which sticks out in the memory. 
The goalscoring form of both club’s forward players hints at yet another plentiful encounter in terms of the goal tally. Both teams are in form and will want to keep momentum going, so this one could be an interesting one to keep an eye on. Expect good strikers and, hopefully, something of an end-to-end game.

Pól O'Hare - 6th March 2024