Derry City FC v Cork City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 27, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 8th August 2025, kick-off 7.45pm
Derry City waved goodbye to any hope of a title challenge
this season when a second-half capitulation saw the Candystripes lose 2-0 to
Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Sunday. The result saw Rovers open a ten point
gap at the summit, all but wrapping up the league title in early August. Derry
return to the Brandywell on Friday, hoping for a reaction against bottom side
Cork City, who picked up their first league win since April last weekend.
Derry City:
The term ‘title race’ was spoken about with whispered hushes
prior to Derry City’s trip to Shamrock Rovers last Sunday. City had picked up
just one point from their two games in hand on Rovers heading into the game,
when two wins would’ve narrowed the gap to three points. If City won on Sunday,
the gap would’ve been cut to five points – a decent margin but not impossible.
When City had the momentum throughout most of the first half, it looked like
City’s two year wait for victory in Tallaght may have been about to end.
Attacking on the front foot, City came close three times
throughout the first period. Michael Duffy was the man behind two of those
chances. A deft ball over the defence by Sadou Diallo saw Duffy clip the ball
past Ed McGinty. Right in front of the travelling City fans, the ball came back
off the post. Derry’s number seven showed some fancy footwork to jink between
two Rovers defenders later in the half, before firing narrowly wide of the far
corner. A late Brandon Fleming foray troubled the Hoops’ defenders but failed
to squirm past McGinty.
A few heavy tackles in the first half and chances for either
side led into what looked like it’d be an entertaining second half. However, it
took just two minutes after the restart for the home side to open the scoring.
Alex Bannon was caught by a ball fired out to the left wing. Fullback Josh
Honohan stormed into the City box and laid it on a plate for veteran forward
Rory Gaffney, who peeled away from Jamie Stott and prodded home from within the
six yard box. Suddenly, City needed two
and Rovers were taking control.
Sligo Rovers loanee Conor Malley unleashed a strike from
thirty yards which kissed the crossbar to give the travelling fans a scare just
minutes after the scoring was opened. By the 65th minute, Rovers
were home and hosed with a two goal lead. A sweeping ball down the right flank
unleashed Gaffney, who showed the pace of a man years younger to beat Alex
Bannon to the ball. The Burton Albion loanee fell for Gaffney’s fake shot and
found himself on the floor by the time Gaffney’s left footed effort flew past Maher.
A second for the hosts and no way back for City.
It went from bad to worse for a City side who were reduced
to ten men with the same amount of minutes left. Bannon went marauding forward
before taking a heavy touch and catching Josh Honohan with a lunging tackle. A
second yellow to put an end to a night to forget for the Scottish centre back.
That’s now Rovers ten points clear, and the City faithful beginning to look
over their shoulder at Shelbourne and Drogheda United who are only three points
off the Candystripes in third. Always next year lads.
If I’m being 100% honest, I’m glad we don’t have the false
hope of trying to catch a runaway Rovers team in chasing a title winning dream.
2022 and 2023 were the same story, compounded by 2024’s fourth placed finish
despite having the opportunity to go top with four games to go. It’ll allow the
squad to regroup and focus on finishing in the European spots and getting a
good run at the cup.
The first half on Sunday was promising. City, who started
with four of the summer signings in the starting eleven, played on the front
foot and troubled Rovers’ backline. Michael Duffy and Brandon Fleming combined
well down the flank and look like they’re building an exciting relationship
down that wing. Sadou Diallo and Carl Winchester played well in the midfield;
the former showing a few deft touches and passes while the latter made his
presence known in deep midfield.
When the second half rolled round, the gulf between City and
Rovers really began to show. It’s not that City don’t have quality players, but
Rovers have had a core that’s been central to all of their success. They’re
well drilled, fit and clinical – a side who know what they’re doing when it
comes to the business end of the season. Rory Gaffney and Pico Lopes, 35 and 33
years old, were the two best players on the pitch. Gaffney was lively and took
his chances, while Lopes didn’t give Dipo Akinyemi a sniff. Resting the likes
of Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Aaron Greene ahead of a Conference League third
round bout on Thursday – Stephen Bradley’s side beat us comfortably without
leaving third gear.
If Tiernan Lynch could restart Sunday the third of August,
I’d say at least two of Sam Todd, Hayden Cann and Ronan Boyce would be
starting. Jamie Stott and Alex Bannon are essentially still in preseason having
finished their respective seasons with Morecambe (RIP) and Airdrieonians in
May. It was Stott’s debut and Bannon’s fourth appearance in a Derry shirt,
while Cann and Todd have been consistent all year. Both new centre backs will
come good, with Sunday likely a learning curve for City’s new-look defensive
structure.
As I’ve said already, Michael Duffy and Brandon Fleming look
electric combining with each other on the left wing. Unfortunately, it seems
like the void left by the departures of Paul McMullan and Dom Thomas on the
other flank are yet to be filled. Liam Boyce started alongside Dipo Akinyemi on
top, playing slightly off to the right, but couldn’t impact the game. Gavin
Whyte came off the bench after missing the Bohs game but also found no joy in
breaking down the Rovers backline.
Ben Doherty made his first appearance in six weeks after
picking up an injury in Dalymount Park in June, if he gets a string of games
together between now and November he gives another attacking outlet down the
left flank. Adam Frizzell hasn’t been given much gametime to show what he
brings to the squad and could feature more frequently in the next couple of
months.
Still sitting in third, but with Shelbourne and Drogheda
United looming larger in the rearview, City can’t settle for anything less than
a win on Friday. It’s vital to stay fighting in the top three or four places
and the squad can’t let results like the Rovers defeat get to their heads. It’s
a battle of the cities for the last time until the final day of the season,
with a big cup tie at home to Drogheda United on the menu for next week. Onwards
and upwards, folks.
Cork City:
Winning the First Division in 2024 by September, with a
margin of eighteen points ahead of second placed UCD, it looked like Cork City had
put the inconsistency of their recent yo-yo years behind them. Since being
relegated to the First Division in 2020, Cork City spent three seasons in
Ireland’s second tier having been relegated again in 2023 following promotion.
Unfortunately for the Cork faithful, their return to the
Premier Division ahead of 2025 has brought with it a return to the doom and
gloom. Currently rooted to the bottom of the league, eight points adrift of
ninth placed Sligo Rovers having won just four times all year, Cork City are
destined for the drop. Despite winning their first league game since April last
weekend, City still have a mountain to climb.
With just one defeat from the first six games back in the
top flight, it seemed like Cork City would hold their own this year. A 2-1
defeat in the Brandywell in early April ended that though, as it sent Cork on a
streak of ten losses from fourteen games. As if that wasn’t bad enough, star
striker Ruairí Keating suffered an Achilles rupture which ended his season
prematurely. Forming what looked to be a promising strike partnership with
former Republic of Ireland striker Sean Maguire, Keating’s injury has been a microcosm
of Cork’s season. He’s recently been joined by star winger Cathal O’Sullivan on
the injury list. The eighteen year old suffered a devastating ACL tear last
week, which will rule him out until at least the start of the 2026 campaign.
The recent 3-2 home defeat against Sligo Rovers will likely
have been the most painful defeat of the lot. Victory would’ve cut the gap to
ninth to five points, and when Cork led 2-0 by the 56th minute, that
looked likely. The game flipped on its head in the next half hour, when goals
by Owen Elding and Patrick McClean were followed by an 89th minute
Ryan O’Kane winner for the visitors. A cruel defeat that likely put the final
nail in the Cork City coffin.
A 3-0 win over
Leinster Senior League side Leicester Celtic has seen the Rebels progress to
the third round of the FAI Cup, where they’ll host Munster rivals Waterford. A
run in the cup could be the thing that brings the spirits up, but with key
forward Djenairo Daniels leaving for Kilmarnock, winger Malik Dijksteel joining
him in Scotland by switching to St Mirren and defender Milan Mbeng heading to
Shelbourne, it’d need to be a hell of a run to lift the mood in Turner’s Cross.
One thing that Cork City has going for them is their youth. Twenty
year old midfielder Kitt Nelson, on loan from Preston North End, has scored
five and assisted once this season. Three of those six goal involvements have
come against relegation rivals Sligo Rovers too. Dutch forward Djenairo
Daniels, who only made twelve appearances for the club between signing in April
and leaving for Kilmarnock in July, leads Cork’s goal involvement table with
five goals and two assists. A quality replacement for Keating, City were unable
to extend the 23 year old’s short term contract.
Eighteen year old winger Cathal O’Sullivan, who shone in the
First Division last year, will be a big loss in the end of the season. A tricky
winger cut from the Arjen Robben cloth of cutting in from the right flank, he
has suitors across Europe. Speaking of such, 16 year old David Dunne recently
made the switch to Ligue 1 giants AS Monaco from the Rebels. The winger made
his debut in the Brandywell earlier this season, but Cork won’t receive any
windfall from the move due to the status of Dunne’s contract, something which
could hurt them in the future given his talent.
With the second most draws in the Premier Division it’d be
reductive to say that Cork City won’t leave this division without a fight.
Despite the trouble on and off the pitch, the Rebel Army are one of the most
well supported teams in the league. They’ll be desperate to pick up any points
to keep any sliver of hope at making the relegation play-offs alive. The two
Cities won’t meet again until the final day of the season but this one has the
potential to be crucial in both side’s seasons.
Round-up:
All focus for Derry City now turns to finishing in the
European places, beginning the final ten games of the season with a home game
against Cork City on Friday. It’s something of a must win for both sides. Derry
need to keep pressure on Bohs in second and not let Shels or Drogheda get too
close behind them. Cork need a win to reduce the gap to second bottom to five
points. It’s crunch time for both Cities.
Cork City haven’t beaten Derry City since October 2018. In
the fourteen games in league and cup action since then, Derry have won twelve
and drawn twice. The odds, therefore, are stacked in the favour of the hosts.
With Cork City picking up a much welcomed first win in almost four months last
weekend, they’ll hope to string a few more together if they’re to have any hope
of reeling in Sligo Rovers or Galway United in the lower echelons of the table.
With eight wins in a row against The Rebels, Tiernan Lynch’s
Candystripes will hope to extend that record and head into next week’s cup tie
on a positive note. With the distraction of the title behind us for another
year, City have their sights set on a European place.
Pól O’Hare – 5th August 2025
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