Derry City v. Galway
United & Sligo Rovers: Double Preview (April 2025)
Galway United FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland
Premier Division Round 10, Eamonn Deacy Park, Friday 18th April
2025, kick-off 7.45pm
Derry City FC v. Sligo Rovers FC, League of Ireland
Premier Division Round 11, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Tuesday 22nd April 2025,
kick-off 7.45pm
Derry City’s four game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end
with defeat at home to league leaders Drogheda United last week. Now, the
Candystripes face an Easter Weekend double-header against Connacht opposition.
First up is a tough trip to Galway United on Good Friday, before hosting bottom
of the table Sligo Rovers in the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Tuesday night as
the City faithful seek an immediate response from their side.
Derry City:
I said last week that the game against Cork City was a game
of two halves, but Friday’s defeat to Drogheda United took that to the extreme.
Coming into the tie rejuvenated after victory at home to Cork City, Derry City
had hopes of toppling league leaders Drogheda United and gaining a small
victory in revenge for last year’s FAI Cup final defeat. The Candystripes
didn’t get off to a bad start, dominating throughout the first 45 and creating
the majority of the chances. Danny Mullen was inches away from converting a
Michael Duffy cross just two-and-a-half minutes in in City’s best opportunity
of the early stages. The aforementioned Duffy was front and centre of action
again just past the half-hour mark when he fired Liam Boyce’s lay-off right at
Luke Dennison in the Drogheda United goal. Thomas Oluwa’s header which went
narrowly wide from a Shane Farrell corner was the visitor’s nearest effort in
the first half
City started the second half as they had operated for most
of the first period and finally found the breakthrough on the hour mark. Ronan
Boyce laid the ball off to Adam O’Reilly and spun round his marker to receive
O’Reilly’s chipped ball into the box. City’s number 2 took one touch over the
head of the defender before cushioning a cross into the danger zone. Liam Boyce
rose highest to tuck the header into the corner and get off the mark in red and
white. Boyce-ception for the second time in two weeks as City’s dominance paid
off.
Ninety seconds after scoring, the Northern Ireland
international striker saw himself dismissed for a foul on centre back Conor
Keeley in the centre circle. Stopping a storming run from the big centre half,
Boyce pulled Keeley to the ground and immediately showed his regret. A second
yellow for the 34 year old and it was a decision which turned the game on its
head. The away side, now with a man advantage, went for the jugular. A minute
after the dismissal and Keeley found himself on the scoresheet when he volleyed
Darragh Markey’s low cross into the bottom corner. The league leaders weren’t
satisfied with just a leveller and took the lead four minutes later. It was a
second goal for centre back Keeley, and another fine volley past Brian Maher.
Disorganised defending at the back from City had cost them dear, as one of the
League of Ireland’s standout defenders notched a four minute brace.
Derry struggled to fashion any chances of note in the second
period, as Drogheda dominated using their man and goal advantage. With 85
minutes gone, the game was put to bed. A sliced clearance from Maher led to a
United throw in. City didn’t deal with the throw to the near post, which was
diverted into the centre of the box via a Derry head. Warren Davis continued
his impressive start to the campaign by firing past Maher to make it three
volleyed goals for the away side. Bedlam in the away end as the Brandywell
began to clear out. The league leaders march on, as City now find themselves six
points adrift of European spaces and seven off the summit. Deary me.
Just as the Candystripes looked like they were beginning to
click against Cork City, last Friday’s defeat was a hard-hitting reality check.
The first half was impressive, we held onto the ball well and moved it nicely
across the pitch. With Danny Mullen and Michael Duffy both coming close in the
first period, there was a moment during the minute and a half of joy between
Boyce scoring then being sent off where I thought we’d comfortably hold on to
win the game. When a win would have taken us into the top three, it would have
been the perfect time to grab another three points and really kick start the
season. When you look at the stats and see that Derry City had 73% possession,
nine shots and the same amount of shots on target as Drogheda did, a 3-1 loss
doesn’t make for a good scoreline. The nature of the goals, all volleys coming
from loose balls in the box, will be of huge frustration to Tiernan Lynch, who
knows his side must work on their set piece defending before facing Galway
United and Sligo Rovers.
Derry’s disciplinary issues from earlier in the season
haven’t gone away and those were brought to the fore on Friday night. While
it’s easy to blame the referee, and one sets a precedent when dishing out cards
early in the game or for seemingly innocuous fouls, 35 yellow cards, three reds
and two penalties conceded in the first nine game is concerning. We’ve only
gained one point in the three games where we had a player sent off and that
came when our opponent, Shamrock Rovers, were also down to ten men. Thanks to
the red card and yellows against Drogheda, City are now without both Liam Boyce
and Adam O’Reilly going into the Galway tie.
I was surprised to see both Gavin Whyte and Dom Thomas begin
from the bench last Friday. The pair won the game for City with their
introduction in the second half against Cork City a week prior. Thomas, in
particular, would have brought width to the right flank and balanced the
forward line. Michael Duffy played wide on the left as he always does, and once
again he was key to City’s attacking forays, but there were times in the first
half when a wide player on the other wing would have really stretched Drogheda’s
back-line. Whyte did come on with fifteen minutes to go, as did Shane Ferguson
and later Sean Patton, but it was too little too late for Tiernan Lynch’s side.
The games against Galway United and Sligo Rovers on Friday
and Tuesday will be two tough tasks, and when you factor in suspension and
injury concerns, getting something out of the Galway game in particular would
be a good result. Ben Doherty missed out last week through injury, as did Pat
Hoban. Sadou Diallo and Cameron Dummigan both have longer-term lay-offs and
with the suspension of O’Reilly, City may find themselves short in the
midfield. Sean Patton and Danny Mullen are now Derry’s only strikers going into
the Galway game and give Lynch a selection dilemma – to start both of them or
take one off the bench? Robbie Benson earned his first start for Derry City
against Drogheda and will likely be called upon from the start once again this
weekend. With the quality of defenders in both opponent’s sides this weekend,
the likes of Dom Thomas, Paul McMullan and Gavin Whyte will hope to see more
action and create something for the Candystripes. It’s early days yet, but with
a quarter of the season now played, you’d hope that Derry City will click into
gear sooner rather than later.
Galway United:
With the first round of fixtures in the Premier Division now
behind us, Galway United have shown that their impressive return to the top
flight last season wasn’t a mere fluke. With an aim of building upon a fifth
placed finish in 2024 and pushing on into the European places, Galway have
begun 2025 where they left off last year. Defeated just once in their first nine
outings, Galway United sit fourth in the league and are, once again, one of the
hardest teams in Ireland to break down. They’ve drawn four and won four of the
other eight aside from that loss to Shamrock Rovers, conceding eight and
scoring twelve. The twelve scored is the third highest goals for metric in the
division, so a European spot is warranted at this stage of the season.
United have beaten Bohemians and Sligo Rovers away, as well
as Waterford and St. Pat’s at home. Their second goal in that game in Dalymount
Park went viral (ish), as Moses Dyer latched on to a long-ball, controlling it
on his chest and volleying into the top corner. That was his second of the
night and third of the season, enough to see him nominated for the March Player
of the Month award. The 28 year old New Zealand international has hit the
ground running on the West Coast, opening his Galway account with a goal in the
Brandywell six weeks ago.
American midfielder Patrick Hickey is another man who has
started 2025 with a bang. The versatile 26 year old can play across the
midfield or defence and chipped in with eight goal involvements in the league
last year. His brace at home to Pat’s earned all three points for the Tribesmen
back in February. That came a week after scoring Galway’s first goal of 2025
away to Cork City but, with it nearly two months since his last goal, the big
American will be gunning to be back on the scoresheet soon. He’ll be on the
lookout for a repeat of last August’s meeting between Derry and Galway, when
his late effort stole the points for United. Defender Killian Brouder has been
immense for Galway this term, whilst Bohemians loanee centre back Cian Byrne
bagged a brace in last weekend’s derby win over Sligo Rovers – the second of
which was a free kick over the wall and into the bottom corner. Goalkeeper Evan
Watts, who assisted Moses Dyer away to Bohemians and was called up to Wales’
U21 side recently, has been another astute addition the squad.
Veteran shotstopper Brendan Clarke hasn’t featured for
United since early March, whilst Bermuda international Andrew Kempe also joined
the Connacht side as a goalkeeping option. Jeannot Esua and former Ireland
international Greg Cunningham are two excellent fullbacks at this level and
have been key to Galway’s form in 2025. Killian Brouder and once Derry City
target Rob Slevin have started all nine of United’s games this campaign –
contributing to their defensive solidity. Jimmy Keohane and Conor McCormack are
experienced heads in the midfield, while Moses Dyer may be the answer to
Galway’s goalscoring woes of last season. Despite a brilliant announcement
video, Australian winger Daniel Stynes departed for Finnish side EIF after
failing to make an appearance in Ireland following his arrival in January.
Galway United, though, will be out to maintain their nine year long unbeaten
strike at home to Derry City on Friday night.
Sligo Rovers:
Derry City will face both of Connacht’s representatives in
the Premier Division across these two matchdays, ending the Easter double header
by hosting Sligo Rovers on Tuesday night. Rovers’ start couldn’t have been much
different from Galway’s though. After nine league games, Sligo Rovers are rock
bottom of the Premier Division, picking up points in just two of those games
and winning just one. That win was against Shamrock Rovers, and the draw away
to Cork City. It’s the seven losses and 21 conceded that’ll worry John Russell
most. Despite impressive transfer business; namely the signings of Jake
Doyle-Hayes from Hibernian, Sam Sargeant from Wateford, Cian Kavanagh from St
Pat’s and New Zealand international Oskar van Hattum from Wellington Phoenix,
Sligo Rovers have struggled to get going in 2025.
Nineteen year old forward Owen Elding, son of former Derry
City forward Anthony Elding, is Rovers’ top scorer this term – bagging four.
Cian Kavanagh and Reece Hutchinson have two apiece, whilst John Mahon, Jad
Hakiki and Francely Lomboto have all seen their name on the scoresheet this
term. In fact, Sligo Rovers’ goal tally of twelve scored is the third highest
in the league. With a physical presence up top, fast wingers in Will
Fitzgerald, Stephen Mallon and the aforementioned van Hattum alongside a
dynamic midfield, Sligo have had no trouble finding the back of the net. It’s
keeping it out at the other end that’s been Russell’s side’s downfall.
Goalkeeper Sam Sargeant impressed for Waterford since
signing in 2023 and seemed to be a real coup when he swapped the south for the
west coast. With big boots to fill in the form of Ed McGinty’s following his
move to Shamrock Rovers, Sargeant was dropped after conceding eleven goals in
just three league games. Twenty year old Conor Walsh has since been preferred
to the Englishman between the sticks, playing all games since early March and
enjoying a callup to the Republic of Ireland U21 side. In their recent 4-2 loss
to Bohemians, Sligo Rovers had four players out through suspension and two more
through injury. Despite going 2-0 down after just five minutes, Rovers pulled
it back to 2-2 within the half hour mark. That’s not the first time they’ve
come from behind this season and have shown character to do so despite their
recent adversity. Russell had to call on seventeen year olds Daire Patton and
Gareth McElroy in Dalymount, starting the latter at centre back. With some
luck, and a better disciplinary record, Rovers will hope to string a few wins
together.
Despite being bottom, Sligo Rovers have only failed to score
in two games this term; the 1-0 home defeat to Derry City and the 3-0 loss away
to Drogheda United. Their never-say-die attitude will start to get them results
at some point, but with the competitive nature of the Premier Division this
year, those will need to come soon if Sligo Rovers wanted to distance
themselves from the relegation zone. Winless in the Brandywell since 2020,
they’ll hope to end such a streak in a similar fashion as Derry did in Sligo
back in March – with a win to kickstart their season.
Round-up:
Given the manner of the defeat against Drogheda United last
week, both Tiernan Lynch and Derry City’s supporters will demand a response
from their side over Easter weekend. City haven’t won in Galway in domestic
action since August 2015 and have won just two of the last ten meetings with
the Tribesmen; those came last June and in June 2017. With United having lost
just once at home since September, Derry City will need a huge team performance
to leave Connacht with all three points. The earlier meeting between these two
back in March was a 1-1 draw in the Brandywell.
It was only a month ago that Derry City last faced Sligo
Rovers and it provided what is probably City’s high point of the season to
date. The 1-0 win in the Showgrounds was our first there since 2021 and
provided the City faithful with a resilient team performance. Derry’s home form
against Sligo Rovers hasn’t been too bad in recent years either, not losing to
the Bit’O’Red in the Brandywell since July 2020. Of the eight meetings since,
five have been draws and City have claimed victory in the other three. In fact,
just one of the last 24 meetings between these two on Foyleside has been a
scoreless draw – so goals are almost a given.
Derry City will be hoping to improve on last Easter’s double
header, where the Candystripes picked up just one point across the weekend. Two
positive results are a necessity to silence some critics and show the league
what this team can really be about. Fingers and toes crossed for the weekend
ahead, I’d be happy with four points from these two.
Pól O’Hare – 15th April 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment