Bohemians v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Bohemians v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Bohemian FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 21, Dalymount Park, Thursday 13^th June 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Last week: Derry City 2- 0 Galway United

Derry City kept hot on the heels of leaders Shelbourne with an impressive 2-0 win over a resilient Galway United side last Friday night. It was Derry City’s first home win over The Tribesmen since June 2017, condemning the away side to back to back defeats for the first time this season. City now find themselves hitting a good run of form, losing just once in their last ten games and putting themselves out in the clear as the league’s highest scorers.

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men delivered one of their best all-round performances of the year, putting two past a side who had only conceded eleven all season going into Friday’s game. Galway’s defensive structure was resolute throughout, as John Caulfield lined up with a physical starting eleven in order to quell City’s attacking talent. It was two sweeping moves down either flank that brought the goals on the night too. The deadlock was broken 65 minutes in after neat interplay between Michael Duffy and Ben Doherty saw City’s number seven find space behind the right back before delivering a low ball into the box. Will Patching made no mistake, side footing into the top corner. The points were tied up twenty minutes later when Daniel Kelly made a trademark run down the right wing before crossing into Patrick Hoban, who made no mistake to find his eleventh of the campaign. With a two week break coming after Thursday’s game against Bohemians, the Candystripes finally seem to be kicking into gear.

 

Derry City:

It’s four games unbeaten now for Derry City who will want to build momentum going into the summer months. There are only three league games between now and the start of August, but with the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and FAI Cup action fast approaching in July, Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men will need to show their resilient side if they’re to keep the good performances up when the games are coming thick and fast. It’s been sixteen weeks since City’s first game of the season, and twenty games have already been played. 
Seeded in the first round of Conference League Qualifying, an unseeded Welsh team (such as Caernarfon Town who have never competed in European competition before) would be a desired draw. In the FAI Cup however, facing 2023’s winners St Patrick’s Athletic in the second round (Premier Division clubs received a bye through the first round) is a difficult start to say the least. An ideal draw there would have been Cockhill Celtic of Inishowen, who have somewhat cruelly been drawn away to Waterford.

Derry, thankfully, suffered no more injuries against Galway last Friday. Patrick McEleney will most likely be out for the season, but Will Patching’s newfound freedom in the midfield has linked City’s midfield to their forwards nicely – something which might have declined following the loss of  McEleney. Ciaron Harkin got more game-time on Friday night, as well as starting for Derry’s U20s against Finn Harps on Saturday. Another man who started that U20s fixture was Colm Whelan, who last started a game of competitive football in May 2022 – when he suffered his first ACL injury whilst playing for UCD against Finn Harps. Whelan came off the bench on three occasions for Derry City last season, scoring twice before suffering another devastating knee injury against Shamrock Rovers in a 2-0 defeat in the Brandywell. 24 at the end of the month, the former Ireland U21 striker scored and assisted for City’s U20s in the first half before being replaced 37 minutes in. He'll be a welcome addition to the squad as the season continues into the latter stages.

 

Bohemians:

Bohemians have had an inconsistent campaign so far. After winning just one of their first four games, manager Declan Devine was sacked and replaced by former Derry City assistant manager Alan Reynolds. Reynolds, who left his post as assistant manager at Waterford to take the job in Dalymount, seemed to get a reaction from his players. Bohs won five of the first seven games under his tutelage, including a 2-1 win over Derry on the 15^th of March. However, since beating Drogheda United 1-0 on the 19^th of April, Bohemians have won just once in the following seven fixtures – a 3-0 away win against Sligo in mid-May. They lost four of those seven, with the most notable defeat being a 2-0 away loss to Dundalk in what was the Lilywhites’ first win of the campaign.
Due to the call ups of Martin Miller and Michael Lilander to the Estonian national team, Bohemians will have had two weeks rest before they face Derry on Thursday, which will be followed by another two weeks due to the summer break. That’ll either mean that they’ll have a fit, sharp squad going into Thursday night, or they could be distracted by having just one game in a four week spell. 

Former Derry City striker James Akintunde, who joined Bohs ahead of the 2023 campaign, is having his best season in the red and black jersey. Five goals and two assists sees him top of the scoring charts in Phisborough, whilst Dayle Rooney’s tally of three goals and six assists has him down as the Dublin club’s most creative player. Those six assists have the former Drogheda winger second in the assist tally in the league too, just one behind St Patrick’s Athletic’s Brandon Kavanagh. Michael Duffy and Paul McMullan sit joint fourth in those rankings, each chipping in with four assists. Jordan Flores is always a threat from set-pieces too and has scored both of the penalties he’s taken in the league this season. Hull City loanee centre back Jevon Mills has been solid since signing at the start of the campaign, as has Polish goalkeeper Kacper Chorążka who has kept five clean sheets filling in for James Talbot.

Currently seventh in the league, Bohemians sit level on points with St. Pat’s on 24 - eight points above the drop zone. Bohs do, however, have four games in hand on both the Inchicore side and Derry City. They have at least one game in hand on everyone else in the division too. Pat’s look to be in a perilous position, as the two teams below them in the league both have two games in hand – something which could drag the Saints into a relegation battle if results were to go against them. Relegation doesn’t seem to be as much of a worry for Bohs though. They’re only three points behind Galway United in fifth and, if they were to win their four games in hand, that would take them up to 36 points.

 

Round-up:

Michael Duffy’s late winner in the Brandywell a month ago meant that Derry beat Bohemians for the first time in a year. From the last ten fixtures between the two, Derry have won five, Bohs have won two and there have been three draws. There hasn’t been goalless encounter in Dalymount between these two since July 2019, with the following eight games in Phisborough producing 28 goals, an average of 3.5 goals per game. 
Bohemian’s 2-1 win there in March was their first home victory over City since September 2020. James Akintunde opened the scoring for Derry on that day nearly four years ago, before the home side scored in the 94^th and 96^th minutes to snatch the points. There have been some classics in Dalymount between Derry and Bohs in the last few years too. Immediately springing to mind is Derry’s 3-2 win there in July 2022, and a 3-3 draw back in September 2021. James Akintunde thought he’d claimed the win for Derry then when he scored in the 91^st minute, before now Bradford City defender Ciaran Kelly netted in the 96^th minute to split the shares.
One thing to look out for on Thursday night is the referee. 33 year old Rob Hennessy, who oversaw Bohs' 2-1 win over Derry earlier in the year, will officiate his third Derry City game of the season. The Candystripes haven't won a game that Hennessy took charge of since April 2022, when they put four past St Pat's in Inchicore. That's eleven games that City have gone winless when the official was Rob Hennessy. The Candystripes will be hoping to change that this time round.

Derry City were top of the league for twelve minutes on Friday, that’s how long it was been Will Patching’s opener and John Martin’s winner for Shelbourne against Dundalk. If Shels fail to beat Waterford away on Thursday evening, and Derry get the better of Bohemians, City will go into the summer break top of the league – albeit despite Shelbourne’s game in hand advantage. Now seven points clear of Shamrock Rovers in third place, Derry can be assured that they’ll stay at least second even if Rovers win their next two and City fail to score points in that time. Alan Reynolds’ men will be looking for their first win in three, whilst Derry are unbeaten in four and have kept clean sheets in the last three games. Don’t forget that this is a Thursday night game due to the Euros starting on Friday, but this one could be a good one.
Pól O'Hare - 12th June 2024