Cork City v Derry City: Match Preview (November 2025)

Cork City FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 36, Turner’s Cross, Saturday 1^st November 2025 kick-off 4.30pm

Just like that, we’re at the end of another Premier Division season. Following a statement victory over Shamrock Rovers in the Brandywell last Sunday, Derry City travel to relegated Cork City hoping to secure second place. With European football secured, the pressure will be let off for the Candystripes, while their hosts will have one eye on next week’s FAI Cup final.

Derry City:

A point apiece in Sunday’s tie between Derry City and Shamrock Rovers would have guaranteed European football for City and claimed the title for the Hoops. I may have gone on record saying I’d be happy enough with that too. Despite being winless against Rovers in the Brandywell since 2023’s President’s Cup, the confidence of the table toppers was shaky following four defeats from the previous five. For a City side unbeaten in seven, there wouldn’t have been a better chance to get one over the Tallaght side.

Large swathes of the first half were covered by Shamrock Rovers’ dominance. An early Graham Burke effort forced Brian Maher into a finger tip save, while the away side’s 68% percent possession in the first period spoke volumes. When it comes down to it though, there’s only one metric which truly matters – the score. The home side went into the break ahead after Brandon Fleming’s cross to the back post dipped over McGinty and nestled in the top corner. A brilliant opener for the Candystripes as the former Hull City fullback found his first ever professional goal.

With Mark Connolly off injured in the first half, and the armband handed to Michael Duffy, City refused to sit back after the break and went out on the front foot. While it looked like Rovers were miles ahead of Derry in the 2-0 win in Tallaght in August, City bossed the league leaders across the second phase. 32% possession in the first half became 53% in the second, while City’s eight shots in the second half was double that of Rovers'.

A second goal to kill the game finally came on the 87^th minute. The visitors, down to ten after Lee Grace was shown two yellow cards in four minutes earlier in the half, saw City’s tenacity get the better of them. Wish shades of his short back-pass handing Jamie McGonigle a stoppage time winner in 2022, Pico Lopes had his pocket picked on the turn by Michael Duffy. City’s star man had time and space to play a perfect pass to Sadou Diallo, which the English midfielder stroked into the top corner. Jubilation in the Brandywell as City had a first win in twelve over the Hoops, despite a 98^th minute consolation goal from Rory Gaffney.

Even though Shelbourne’s comeback later on Sunday evening saw the top three decided, and meant that Derry didn’t yet have second place confirmed, the fixture with Rovers was a real classic. A first half which saw the side dig deep and score against the run of play was followed by a second period which epitomised what the team should be about. Always on the front foot, City were desperate to get the three points in the bag and did so deservedly. A brilliant showing to give the Brandywell faithful something to look forward to next year.

Michael Duffy’s assist was his 26^th direct goal involvement in all competitions this year, a serious haul for the 31 year old which should really see him take home the PFAI Player of the Year award. Brandon Fleming’s fine first few months at the club saw him bag a deserved goal, while Sadou Diallo in particular looked a step above anyone else in the midfield after coming off the bench at half-time. His touches, passing and elegance were summarised by a smart finish into the top corner for the winner. That’s a man playing for a contract extension if ever I’ve seen one – do it Tiernan.

Cameron Dummigan’s inclusion in the starting eleven was his first start since August 2024 after a hefty injury lay-off. From his performance, he looked like he’d been playing all season. Originally man marking Graham Burke in the first period, he formed part of the back three and pulled the strings sitting just in front of the defence when in possession. His 7.8 rating on Sofascore was higher than anyone else on the pitch on Sunday evening.

Should Shelbourne drop points against St Pat’s, Derry City will finish the year in second place. External factors aside, you’d fancy City to beat relegated Cork City and claim that runners-up spot in Turner’s Cross. Should Shamrock Rovers win the cup as well as the league, second place will enter the Europa League qualifiers rather than the Conference League, effectively giving the league runners-up two cracks at Euro qualifiers. It’s in City’s own hands to finish second, and the FAI Cup final will be the only day for years that’ll make Derry fans want a Shamrock Rovers victory.

Scroll down to see my players of the year and a wee message to say thanks a million!

Cork City:

Back in the Premier Division after storming the First Division in 2024, Cork City haven’t had the return to the top flight they’d hoped for. After eight games, the Rebel Army had slipped into the relegation zone and escaped it only once before being relegated with three games to go in mid-October.

Promotion winning manager Tim Clancy left in May after defeat to Derry City in the Brandywell. That defeat also saw key forward Ruairi Keating injure his Achilles, rendering him out of action for the rest of the season. With his replacement Djenairo Daniels leaving for Kilmarnock after scoring five goals in twelve games, centre back Milan Mbeng departing for Shelbourne on deadline day and star winger Cathal O’Sullivan tearing his ACL, it seemed like 2025 would be the year from hell for Cork City.

That would be correct if you looked solely at the Premier Division table. It was in FAI Cup action where Cork came into their own. They began by beating Leinster Senior League side Leicester Celtic 3-0, before bagging in the 2^nd and 80^th minutes to defeat fierce rivals Waterford in the Third Round. The quarter-finals brought another 3-0 victory, this time away at Finn Harps in Ballybofey. Two of those three were scored by Derry-man Evan McLaughlin, a feat which was repeated in the semi-final.

One game away from the Aviva, bottom of the league and drawn against European chasing St Pat’s, Cork City were huge underdogs going into the semis. Knowing that they were down and out in league action, Cork turned on the style in Turner’s Cross a month ago, picking up their third 3-0 win of the competition. Another Evan McLaughlin double was complemented by an early Sean Maguire opener as the Rebel Army marched on to Landsdowne Road.

Facing league champions Shamrock Rovers in the final, who beat Kerry FC 6-1 in the semis, Cork City once again go in as underdogs. Having already embarrassed one of Dublin’s big clubs, they’ll be hell-bent on doing that again. With a first cup win since 2017 and the prospect of Europa League football next summer on the line, next Sunday will be one of the biggest days in Cork City’s recent history.

Due to the magnitude of the upcoming final, don’t be surprised to see Cork City take no risks at home to Derry City on Saturday. Already relegated, they’ll want to show pride in the shirt and give their fans something to cheer about it before the big day. At the same time however, Ger Nash will not want to risk any of his key players and will hope for a fit and firing squad next week.

The aforementioned Djenairo Daniels’ five league goals means that he’s still joint top of Cork goalscoring chart in the league, despite playing his last game for the club in June. Called into the Suriname national team after those exploits and a bright start in Scotland, Daniels recently tore his ACL in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala and will be out for the season. Tied on five goals with Sean Maguire and Preston North End loanee Kitt Nelson, Daniels is one of only seven City players to have scored more than once in the league this year. With 33 in 37, they’re the lowest scoring side in the league and having conceded 60, also have the league’s poorest defence.

As is the running theme, Cork’s FAI Cup stats make for much better reading. They’ve conceded just once in their four cup games in 2025, scoring eleven in the process. Evan McLaughlin leads the list with those, having bagged braces in the quarter and semi-finals. It’d be great for him if he netted in the final having been on loan at Coleraine when Derry City won the cup in 2022. With a further two assists, he’s directly contributed to more than half of Cork City’s FAI Cup goals this year. Sean Maguire, Kitt Nelson, Charlie Lutz, Matthew Murray and Kaedyn Kamara were the other goal-getters in their cup run.

Despite their relegation, Cork City’s squad isn’t devoid of quality or experience. Sean Maguire has eleven Ireland caps and years of experience in the EFL, while midfielder Greg Bolger has three Premier Division and four FAI Cup triumphs across a League of Ireland career spanning eighteen years. Sean Murray was part of Dundalk’s league and league cup double winning team of 2019 and won the FAI Cup in 2020 – two players of real pedigree in the midfield.

Cathal O’Sullivan was heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace prior to his knee injury, he’s a player with a wand of a left foot. The acquisition of Alex Nolan from St Pat’s looked promising, while Benny Couto has impressed at left back this year. Rory Feely and Fiacre Kelleher also returned to Ireland by signing from Crawley Town and Colchester United in the summer.

With a difficult Premier Division campaign almost done and dusted, and a huge FAI Cup final on the horizon, Cork City will want to end the year on a high. Whether that’s a positive result heading into the final, or resting players knowing their strongest team will be available next Sunday, it’ll likely not be long before the Turner’s Cross faithful see Premier Division football once again. All focus for Ger Nash and his side will be on next Sunday’s final, but they won’t let Derry City take the points easily on Saturday.

Round-up & Players of the Year:

With just one game left of the 2025 Premier Division campaign, the feel good factor has returned to the Derry City camp. Now eight games unbeaten, with five wins and three draws in that time, City have come surprisingly close to pushing Shamrock Rovers the whole way. Six points behind the now-champions, City sit two places and five points ahead of where they finished in 2024. For Tiernan Lynch, his backroom staff and new signings, it’s turned out to be a fairly successful first season in League of Ireland football.

Despite their relegation, Cork City will be hoping for a positive result to take into next week’s FAI Cup final. Their first final since 2018, the Rebel Army will travel to Dublin in their numbers and hope to upset Shamrock Rovers. With that in mind, Ger Nash may rotate against Derry City on Saturday. Losing a key player to injury wouldn’t be worth the risk with such at stake next week.

Unbeaten against Cork City for more than seven years, Derry City will hope to extend that record, in doing so taking a nine game unbeaten streak into the new season. With two 2-1 wins and a 0-0 draw between these two this season, this may end up feeling like a real end-of-season tie given Derry’s European confirmation and Cork’s relegation. Despite that, it’s the Battle of the Cities for the fourth and last time in 2025.

Seeing we’re at the end of the season, here are my top three players of Derry City’s 2025 campaign. Thanks again to everyone who has read, interacted with, or left a comment on my previews this year. It’s been my second full season of previewing every single Derry City match in league and cup action and it’s been a really fulfilling couple of years, which started with that KuPS European tie in 2023. That feels like ages ago right enough. We’ve seen the ups and downs of supporting this club, but that’s why we love it. Massive thanks again, your support over the last 27 months has genuinely been really appreciated. Pól.

Players of the Year –

1.        Michael Duffy – It really couldn’t be anyone else. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen play for Derry City and he’s had the best individual season I’ve see an a Derry player have. A local hero, he’s pulled his side to second in the league and become the best player in Ireland, bar none. 26 goals and assists from the left wing and a three year contract extension mark a seriously successful season for Michael Duffy.

2.        Sam Todd – After going on loan to Tiernan Lynch’s Larne in 2024, Lynch put his trust in Todd to be the left sided centre back of his back three when becoming Derry City manager. Todd has developed into one of the league’s best in his position and has been consistently quality throughout the year. A unit at the back, with a good range of passing and ability to bomb down the flank, tying him down to a new deal will be as good as any signing in the off-season.

3.        Brian Maher – I struggled to pick a number three here, trying to pick between Brian Maher, Carl Winchester, Adam O’Reilly and even Brandon Fleming. I’ve gone for Brian Maher who, after finishing his fourth season at the club, is still one of the most reliable keepers in the league. Not as involved in build-up play as previous years, Maher’s reflexes and shot-stopping have kept Derry City in games and won us more points than he'll get credit for. City’s number one has certainly come back to his best in the last half of the year.

From myself, that's another year of preview writing done. Take care!
Pól O'Hare - 29th October 2025

Derry City v Shamrock Rovers: Match Preview (October 2025)

 Derry City FC v Shamrock Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 35, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Sunday 25^th October 2025 kick-off 3pm

Heading into the penultimate game of the 2025 season, Derry City remain in second place after a Michael Duffy and Gavin Whyte inspired 2-1 victory away to Waterford last week. Visitors in the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Sunday are Shamrock Rovers who have lost their last two but only need a point to clinch the league title. The same outcome for Derry would see the Candystripes guarante European qualification before next week’s finale against already relegated Cork City.

Derry City:

Despite recording their biggest win of the season with a 7-2 demolition over Waterford in the last meeting between the sides, Derry City’s 2-1 defeats against the Blues in their other two fixtures meant that the City faithful weren’t the most confident going into last Friday’s game. After a six hour trip to Munster, City were pinned back in the opening stages and eventually went 1-0 down with just 21 minutes on the clock when Tom Lonergan fired past Brian Maher from an angle. A far from ideal start for Tiernan Lynch’s men.

Ronan Boyce came close with a header just minutes after going behind, but it wasn’t long before Derry found themselves level. Michael Duffy received the ball on the right flank from Adam O’Reilly and drove at the Waterford defence before nutmegging Ronan Mansfield and putting the ball on a plate for Gavin Whyte to stroke home. It was a clinical move from the Candystripes, which City’s mercurial number seven was at the heart of. A well-deserved goal for Gavin Whyte too, who found the net for the first time since July’s 7-2 victory over Waterford.

Buoyed on be the equaliser, City took the lead before the break in fine fashion. Kacper Radkowski’s pass to his centre back partner was short and picked up by Gavin Whyte. The former NI international slid through Michael Duffy, who rifled the ball past Sam Sargeant and into the bottom corner. Another clinical strike from Derry and more excellent link-up play between Whyte and Duffy. The assist was Gavin Whyte’s ninth goal involvement of the year, and Duffy’s finish was his 25^th in all competitions. What a season that man’s having.

Heading into the break a goal to the good, City knew the second half would bring an onslaught of Waterford pressure. Goalkeeper Brian Maher, who has been back to his best of late, was on top form to ensure the Candystripes took the three points home. He made a phenomenal reaction save to deny Pádraig Amond at close range, before sharply getting down to his right to deny a fierce Conan Noonan effort on the 89^th minute. Another huge three points picked up by Derry City, who have extended their unbeaten run to seven games at this crucial point of the season.

That win in Waterford all but confirmed European football for Derry City. Now on 57 points, we’ve surpassed last season’s points tally of 55 and have opened a six point buffer to Bohemians in fourth place. We know how vital second place will be if Shamrock Rovers win the cup – whoever finishes there will enter the Europa League qualifiers rather than Conference League – and that remains the target for City.

While we aren’t out of the title race just yet in mathematical terms, we’d need to hammer Shamrock Rovers and beat Cork City, all while hoping that Rovers lose to Galway United and Sligo Rovers in order to finish level on points with them and go ahead on goal difference. @DanielHussey2 on X figures that the most realistic way for Derry to claim the title is to beat Shamrock Rovers 3-0 on Sunday and Cork City 5-0 away on the final day, all while hoping Galway and Sligo beat Rovers 1-0. In that instance, we’d be equal on points and goal difference, winning the league on goals scored. An insane scenario, and it’d be a true miracle if it happened, but even I know that if Rovers don’t win the title on Sunday, they absolutely will in the next week.

Having played in Europe on Thursday and playing their game in hand with Galway United on Wednesday, Shamrock Rovers’ three games in a week will mean that they’ll be happy to play for a point in Derry on Sunday. In a way, that would suit both teams. It’d guarantee the title for Rovers and European football for City. Whilst it wouldn’t be ideal to see the title won in the Brandywell by a team not called ‘Derry City’ for the second year running, it’ll be interesting to see how Lynch will approach the game.

Derry City’s ongoing injury crisis saw teenagers Callum Downey, Ciaran Mullan and Ryan Long named on the bench against Waterford. With Danny Mullen out of that squad through injury, City won the game without having with having a recognised striker in the squad. The technical quality of Michael Duffy and Gavin Whyte pulled Derry through, as their fluidity across the front line pulled gaps in the Waterford defence. Whether that’ll work against the league’s most solid back-line this year will remain to be seen, but it’ll be a fascinating tactical battle to see how Tiernan Lynch’s side will set up should Danny Mullen remain to be unavailable.

Heading into the last home game of the season, Sunday may be the last time most of the City faithful see a number of players play in red and white. Mark Connolly, Arlo Doherty, Ben Doherty, Ronan Boyce, Sam Todd, Sadou Diallo, Shane Ferguson, Robbie Benson and Danny Mullen will all come to the end of their contracts at the end of the season (Transfermarkt). With news only of Michael Duffy’s extension made public at this point, it remains to be seen who Tiernan Lynch will keep on. If European football is confirmed, we may hear news sooner rather than later given the money that will bring in.

For Derry City, everything that has happened this season comes down to Sunday. Failure to win will see Shamrock Rovers claim the title, not that City have a realistic chance anyway, but victory would be massive in securing second place. A top three finish, given the amount of personnel change on and off the pitch in the last year, would mark a successful debut campaign for Tiernan Lynch. Having already surpassed last year’s points tally and with the possibility of finishing closer to top spot than we did in 2024, the season can’t be seen as a failure. When Lynch was appointed ten months ago, the word on everyone’s lips was that Europe was an absolute necessity. In that sense, a good result on Sunday would be mission accomplished for the Candystripes.

Shamrock Rovers:

Table toppers Shamrock Rovers travel to the Brandywell on Friday needing a point to win the league. As the season winds down for the rest of the Premier Division clubs, Shelbourne aside, Rovers find themselves in the midst of UEFA Conference League campaign which will keep them busy until January. Becoming the first Irish side to qualify for European competition proper by winning every round of qualifying, Rovers kicked off their first league phase match by losing 4-1 away to Sparta Prague before falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Slovenian side NK Celje on Thursday.

Despite losing their first two games of the season and not reaching top spot until matchday 15 in May, Shamrock Rovers have been consistently in first place since. Losing six games in the league to date, three of which have come against rivals Bohemians, Rovers top the division in terms of goals scored (53) and have kept a tighter defence than anyone else, conceding just 29, despite failing to keep a clean sheet in nine games.

Waltzing their way to the FAI Cup final by scoring thirteen goals and conceding just three, including a penalty shootout win over holders Drogheda United, Stephen Bradley’s side are good value for a domestic double this year. In doing so, they’d become the first team since Dundalk in 2018 to win the Premier Division and FAI Cup in the same season.

It took Stephen Bradley four years to win his first league title with Rovers and, now into his tenth campaign at the helm, his side need a positive result to scoop their fifth title in six seasons. He’ll also be travelling to the game by helicopter after running the Dublin Marathon on Sunday morning for Oscar’s – a child cancer charity that’s close to his heart after watching his son Josh ring the bell after three years of treatment back in August. That’s testament to the resilience shown by the Bradley family.

Stephen Bradley has a trusted core of players who have come into their own this season. Pico Lopes and Lee Grace have been mainstays at the back, with Lopes recently qualifying for next year’s World Cup with his national side Cape Verde. That’s some feat and will make him the first Irish born player in 35 years to play at a World Cup should he receive a call-up. Veterans Graham Burke and Rory Gaffney, at 32 and 36, top their side’s league scoring charts with eight. 35 year old Aaron Greene is tied with fullback Josh Honohan, recently called up to the Irish national team, and 17 year old forward Michael Noonan on six goals in the league too. Burke has scored a further five in cup action but is lucky to be in the picture for the final after escaping a red card for violent conduct in the semi-final at home to Kerry FC.

Introducing new blood to Shamrock Rover’s experienced squad has been their formula for success. Ed McGinty came in from Oxford United and has kept ten clean sheets in the league. He’s been joined in Tallaght by young forward Michael Noonan, who became the youngest player to score in the European competition proper when netting against Molde in January. Fellow forward John McGovern came in during the summer following a twenty goal season for Dungannon Swifts as they won the Irish Cup in 2024/25.

Ireland U21 international midfielder Matt Healy was an astute pickup from Royal Francs Borains of Belgium, while Connor Malley’s loan signing from Sligo Rovers adds further quality to a stacked midfield. Despite the unceremonious departure of Jack Byrne to Dubai Irish FC in the UAE Third Tier, Rovers haven’t struggled for creativity, utilising the athleticism of Josh Honohan and Danny Grant from wing back. Meanwhile, 16 year old Victor Ozhianvuna has put pen to paper on a €2m transfer to Arsenal after a breakout season with Shamrock Rovers, eclipsing Mason Melia’s transfer to Spurs. 19 year old Cory O’Sullivan is another player coming into the side this year, making 21 starts in the league.

With the league all but wrapped up, an FAI Cup final in two weeks, a game against Galway United on Wednesday and having played in Europe on Thursday, Stephen Bradley may be tempted to rotate in the Brandywell on Sunday. The likes of Gary O’Neill, Aaron McEneff and Dylan Watts have all seen gametime limited this year and would be itching to feature. Unbeaten in ten against Derry City, Rovers will want to keep that record up and put their foot back on the gas after losing four of their last five in all competitions. 

Round-up:

We’re down to the last home game of the 2025 Premier Division. Sitting in second place and having all but confirmed European football, Derry City will be desperate to extend that seven game unbeaten streak against table toppers Shamrock Rovers on Sunday. Their visitors need just one point to claim the title for the fifth time in six seasons but are in the midst of a busy period of league and European football, having failed to keep a clean sheet in nine matches.

Derry City are winless against Shamrock Rovers since March 2023, when they won 2-1 in Tallaght. You have to look back to September 2022 to find City’s most recent home win over the Hoops in competitive action. Rovers have won six of the ten games since Derry’s last win against them, including two of the three previous meetings this season. Aaron McEneff’s 90^th minute winner in the Brandywell back in May did not go down well at all, while City were outclassed by a Rory Gaffney double in Tallaght in August. The odds, therefore, are in the visitor’s favour.

There’s a good chance that the top three will be decided on Sunday but Tiernan Lynch and his side will know that they need to focus on their own exploits in order to confirm that European spot. Four points from the last two will confirm a second placed finish, no matter how the team’s around them do. It’s the last time we’ll see the Candystripes at home until February 2026 so get out there and support them, because this is a big one.

Pól O’Hare – 23rd October 2025

 

Waterford v Derry City: Match Preview (October 2025)

Waterford FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 34, RSC Waterford, Friday 17^th October 2025 kick-off 7.45pm

As we head into the final trio of Premier Division matches in 2025, Derry City have strengthened their standing in the European spots with a 94^th minute Michael Duffy winner at home to Sligo Rovers last time out. That’s extended City’s unbeaten run to six, but they face a resurgent Waterford side who, under new management, want to distance themselves from the relegation zone between now and November 1^st.

Derry City:

With the game against Sligo Rovers moved to Sunday thanks to Storm Amy, it was the home side who had to weather another storm from the south in the first twenty five minutes of the half. Sligo Rovers were all over Derry, pressing high, getting balls into the box and keeping City penned into their own half. Teenage sensation Owen Elding and Ireland U21 international Jad Hakiki ran the show for the away side in the early stages.

As the half hour mark passed, it was Derry City who should’ve opened the scoring when Adam O’Reilly side-footed the ball over the crossbar from within the box after being laid off by Michael Duffy. The midfielder, who has been in fine form of late, fired straight at Sam Sargeant just five minutes later with another golden opportunity. Despite taking a while to grow into the game, City should’ve led at the break.

Derry turned the screw in the second half as Sligo Rovers changed their approach. Michael Duffy was a thorn in the side of the Sligo rearguard and forced Sargeant into big saves with strong efforts from near and far range. Duffy flicked it over the keeper later in the half but found the angle too tight to finish, before seeing Danny Mullen’s follow-up effort brilliantly blocked by Sean Stewart.

Brandon Fleming and Michael Duffy again came close for the hosts, the former fizzing one across the face of the goal and the latter firing narrowly over from outside the area. City were coming closer as the game went on and, with the clock seconds away from striking 94, finally found a precious opener. Robbie Benson did well to deceive the defender and float a left-footed ball into the box. Missed by Patrick McClean, the ball bounced perfectly for Michael Duffy to nod back across goal and send the Brandywell into raptures. The winger’s eleventh of the year in all competitions, and it may prove to be the most important.

The game against Sligo Rovers wasn’t a classic. For the early part of the first half, Derry looked like the side who were playing away from home. The energy and shape of Sligo meant that City struggled to grow into the game and fashion any chances in the first half hour. In saying that, Rovers didn’t create many good opportunities. Those fell to Adam O’Reilly for Derry, who would’ve been kicking himself by not finishing at least one of the two big chances. Despite that, his engine playing in the midfield and out wide was formidable – it was another brilliant performance by City’s number eight.

Brandon Fleming and Michael Duffy look to be building a great relationship on the left flank, clearly on the same wavelength and knowing how to get the best out of each other. Fleming came close twice for City, while Duffy could’ve had three on another night. That new contract for City’s star player looks more worth it with every touch of the ball. What a player.

Sam Todd went his second consecutive game without playing due to an injury concern, and Carl Winchester’s first half departure won’t have filled Tiernan Lynch with much faith. With Dipo Akinyemi, Liam Boyce, Ben Doherty and Alex Bannon all out for the rest of the season, we can’t be affording many more casualties.

Robbie Benson played almost seventy minutes and fashioned the winner late on, while Cameron Dummigan saw more minutes in the tank after a hefty injury layoff. Gavin Whyte was introduced before the hour mark and showed a few nice touches as the game went on too. If I was Tiernan Lynch and had a chequebook and pen in front of me though, I’d be all over Jad Hakiki and Edwin Agbaje who both looked like quality players for the Bit’O’Red.

With Bohemians and St Pat’s both having games in hand on Derry City, and Shelbourne winning both of theirs, Michael Duffy’s last-gasp winner means that our European fate is still in our own hands. I won’t get too carried away, because I remember what happened this time last year when we had our title hopes in our own hands, but victory in Waterford could all but confirm a top three finish. Holding onto second spot could be huge though -if Shamrock Rovers win the cup, second place in the league will enter the Europa League rather than the Conference League, meaning we’d have at least two separate European ties next summer.

With just nine points left to play for, and our last three games being two trips to Munster and a home game against the to-be champions, this Waterford game is absolutely not one you’d want to be losing. The Blues picked up their first win in eight games in all competitions las time out, albeit doing us a favour by beating Drogheda United, but it’s paramount that we don’t fall victim to the new manager bounce. Victory on Friday would be worth it’s weight in UEFA-distributed, European qualification gold.

Waterford:

Waterford’s second season back in the Premier Division after being promoted ahead of the 2024 campaign has been, all-in-all, unremarkable. An impressive start of three wins from their first four league games saw the Blues floating around the top four by early March. Their youthful side looked the real deal in their 2-1 win in the Brandywell in late February, but a run of seven straight losses between March and mid April put an end to any hype.

Another 2-1 win over Derry City, this time at home, began a four game winning run coming out of the Easter period but that too was followed by just one win in the next eight. That run was eventually compounded by a 7-2 demolition in the Brandywell in July.

With just one league win in three months, and knocked out of the FAI Cup at the third round stage by Munster rivals and eventual finalists Cork City, the Blues’ season began to peter out. Embroiled in the relegation scrap after seven straight losses, victory at home to Drogheda United may prove to be Waterford’s most vital win of the year.

Now on their fourth managerial change of the season, and third different manager, it’s a turbulent time for the Munstermen. Keith Long, who led Waterford to promotion in 2023 and a 7^th place finish last year was sacked with three wins from ten this season. His interim replacement Matt Lawlor, who has once again taken the reigns, won three of his four games in temporary control. John Coleman, a man with plenty of experience in the English Football League and who has been meme’d on multiple occasions, is the latest managerial casualty after four wins from eighteen matches. That doesn’t make for good reading at all if you’re of a Waterford persuasion.

Anything that’s been positive for Waterford this year has come from their young players. 20 year old Fleetwood Town loanee goalkeeper Stephen McMullan has been called into the Northern Ireland senior squad twice and was on the bench for World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Luxembourg. 21 year old striker Tom Lonergan has bagged eight goals in thirty league appearances, while Shamrock Rovers loanee Conan Noonan has chipped in with six goals and five assists in league action. Northern Ireland U21 international Sam Glenfield has been given plenty of gametime and it was 21 year old Kyle White who opened the scoring in the Brandywell back in February.

Pádraig Amond, who seems to be aging like a fine wine, has been Waterford’s standout for the second year running. A man with bags of experience across the water, Amond has bagged thirteen league goals in 2025, just one shy of his tally of fourteen from last year. With excellent movement and a brilliant finish, Amond isn’t showing any sign of slowing down and is talismanic in a struggling Waterford side. Andy Boyle, a former Ireland international and one of the most experienced heads in the Waterford camp, recently called time on his playing career and could prove to be a miss in the last few games.

Eighth in the league and coming out of their poorest run of form this year, Waterford will be desperate for a third win in four league games over Derry City. Victory would avenge July’s 7-2 humiliation and dent the Candystripes’ European aspirations. Not only that, it could haul Waterford further away from the bottom two going into the final two games of the campaign.

Once again hoping for the classic new manager bounce to take effect, there’s pressure on the shoulders of Waterford’s big game players to make the difference. With games against European hopefuls St Pat’s, and fellow relegation rivals Galway United to follow, absolutely every kick of the ball will be vital for Waterford in the next two weeks.

A large part of Waterford’s inconsistency is the amount of change off the pitch. If four managerial switches in 33 games weren’t enough, Waterford have a number of key players on loan while others have come in with no experience of the league. Former Arsenal midfielders James Olayinka and Trae Coyle have failed to set Munster alight, although former Liverpool and Rangers man Jordan Rossiter has gone straight into that deep midfield role since signing in the summer. Navajo Bakboord, who came in with big expectations after making 22 Eredivisie appearances in 2023/24 lost his starting place after just eight games and has failed to get back into the fold. The tough part for the Waterford faithful is knowing that the likes of Lonergan, Glenfield, Noonan and McMullan will all be departing at the end of the season. They can only hope to be rebuilding in the Premier Division and not the First.

Round-up:

With just three games remaining, the outcome of Friday’s tie will have consequences at either end of the table. The hosts Waterford find themselves just three points above the relegation zone, but victory last time out was their first in eight games and came at the perfect time, hoisting them back to eighth from ninth place.

Derry City, making the long journey to Munster, sit just two points clear of Shelbourne in third and four ahead of Bohemians in fourth. Three points here, with just nine left to play for, could be Derry’s most vital victory of the season and would be massive in guaranteeing a European spot.

2025 has seen a mixed bag of results between these two, with Waterford beating City 2-1 both home and away. The Candystripes recorded their biggest win of the league season at home to Waterford in July, winning 7-2. Michael Duffy recorded four assists and a goal in that, while Gavin Whyte picked up three assists and scored the seventh. No doubt the highlights reel for that game will have been on repeat all week. With Derry City now unbeaten in six matches, the Candystripes have hit form and begun to grind out results at the perfect time.

 

Pól O’Hare – 14^th October 2025

Derry City v Sligo Rovers: Match Preview (October 2025)

Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 33, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 3^rd October 2025 kick-off 7.45pm

Back up to second in the Premier Division, Derry City’s 1-1 draw away to Drogheda United last week saw the Candystripes extend their four game unbeaten run with four games remaining in the 2025 season. It’s Sligo Rovers who are up next for Tiernan Lynch’s side, with both teams aiming to consolidate their places at either end of the table in City’s penultimate home match of the year.

Derry City:

When the season’s done and dusted, we may look back at last Friday’s 1-1 draw with Drogheda United as a crucial point earned in the race for Europe. Travelling to a side who beat Shelbourne just four days earlier and are known to be tricky hosts, Derry City’s chances weren’t helped by rumours of a fallout between the players and management staff. There’s always a ‘forwarded many times’ WhatsApp message isn’t there?

The home side started the brightest, quite literally with their pyro display which I missed after waiting 45 minutes for a burger down the street. Brian Maher was tested more often than Luke Dennison at the other end of the pitch, eventually seeing the net ripple behind him when Dare Kareem fired a Conor Keeley knock-down past him and into the bottom corner on the 38^th minute. 1-0 to the hosts, which could have been doubled before the break when Josh Thomas fired narrowly wide.

Jamie Stott’s sliced clearance forced Mark Connolly into a perfectly timed blocked from Josh Thomas just three minutes after the restart, as the visitors could quite easily have found themselves 3-0 down by the 50^th minute on another night.

Derry City levelled the scores on the 54^th minute as the match was blown into life. Michael Duffy intercepted a loose pass from Darragh Markey and fed Brandon Fleming who had space ahead of him on the left flank. The English fullback cut inside and saw his right footed effort saved by Dennison, before Danny Mullen bundled the rebound into the bottom corner. A lifeline for the Candystripes as City’s Scottish forward found his ninth of the season and pointed towards the travelling fans amid talks of his departure at the end of the year.

The remaining forty minutes of the half provided real entertainment as both sides went toe to toe for the winner. Brian Maher pulled off a number of brilliant saves as Drogheda used their pace in behind and height from set pieces to try and squeeze a second goal out of the game. After Sam Todd’s brilliant block against Shelbourne last week, Mark Connolly produced similar heroics in Drogheda when he poked a Warren Davis shot onto the post from the goal-line. Markey couldn’t force the ball over the line, as City’s players and fans alike breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The travelling Derry side came closest to the winner in the last ten minutes when Danny Mullen smashed a shot past Dennison and off the post on the 83^th minute. Michael Duffy also saw a dipping free kick tipped over the bar late on. Brian Maher produced yet another brilliant fingertip save on the 91^st minute to rescue a point for City, who clung on to retake second place and delay Shamrock Rovers’ title celebrations by another week.

With so much negativity on social media in the day leading up to the game away to Drogheda United, Derry City’s second half performance proved the naysayers wrong. The team fought for every ball, were desperate to get the equaliser and came a post’s width away from a winner. It was certainly not the performance of a side who had downed tools, fallen out with the manager, or been told to leave the club earlier in the day. The amount of times we’ve come back from behind to get points from games in recent weeks speaks volumes. It’s Derry folks, we love a rumour but take those WhatsApp messages with a sizable pinch of salt.

Brian Maher and Mark Connolly stood out with two massive performances in defence. Maher seems back to his best in the past couple of weeks, while Connolly put his body on the line on multiple occasions and gained a point for his side with his goal-line clearance. Brandon Fleming found himself wriggling into forward areas throughout the gam, but will have been frustrated to see none of his crosses stick. Michael Duffy, Danny Mullen and Adam O’Reilly all had solid performances across the frontline. Without a backup striker or centre back on the bench, City managed the game well. Gavin Whyte looked sharp with his cameo late on and could bring that game changing quality if he hits form in the next month.

Danny Mullen will have done his hopes of getting a new contract no harm with his equaliser and link up play. He did well up against the 6 foot 7 Conor Keeley too. Our main man up front with four to go, he could be Derry City’s hero across the next month of action. He finds himself in the same predicament as Arlo Doherty, Ronan Boyce, Ben Doherty, Mark Connolly, Sadou Diallo and Robbie Benson who (according to Transfermarkt) have contracts expiring at the end of the season. The news of a three year contract extension for Michael Duffy during the week was welcomed by the City faithful, who have nailed down their star player until 2028.

Heading into the last four games of the year, Derry City have a tough run in. After facing a bogey team in Sligo Rovers on Friday, City host the champions-to-be Shamrock Rovers and have two away games in Munster before the season’s out. Three points against Sligo will be crucial in maintaining that top three finish. If you told me we’d be second with four games to go after being bottom in March I’d have taken your hand off. Friday’s another huge game for City, who are unbeaten in four but winless in two.

Sligo Rovers:

This year has been something of a year of two halves for Sligo Rovers. Beginning the season by picking up just two wins and one draw from their opening ten games, Sligo Rovers had to wait until the first week in May to go two consecutive matches without a loss. Even at that, five losses from the next eight games had Rovers bottom of the league at the end of May.

The club stuck by manager John Russell and his project. That faith provided dividends, as a win over Waterford lifted Sligo up to ninth in the league. Victory over Connacht rivals Galway United saw the beginning of a six game unbeaten streak in league and cup action. Despite victories over First Division leaders Dundalk and high-flying Bohemians in cup action, Rovers were unceremoniously dumped out of the FAI Cup at the quarter-final stage by Kerry FC, losing 4-3 after going 3-0 up. Ouch.

Picking up form in the second part of the season, aided in no small part by the dire campaign of Cork City seeing them washed away in bottom spot, Sligo Rovers now hope to avoid the relegation places altogether. Waterford have seen their season peter out and slipped into that relegation play-off spot last week. Galway United are far from comfortable as they sit level with Waterford. The last four games will bring serious action at the foot of the table.

Despite their lowly league position for most of the year, Sligo Rovers haven’t struggled for goals this term. With 38 in 32 games, they’ve scored the fifth highest number of goals in the division this year. Their 48 conceded doesn’t make for quite so optimistic reading, that’s higher than every other team outside of the bottom two. With three clean sheets from the last four league games, they’re finding solidity when it matters.

A large part of Sligo Rovers’ prowess in front of goal has come from teenage sensation Owen Elding. At just 19, Elding has scored ten league goals and assisted a further four. Add to that a hattrick in the FAI Cup quarter-final and you have a player who has quickly moved from the ‘best young player in Ireland’ conversation to the ‘best player’ convo. With a befitting price-tag of €1.5m on his head, the son of former Derry City forward Anthony Elding will no doubt be the League of Ireland’s next big money export.

To be fair to the rest of Sligo’s forward players, they haven’t been bad in 2025 either. Despite losing Francely Lomboto to Glenavon, Wilson Waweru and former Derry striker Cian Kavanagh are two units up top. The latter scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over St Pat’s last week. The loan signing of Ryan O’Kane from Shelbourne seems an astute acquisition, scoring twice since joining in the summer. Another former Derry City winger, Will Fitzgerald, has had a stellar campaign in Connacht, notching nine assists in all competitions.

Derry natives Ciaron Harkin and Patrick McClean made the move further down the west coast from City and Glentoran respectively. Both have gone straight into Rovers’ starting eleven, with McClean a massive addition to the defence and Harkin getting the number 10 shirt have six-and-a-half years at Derry. The signing of fullback Sean Stewart from Cliftonville is one which has gone under the radar, but at 22 years old, he’s a quality replacement for the departed Reece Hutchinson.

Ireland U21 internationals Jad Hakiki and James McManus are two lively players in the middle of the park. Hakiki’s only goal in the recent 1-0 win over Galway United two weeks ago has been crucial in their recent form. Russell has trusted in his youth this year with 18 year old defenders Conor Reynolds and Gareth McElroy making 22 and 20 league appearances a piece. 17 year old Kyle McDonagh and Daire Patton have also seen gametime in the first team this year. A hard-working and deep-digging team, Sligo Rovers can beat anyone in the league on their day. On the hunt for safety, they’ll be a tough visitor to the Brandywell and one who have scuppered City’s title hopes in each of the last two seasons. Now three points clear of the relegation zone, they’re out to extend that.

Round-up:

With just 360 or so minutes left of Premier Division football in 2025, Derry City and Sligo Rovers meet in a game which could have consequences at both ends of the table. The hosts are unbeaten in their last four and sit second in the table, desperate to stay in the top three for the remaining weeks of the campaign. Sligo Rovers, on the other hand, have evaded the relegation zone with back to back wins and hope to stay clear of ninth between now and November.

A draw against Sligo Rovers last year, and a loss in The Showgrounds in 2023, had huge detrimental effects on City’s title chances in both seasons. While not fighting for the same glory this time round, the Derry players who were part of those teams will be out with a vengeance to stop history from repeating itself.

Derry City found their first away win of the season when they beat Sligo Rovers in mid March via a Michael Duffy freekick, but Rovers got their own back with a 2-0 win in July. The latter result triggered a four game winless streak for City in league action which all but ended the Candystripes’ title hopes for the year. The other meeting between these two this year ended in City coming out resounding 3-0 winners in the Brandywell in late April, a result which Tiernan Lynch will hope for a repeat of.

Unbeaten against Sligo Rovers at home since July 2020, and with just twelve points left to play for, a win for Derry City in this one would be worth it’s wait in gold given the time of the year. With a bit of momentum behind City, and the last Brandywell Friday of the year, you'll be raging if you miss this one.

Pól O’Hare – 1^st October 2025