Double Match Preview : Derry City v
Waterford & St Pat’s (28th February & 3rd March
2025)
Derry City FC v. Waterford FC, League of Ireland
Premier Division Round 3, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 28th
February 2025, kick-off 7.45pm
St. Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City FC, League of
Ireland Premier Division Round 4, Richmond Park, Monday 3rd March
2025, kick-off 7.45pm
In Tiernan Lynch’s first home game as Derry City manager,
his side had the perfect response to defeat against Shelbourne by digging deep
to beat Bohemians 1-0. An early Michael Duffy free-kick proved decisive for the
Candystripes, whose opponents defeated Shamrock Rovers a week prior and came
into the game on a high. Up next for City is 2025’s first double game-week, as
they host Waterford on Friday and travel to St. Pat’s on Monday.
Derry City:
With Bohemians the likely favourites going into Friday’s
encounter, given their victory over Shamrock Rovers and Derry’s defeat against
Shelbourne, it was the home side who took control in the frantic opening
stages. Within a minute, Adam O’Reilly had cruised past two challenge Iin the
Bohs midfield before sliding the ball in-behind to Dom Thomas, who’s shot was
straight at James Talbot. Almost exactly on the ten minute mark, Michael Duffy
did what he does best. His free kick from distance dipped over the wall and
perfectly into the top corner to give the hosts an early advantage. Following
on from his free-kick in last year’s FAI Cup semi-final, Bohs fans must have
nightmares when City’s number 7 stands over a dead ball.
Within two minutes of the goal, more drama had unfolded. A
coming together between City’s Shane Ferguson and Bohs manager Alan Reynolds
resulted in straight red cards for both managers and a yellow for Ferguson.
Taking my DCFC-tinted glasses off, I still can’t see how Tiernan Lynch coming
out of his technical area was sufficient grounds for dismissal. Aside from
Ronan Boyce being lucky to stay on the pitch after two late tackles in quick
succession, the first of which saw him booked, the first half drew to a close
without either side having any clear cut opportunities. Conor Parsons came
close with a header seven minutes after the restart but, given the windy
conditions, City kept relative control of the play and Bohemians failed to
really threaten until late on. The home side suffered a fright two minutes into
the six of stoppage time when Ben Doherty’s loose touch saw Dayle Rooney pick
up the ball up and give the away side a three-on-two attack. Within a few
seconds, Sam Todd evaded all danger when his perfectly timed slide tackle
stopped Rooney in his tracks. Ross Tierney’s follow up made Maher work but went
wide of the post as City hung on the for the points. A match-winning tackle by
City’s left-sided centre-half, who found himself in the Premier Division Team
of the Week alongside Michael Duffy for his efforts.
Last Friday night was a professional job by the Candystripes
and despite losing their manager early on, they showed energy, tenacity and
passion to get the victory over the line. Sam Todd and Mark Connolly were solid
at centre back, avenging the performance against Shelbourne, as they kept Lys
Mousset and later Colm Whelan quiet. Ronan Boyce caused the Bohemians left side
problems with his overlapping runs, despite being fortunate to stay on the
pitch. Carl Winchester and Adam O’Reilly’s work-rates and energy kept City
ticking in the midfield, whilst Dom Thomas and Michael Duffy both had immense
performances on either flank. The fact that both wide men play as inverted
wingers, preferring to cut inside on their stronger foot, gives City balance
out wide and flexibility to swap wings. Liam Boyce cleaned up every heavy touch
and loose pass in front of the Bohs defence. Once he adds goalscoring to his
armoury for City, he’ll be formidable. It was tight between Michael Duffy, Carl
Winchester and Adam O’Reilly for my man of the match.
We saw a side of Derry last Friday which we haven’t seen
much of in the past couple of years. Even at 1-0 up, Brian Maher’s goal kicks
were long and towards either flank. They weren’t down the centre where
Bohemian’s taller centre backs could win it off Boyce and they weren’t passed
short to the centre backs, avoiding the threat of inviting pressure. It’s a
different approach to the one under Ruaidhrí Higgins and it was refreshing to
see the side play more direct attacking football, even if it wasn't pretty at times. Even when the wind made it
hard to play a long ball approach, City resisted the urge to keep it on the
ground and play it safe – they weren’t happy to settle for a 1-0 right up until
the very end. That’s a good thing too, I can think of games against Shamrock
Rovers and Shelbourne last year where we sat back on a 1-0 lead and conceded
late in both to drop points against fellow title contenders.
In some good, old-fashioned transfer deadline day drama,
Derry City announced the signing of Dundee United defender Kevin Holt. A
left-sided centre back, he’s exactly what we need. At 32, people raised
eyebrows over spending a rumoured £40k fee to land him but, judging by the
reaction of Dundee’s fans, we have a player on our hands. A Scottish
Championship winner last season, Holt has captained Dundee United and scored
four times in 29 this season as his side currently sit fourth in the Scottish
Premiership. Another experienced player with leadership qualities and an eye
for goal from defence, this is a real statement of intent. It’s also wound up supporters
of certain other clubs in the league which is good craic too.
Waterford conceded 47 goals in 36 league games last year,
averaging at 1.31 per game. Given that statistic, I’d say City will try that
direct approach on Friday too. It won’t work every week, but given Waterford’s
big pitch, there could be space to exploit. That may differ for the St Pat’s
game on Monday though. The pitch in Inchicore is tighter and, with all due
respect to Waterford, the quality of Pat’s’ midfield and attack mean that you
don’t want to cede them possession by giving away loose balls.
Looking back on last year’s results, you can see that Derry didn’t win ANY of their Friday-Monday game weeks. On Friday 1st of March 2024, we beat St Pat’s 2-1 in the Brandywell before drawing 2-2 with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Monday 4th. That can be compared then to Easter weekend, just weeks after the aforementioned two results, when we lost 1-0 at home to Galway United on Friday 29th March and drew 0-0 away to Shelbourne on 1st April. If I remember correctly, City were booed off the pitch in Tolka that day. Those inconsistencies will need to be ironed out this year, as there are three more Friday-Monday’s after this weekend. That’s 24 points up for grabs across those Friday-Monday game-weeks that we can’t afford to be missing out on. With a good record against Waterford, unbeaten in the last six against the Blues, and given St. Pat’s’ stuttering start to the campaign, Tiernan Lynch will be hoping that his side pick up at least four points this weekend.s
Waterford:
2024 was an up-and-down year for Waterford. After beating
Munster rivals Cork City in the play-offs in 2023, Waterford won two, drew two
and lost two of their first six league games. They found themselves tussling
for European places when they won six out of eight games in a spell in May and
June. Eventually though, the Blues won just one of their last nine league games
on their way to a 7th placed finish. Comfortably eleven points above
the relegation zone, but fourteen away from European places, Waterford will be
hoping to reduce that gap to the top three in 2025. A cup run wouldn’t do them
any harm either – they came from behind to beat Inishowen side Cockhill Celtic
in the second round before losing at home to Athlone Town in the third last
year.
One thing that Waterford didn’t struggle for in 2024 was
goals. Their league tally of 43 was the fourth highest in the division and
incidentally three higher than that of champions Shelbourne. Veteran striker
Pádraig Amond certainly had a part to play in their efficiency going forward.
He racked up 14 goals and two assists, making him the joint top scorer in the
Premier Division with Pat Hoban. Those 16 involvements translated to 37.2% of
Waterford’s league goals, highlighting the 36 year old’s importance Waterford
side. Maleace Asamoah, who left halfway through the season, was the blue’s next
top scorer in 2024, netting six. Ben McCormack, Grant Horton, Darragh Leahy and
Conor Parsons each contributed to three league assists throughout the year.
Waterford have been active to say the least in the transfer
window, losing eighteen players and bringing in eleven. Most notably within the
departures are Barry Baggley, Sam Sargeant and Conor Parsons. Holding
midfielder Baggley returned to Fleetwood Town following the expiration of his
loan before joining St. Pat’s, whilst goalkeeper Sargeant departed for Sligo
Rovers after making 30 appearances last season. Conor Parsons, who impressed on
the wing, left for Dagenham & Redbridge before returning to Ireland to sign
for Bohemians just a month or two later. Keith Long had something of a rebuild
on his hands.
The Blues made some intriguing signings over the winter. Former
Arsenal academy prospect James Olayinka joined from Cheltenham Town, whilst
young striker Sam Glenfield made his loan from Portadown permanent. Matty
Smith, fresh off the back of a title win with Shelbourne, joined former Dundalk
captain Andy Boyle and Cork City goalkeeper Bradley Wade in making switches to
Waterford from fellow LOI outfits. Former St Pat’s striker Tommy Lonergan and
goalkeeper Stephen McMullan signed on loan from Fleetwood Town, whilst
promising young midfielder Conan Noonan signed on loan from Shamrock Rovers. The
more intriguing signings come in the form of Maarten Pouwels, a 6’6” Dutch
striker, English midfielder Trae Coyle, a former Arsenal player who joined from
Swiss outfit Lausanne-Sport and Suriname international Navajo Bakboord.
Bakboord, who played five times for his national side, seems to be a real coup
in particular. He made 22 appearances in the Dutch Eredivise with Heracles
Almelo in 2023/24, after joining from Ajax Jong in 2019. Keith Long’s tactic of
going for strength in depth, having a larger pool of players to choose from,
may come good and help iron out the inconsistencies of 2024.
Waterford’s new look side went 2-0 up away to Sligo Rovers
within 33 minutes of their opening game, going on to win 3-2 despite late
pressure from the Bit’O’Red. As Derry City fans know all too well, Sligo’s a
tough place to go to. Those three points and three goals, which came from
Noonan, Lonergan and Rowan McDonald, could prove to be crucial later in the
season. Twenty year old Northern Ireland U21 keeper Stephen McMullan impressed,
making nine saves and denying Cian Kavanagh from the spot. Rowan McDonald, the
former Man City man who had a trial with Derry back in 2023, scored and made an
assist from centre midfield.
The Blues lost at home to Shelbourne last week, as Ryan
Burke saw red for a challenge on Evan Caffrey, but Keith Long set out in his
first two games of 2025 in a 3-4-1-2 with three centre backs and two wing backs
on the pitch. Those extra wingbacks tucking into the midfield gave his side
control against Sligo, with Noonan and McDonald both scoring from the centre of
the park. The extra width provided in this formation can overload the flanks,
so Ronan Boyce and Shane Ferguson will need to be on top form to repel this. Despite
defeat against Shelbourne, Waterford look like they could upset the European
hopefuls this season.
St. Patrick’s Athletic:
2024 was very a much a season of two halves for St Pat’s.
They began by heavily investing in their squad, although early campaign
excitement was curtailed by suffering defeats in four of their first six games
and the in President’s Cup. Two of those defeats came against Dublin rivals
Shelbourne and Bohemians, whilst they shipped three away to Waterford and
conceded in the 92nd minute to lose in the Brandywell. By mid May,
after picking up just five wins from their first sixteen games, Jon Daly was
sacked and replaced by Stephen Kenny. The former Ireland manager got off to a
rocky start, losing to Derry City in his first game and winning just one of his
first six in league action. When his tactics and new signings clicked however,
the Inchicore side were a different animal. They went from lower mid-table
mediocrity to finishing in third by winning all nine of their last league
games, giving Shelbourne a scare in their title hopes and ending Derry City’s
in the process. 2024 also included a run to the UEFA Conference League
play-offs, when they were beaten by Istanbul Basaksehir.
Coming into 2025 after getting their transfer business done
early in the window, and facing Vancouver Whitecaps and Molde in preseason,
many have The Saints as title favourites. If I’m being honest, I would probably
have put myself in that bracket too. They beat Molde, who defeated Shamrock
Rovers in the Conference League knockouts, and drew with a Vancouver Whitecaps
who fielded international players. It was clear that Stephen Kenny had his
targets identified early in the window, too. They lost a few squad players,
namely Alex Nolan to Cork City, Cian Kavanagh to Sligo Rovers, Conor Keeley to
Drogheda United and Aaron Bolger to Ebbsfleet Town on loan. 16 year old striker
Michael Noonan also swapped Inchicore for Tallaght to sign for Shamrock Rovers
and became European football’s youngest ever goal-scorer when netting against
Molde recently.
St. Pat’s won’t worry too much about Noonan’s departure
though, as they have their own wonderkid. 17 year old Mason Melia became the
League of Ireland’s first €1m+ departure in January when he sealed a move to
Tottenham Hotspur. A genuine generational talent, Melia led the line for Pat’s
in Europe aged 16 and made his debut at 15. The fee will begin at €1.9m and
potentially rise to €4m. That’s mental money and great business for Pat’s to be
fair. Even better, he won’t join Spurs until January 2026, so they have him
(and will likely be under strict instruction to wrap him in bubble wrap) for
the upcoming season. Wise business by Pat’s and a player to really look out for
this year.
In terms of arrivals, Pat’s have brought in quality and
experience. Winger Simon Power, who spent last year at Sligo Rovers, came in to
provide depth in wide areas. NI under 21 international Barry Baggley, who
impressed at Waterford on-loan from Fleetwood Town was arrival number two.
Former Manchester City and Barnsley midfielder Romal Palmer, who joined on-loan
from Turkish side Göztepe last summer, made his stay permanent. Palmer’s a real
coup as he netted some important goals and brought some star-quality to the
midfield last yeae. Centre back Seán Hoare, who has won six Premier Divisions
with Pat’s, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers was brought in to help add to his
tally. At 30, he’s a wise defensive addition. St Pat’s wrapped up their
business by recruiting in the centre forward position, bringing in Conor Carty,
who previously spent time on loan at Pat’s, from Bolton Wanderers. He’ll
provide cover to Aidan Keena and Mason Melia.
Pat’s have a serious squad; there’s no denying it. Despite
picking up just one point from their first two games, they’re still one of the
few favourites for the title. Brandon Kavanagh, who was brought in from Derry
City a year ago before scoring the goal which denied City the title, finished
2024 as the Premier Division’s top assister. He assisted twelve and scored six
more last year. Winger Jake Mulraney, who is a threat from free-kicks, bagged
seven, whilst Aidan Keena and Mason Melia both netted six in the league. Chris
Forrester is always quality in the midfield, whilst Barry Baggley is an astute
signing in holding midfield. Zach Elbouzedi has impressed since signing from
AIK Stockholm last year, as has Joseph Anang in goal after arriving from West
Ham United. Al-Amin Kazeem, Anto Breslin and Axel Sjoberg provide width to a
solid defence of Joe Redmond and Tom Grivosti, whilst Seán Hoare and Luke
Turner provide cover. Aidan Keena’s goal last week was taken brilliantly as he
swivelled before firing into the top corner on the volley.
Kian Leavy, with an ankle issue, and Seán Hoare both missed
last week’s defeat to Galway United. Meanwhile, Jamie Lennon picked up an
injury prior to the Galway game and will miss the clash with Derry on Monday.
Hosting Sligo Rovers on Friday, who sit bottom of the league with two defeats,
Kenny’s men will settle for nothing less than a win. That victory could be the
one to ignite their season and bring confidence into their game against Derry
on Monday. This could be a good one.
Round-up:
Derry City will be hoping for wins against both Waterford
and St. Pat’s across the weekend. We haven’t lost to Waterford since April
2021, winning five of the six since. Additionally, City kept clean sheets in
all four clashes with The Blues last season, scoring nine in the process. The
two games in the Ryan McBride Brandywell yielded 3-0 wins for City – Tiernan
Lynch will be hoping for a similar outcome this time round.
Last time out against St. Pat’s, a 1-0 defeat in Inchicore denied City the chance of winning the league title in the Brandywell on the final day. To add insult to injury for the City faithful, Pat’s leapfrogged Derry into 3rd place – denying the Candystripes European football for 2025. Lynch’s men will be out for revenge. Derry won four of the five meetings with Pat’s last year, including a 3-0 win in the FAI Cup. A 1-0 win in Inchicore back in May came through a late Paul McMullan goal in Stephen Kenny’s first game, whilst City will be hoping to replicate a 4-0 win in Richmond Park in April 2022 and avoid repeat of a 4-1 loss there in June 2023. With a win on the board for Derry City in 2025, the City faithful will hope for more direct, attacking football this weekend. Hard to believe we’re nearly in March right enough, it’s good to be back.
Pól O’Hare – 25TH February 2025
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