Derry City v St Patrick's Athletic: Match Preview (August 2025)

St Patrick’s Athletic FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 29, Richmond Park, Friday 29^th August 2025, kick-off 7.45pm

With the final set of Premier Division games now underway, Derry City picked up their first league win in five with a 93^rd minute winner against Galway United last week. The result keeps Derry three points clear in the European spots and left Galway United sitting just one point above the relegation play-off spot. Up next for the Candystripes is the visit of in-form St Pat’s, who have won all five of their most recent league and FAI Cup games in a massive fixture in the race for Europe.

Derry City:

Going into the game against Galway, there was a feeling of dread amongst most of the City faithful. The team had squandered games in hand to drop out of the title race and lost on penalties to be dumped out of the FAI Cup in the weeks leading up to it. Heading to one of the toughest grounds in the league to get a result, the Candystripes would’ve needed a real statement win to get the fans back on side.

Despite a decent start, the home side found the opener with just over a quarter of an hour on the clock. Bobby Burns laid off Jimmy Keohane in the box who, with time and space, took one touch and swivelled before firing the ball into the top corner. It was a goal of real quality from the veteran midfielder and one which gave the watching City fans that sinking feeling.

One could just have easily become two on 32 minutes, when a David Hurley strike was parried by Brian Maher into the path of Stephen Walsh. Maher rushed out and made himself big to smother the forward’s shot just as the linesman on the far side raised his flag. Despite hitting the post through Alex Bannon just minutes later, City still found themselves behind as half time loomed large.

That was the case until the equaliser came right on the stroke of the break. A floated Sadou Diallo ball into the box was nodded down by Brandon Fleming and met by fellow new signing Dipo Akinyemi from close range. The former York City man prodded the ball into the corner and had the visitors on level terms going into the break. Fleming’s second assist in red and white and Dipo’s second goal giving the Candsytripes a vital lifeline.

Said lifeline was pushed to its very limits throughout the second half. With just 48 on the clock, centre back Rob Slevin played a ball across the face of the box. Patrick Hickey was at the back post with the goal at his mercy, but headed over and spurned a huge opportunity to regain the lead. A Keohane rocket from distance was touched over the crossbar by Brian Maher later in the half as the home side came close once again, another crucial save from City’s number one.

As the half went on, it looked like Derry’s luck was running out. Mark Connolly was taken off injured earlier in the half, while the dismissal of new signing Jamie Stott looks to have left City’s defensive options very limited going into the game next week. Already on a yellow, he fouled former Finn Harps forward Dara McGuinness and was shown his marching orders by Rob Hennessy. Mark Connolly, therefore, joins Liam Boyce on the treatment table for City.

Finally, the visitor’s luck was in. Breaking through the middle after coming off the bench, Adam O’Reilly played through Dipo Akinyemi. Akinyemi, content with his goal earlier in the half, showed brilliant reading of the game to deceive the defender and lay it on a plate for the onrushing O’Reilly, who made no mistake to slot into the net and claim all three points for Derry City in stoppage time. Another vital involvement from Dipo as O’Reilly found his first competitive goal since April 2024 to give City three league points for the first time since thrashing Waterford in early July.

Last Friday’s win was much, much needed. With our only win in our last six prior coming to Treaty United in the cup, we needed a bit of luck and three points desperately. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job. Sam Todd and Hayden Cann once again began on the bench, but Ronan Boyce was brought in for his first start in four games. The injury to Mark Connolly and red card for Jamie Stott will force Tiernan Lynch into starting both Todd and Cann against Pat’s on Friday, but mean that we’ll have no central defensive cover on the bench if he starts in our usual set up with three central defenders.

Speaking of the bench, Cameron Dummigan returned to the Derry City squad almost one year to the day since his last appearance after a long injury lay-off. Whilst not starting, even bringing him off the bench for the last couple of months of the season will add a versatile defensive midfielder into the mix, who can also slot in at right back – a position we’ve been light in without Ronan Boyce in recent weeks. Sean Patton also came on to make his first appearance since the 2-0 loss away to Sligo Rovers on July 12^th. With Liam Boyce out injured, Patton’s return gives us some energy and pace off the bench.

Adam O’Reilly is one man who brought energy and pace off the bench on Friday night. The lively midfielder has seen most of his gametime at right back recently as Tiernan Lynch has preferred a duo of Winchester and Diallo in the centre, but his cameo on Friday night will surely have thrown him back in the starting eleven midfield mix. He began and ended the move for the injury time winner and gives an outlet through the middle which we don’t have when he’s not in the team. He’s a serious player and one who’s too good to be sitting on the bench.

Now with eight games to go, Derry City are looking slightly more comfortable in the league than this time last week. We’re still third, just one point off Bohemians in second. St Pat’s’ injury time winner away to Drogheda meant that City maintain a three point gap on the Louth side. It does, however, mean that Pats would go one point behind us with victory in the Brandywell on Friday. Drogheda United have a task on their hands as they travel to Tallaght on Sunday, while Shelbourne sit six points behind City, albeit with a game in hand.

With Ben Doherty back from suspension, and the consistent Sam Todd and Hayden Cann back in the team on Friday, this game could prove to be one of our most pivotal this season. Pat’s are doing that thing where they go on a mad winning streak towards the end of the campaign. If City are serious about making Europe, we’ll need to stop that. With three more points on the board for Derry, and 24 left to play for, the European race is really heating up.

St Pat’s:

Tipped as one of the favourites for the title heading into the 2025 season, St Patrick’s Athletic haven’t lived up to the hype for the most-part this year. Taken inspiration from their nine game winning streak at the end of last season though, the Saints have recently embarked on a similar run. With five consecutive wins in their last five domestic games, Pats are hitting form in the business end of the campaign. They didn’t do too badly in Europe either.

Stephen Kenny’s side cruised past Lithuanian side FC Hegelmann in the first qualifying round of the Conference League, beating them 3-0 on aggregate. Those two victories were followed by another triumph in the second round, when Pat’s beat Estonian side Nomme Kalju in Richmond Park before coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in extra time in the return leg. Those triumphs gave the Inchicore side a healthy payout but saw them dealt one of the hardest possible draws in the third round, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas. Former Chelsea, AC Milan and Roma forward Tammy Abraham scored a first half hat-trick in Richmond Park, before scoring again in Istanbul. Joao Mario, capped 56 times by Portugal, also scored in each leg. Despite going 2-0 up in Turkey, Pat’s bowed out with a valiant effort.

As it did last year, it seems that the European momentum is translating into domestic action for Kenny’s men. Pat’s were on a six game winless streak prior to the victory over Hegelmann, but now have kept five clean sheets in the past five domestic games, winning all five and scoring sixteen goals.  An 8-0 win over UCC in the FAI Cup was followed by comfortable league victories over Waterford and Sligo Rovers, while a 2-0 victory at home to rivals Shelbourne has seen the 2023 FAI Cup winners reach the quarter-final stage. Last week’s 1-0 victory away to Drogheda United is a real statement considering the context. This tends to be the time of the year where Pats come into their own.

Despite sitting fifth in the league, Pats are just four points off the European spots and, with a win against Derry City, would put themselves right back in contention. If leagues were won off sheer talent, St Pat’s’ gap to the top would be a lot narrower. 17 year old forward Mason Melia is their top scorer in the league with nine goals, followed by Aidan Keena on six. The most promising Irish talent alongside Owen Elding, Melia will join Tottenham Hotspur for a fee which could rise to around €4m when he turns 18 at the end of the season. Two of Keena’s six came against Derry earlier in the season, when Pats beat City 2-0 in Richmond Park.

Adding to Pat’s’ quality at the top off the pitch are wingers Jake Mulraney, Zack Elbouzedi, Simon Power and Jason McClelland. Mulraney and Elbouzedi have experienced in the MLS and the Swedish top flight respectively, while Power is rapid down the flanks and bagged against Besiktas. McClelland has been a dependable figure for Pats since joining in 2019, even slotting in at wingback. Conor Carty is another option in centre forward, he too scored against Besiktas but is yet to score in league action.

Chris Forrester is still probably the most technically gifted footballer in the league. With the ability to dictate the game at his own pace, he’s scored three goals in Pat’s’ two cup games to date and can find a goal out of nowhere. Former Derry City midfielder Brandon Kavanagh got more assists than any other player in the league last season, but has become more of an impact substitute this year. Kian Leavy, Barry Baggley and Jamie Lennon add control to the midfield, while Darren Robinson and John Garrick have joined from Derby County and Forest Green Rovers respectively.

At the back, goalkeeper Joey Anang’s thirteen clean sheets is the joint highest in the Premier Division. That form has seen him called up to the Ghana national team, alongside the likes of Spurs’ Mohammed Kudus and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. In front of him are captain Joe Redmond and Tom Grivosti, while Luke Turner is an option on the left side of centre back and popped up with a 95^th minute winner last week. He’s a former Cliftonville defender who was linked with Derry City in the summer. Former Liverpool right-back Ryan McLaughlin has Axel Sjoberg for competition, while Al-Amin Kazeem is a rapid left sided fullback. In terms of squad depth then, Pats are stacked.

With eight games to go, Pats will hope to continue their form and fire themselves back into the European race. Now into the last eight of the FAI Cup, scoring ten and conceding none in their two cup games, they’ll fancy their chances for cup glory this year too. They’re a team who have the capability to blow a side away, but have been known to slip up and hit patches of inconsistency this term. When City host Pat’s, and Stephen Kenny returns to the Brandywell, it’s never quiet.

Round-up:

For the final time in 2025, one of the league’s most entertaining matchups meet as Derry City host St. Pat’s. The Candystripes have come out on top twice against the Saints this year, winning 1-0 in both the Brandywell and Inchicore, while Pat’s claimed a 2-0 win at their place in the early stages of the season. With just four points separating these two, and Pat’s hitting momentum, a win would see Pat’s right back in the top three picture.

Luckily for City, their record at home against Pat’s is promising. They’ve won all five of the last five meetings between the two on Foyleside. In fact, their only defeat at home to Pat’s since October 2019 came on penalties in the FAI Cup second round back in 2023. Of the last ten meetings in Derry, only one has ended in a draw.

Scoring eight goals in three home games against Friday’s opponents in 2024, Tiernan Lynch will hope his Derry City side carry that form into this meeting too. As the race for the top three heats up, this one may be huge come November. There are only three home games left after this one so, folks, we’ve officially reached ‘the run-in’.

Pól O’Hare – 27^th August 2025