Derry City v Drogheda United: Match Preview (August 2025)

 Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC, FAI Cup Third Round, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Saturday 16^th August 2025, kick-off 8pm

After being held to 0-0 draws by Munster sides Cork City and Waterford last week, Derry City and Drogheda United now meet in the FAI Cup third round. With a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs, City and United do battle in a repeat of last year’s final, which the Louth side emerged victorious from. It’s one of the biggest games of the season to date, as victory would leave either Derry or Drogheda just two games away from another Aviva Stadium final in November.

Derry City:

Last Friday’s stalemate at home to bottom side Cork City wasn’t for the footballing purist. Derry had lost 2-0 to Shamrock Rovers the week prior, and the City faithful were demanding a response. Tenth placed Cork, on the other hand, had won their first game in almost four months in the previous game and were desperate to get points on the board to keep alive any hope of clinging on.

The home side started the brighter of the two teams, attacking Cork’s defence as they had the wind behind them. Said wind also scuppered many of goalkeeper Conor Brann’s kicks, which added additional pressure to the travelling side’s backline. One of those kicks, which got caught by the wind, led to Derry’s first big opportunity. Liam Boyce nodded the dropping ball towards Michael Duffy who drove at the Cork defence, before cutting inside and firing narrowly wide from distance.

Liam Boyce was again at the centre of City’s best chance of the game just five minutes before the break. Adam O’Reilly’s inch-perfect ball was met by the former Hearts striker in the six-yard box, but he misjudged the flight of the ball and headed over from close range. A let off for Cork and an indication of how things were going for City.

I can’t go through this without mentioning the ridiculous piece of skill that Michael Duffy did when turning away from his Cork City counterpart, flicking a pass through the legs of the defender with a deft touch off the heel just after the break. That was, unfortunately for City, the highlight of the second half. Ben Doherty, Dipo Akinyemi and Danny Mullen were all introduced in attacking areas but couldn’t impact the game. City had 72% off the ball in the second period and delivered cross after cross into the Cork box, none of which would stick or create decent chances.

Goalless and coming away with a point apiece, Friday’s game was dull to say the least. Not helped by the artificial pitch in all it’s glory, which delved up back-spinning bounces and heavy touches, neither side deserved more than a point. Derry played their best football early in the second half but couldn’t snatch a goal when the wind was behind them. Sadou Diallo was also booked in the first ten minutes and will miss the next league game through suspension, although the Englishman is in line to make his 100^th Derry appearance should he feature on Saturday.

By the time the second half came round, the home side looked predictable and didn’t pick up the intensity when it was really needed. Ben Doherty played more than thirty minutes of football for the first time since the 2-1 home win over Cork in April when he replaced Gavin Whyte – one of only a few positives to take from the game. Most attacks in the second period when down his side, but the balls into the box failed to trouble Cork’s resolute defence. It seemed like the travelling side were prepared to dig deeper, which is a damning indictment considering they’re seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Digging deep is simply a necessity when facing Drogheda United on Saturday. They’ll be happy to sit and soak pressure as Cork City did, but their speed going forward could prove deadly. With more quality than Cork, Drogheda will know exactly what’s required of them to find victory on Saturday evening.

Since hammering Waterford 7-2 five weeks ago, City haven’t won a league game, scoring just once and picking up two points in the four Premier Division games following that win. In comparison, the Candystripes were on a four game winning streak before losing to Sligo Rovers on 12^th July, which included three clean sheets and twelve goals. It appears, from the outside at least, that the amount of player movement in the transfer window may have caused inconsistent form in this latter part of the summer period.

City’s only win since thrashing Waterford was the 5-1 victory away to Treaty United in the second round of the FAI Cup. Tiernan Lynch and has side will be looking for a victory of even more importance on Saturday to get the season back on track. Already winning, losing and drawing to Drogheda United this year, it’s hard to tell which way this one will swing. It’s important to remember that City are still third in the league, and we’re not falling apart, but a huge cup win could be the catalyst to a successful last three months of the campaign.

Drogheda United:

FAI Cup holders Drogheda United have had a rollercoaster campaign. Going full-time following last year’s FAI Cup final win over 2-0, expecting the riches that it’s entrance into the second round of UEFA Conference League football would bring, United flew out of the blocks in the early stages.

Top of the Premier Division after fourteen games, Drogheda were being touted as title challengers. With more than a third of the season gone, the Louth side had held their own at the summit before being displaced by Shamrock Rovers. Some expected United’s form to fall off coming into the hectic summer calendar of cup and European football but, as it turned out, only one of those two was to become a distraction.

To cut a long and much publicised story short, Drogheda United were the first victim of UEFA’s rule on multi-club ownership. Despite going through the Court for Arbitration for Sport, Drogheda were booted out of the UEFA Conference League and replaced by Silkeborg, the Danish club with whom they share an owner. Crystal Palace have been dealt a similar blow, being kicked from the Europa League to the Conference League, while Slovakian side DAC 1904 were also expelled from the Conference League. The scourge of multi-club ownership rearing its head once again.

Since learning in mid-June that their European escapades would be cancelled this summer, Drogheda have won four of their seven games in all competitions. With two losses, one at home to Shamrock Rovers and a 3-0 defeat in the Brandywell, it seems like United aren’t letting the Euro disappointment get to their heads. They’re still in contention for European spots, level on points with Derry City in third and one behind Bohemians in second.

The cup holders began their silverware defence with a comfortable 5-0 win over Leinster Senior League outfit Crumlin United. Thomas Oluwa and Darragh Markey both scored and assisted, while centre back Conor Keeley bagged his sixth of the season in all competitions – two of which came against Derry City earlier in the year. Swansea City loanee Josh Thomas also found the net against Crumlin and has netted in three of his last five in all competitions, one of which was a crucial winner away to Bohemians. 19 year old midfielder John O’Sullivan scored the fifth on his debut for the club.

Fighting on the same plane as Derry City, Drogheda United will be out to emulate their cup glory from last season. Holding on to forward Warren Davis has been key to their summer business, he has scored seven goals and assisted twice more this year. Conor Keeley’s eight goals and assists really stands out for a centre back, too. Darragh Markey is a tidy technician in the middle, alongside the energetic Shane Farrell. American goalkeeper Luke Dennison has been one of the most impressive stoppers in the country this year – he tops the clean sheets chart for the league with twelve.

A well-drilled and hardworking team, who have goals spread across the pitch, no team will find Drogheda United an easy opponent. Derry City were the first Premier Division opponent that Drogheda faced in their journey to last year’s FAI Cup victory, and it didn’t phase them at all. With a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs, this repeat of the 2024 final should live up to its billing.

Round-up:

As the title hopes of both Derry City and Drogheda United dried up in recent weeks, last year’s silver and gold medallists once again turn to the FAI Cup for their source of silverware dreams. It’s a repeat of last season’s final, as the 2022 champions host the 2024 victors for a spot in the last eight of Ireland’s premier cup competition.

City and United have both comfortably beaten the other across the season; Drogheda when they came from behind to win 3-1 in April and Derry when they cruised to a 3-0 win in late June. The other matchup between these two ended in a 1-1 draw in May, when the now-departed Dom Thomas found a 90^th minute equaliser. You really never know what you’ll get in this pairing.

Prior to last year’s final defeat, Derry City had beaten Drogheda United in their previous five cup meetings. Included in there was a 5-0 quarterfinal replay victory in 2014, a 3-0 round three tie a year later and 2-1 round two reply another year later in 2016. City scored twice late on to win in the second round in 2020 before winning on penalties in 2021’s first round. There’s certainly cup history between these two – history which Tiernan Lynch will be out to make more of.

It's a Saturday evening cup tie in a sunny Brandywell. Not many of us are confident but hi, what more could you ask for…

Pól O’Hare – 12^th August 2025