FAI Cup Semi-Final Match Preview: Bohemians v Derry City (4th October 2024)

 

FAI Cup Semi-Final Match Preview: Bohemians v Derry City

 

Bohemian FC v. Derry City FC, Sports Direct FAI Cup semi-final, Dalymount Park, Friday 4^th October 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

After a devastating defeat away to Drogheda United last week, Derry City travel to Phibsborough for a massive FAI Cup semi-final tie against Bohemians. Derry’s loss last week, alongside defeats for Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, blow the title race wide open. City are still in it, thanks to St. Pat’s' 3-2 win in Tolka Park on Monday night, and could keep double ambitions alive with a win on Friday. Bohemians, on the other hand, have been defeated in two of the last three FAI Cup finals. This is the biggest match of both side’s seasons to date, and it’s in the last four of Ireland’s most prestigious competition.

Last time out - Drogheda United 2-1 Derry City:

With Shelbourne drawing and Shamrock Rovers losing last Friday, a win for Derry City away to ninth placed Drogheda would have seen them go just one point behind the league leaders. As it turned out, quite the opposite would happen. After injuries to Adam O’Reilly and Will Patching before the match, Ruaidhrí Higgins lined his side out in Weaver’s Park with a changed shape – two up top and three centre backs. City started brightly, as they tend to do. With both Patrick Hoban and Danny Mullen leading the line, Derry attacked from the off. Michael Duffy had joy down the left flank in the first fifteen, troubling Drogheda’s Elicha Ahui. It became evident as the half wore on, and Drogheda broke forward, that Derry’s commitment to an attacking lineup left gaps in the transition though, awarding the home side space on the counter. Drogs came closest 24 minutes in when a Shane Farrell free kick was diverted onto his own crossbar by City forward Pat Hoban – a close call into the wrong net for Derry’s top scorer.  Fifteen minutes later and the Galwegian came closest for the Candystripes. Hoban flicked Danny Mullen’s volley towards goal but was denied comfortably Luke Dennison in the Drogheda net. That wasn’t the last act of the first half either, with Brian Maher fantastically saving a Frantz Pierrot volley from point blank range just moments before the break.

Less than a minute after the hour mark and the deadlock had been broken. Andre Wisdom, carrying the ball into the midfield, attempted to pass it backwards to Patrick McEleney. It was a weak pass, intercepted by Douglas James-Taylor who slid through his strike partner Frantz Pierrot. One on one with Maher, and the big Haitian finished confidently. City caught out with lackadaisical possession in important areas and conceding a poor goal . It took just eight minutes for one to become two. Ryan Brennan’s sweeping pass down to the right flank saw Douglas James-Taylor beat Ciaran Coll to the ball, rolling the Derry left back before striding down the wing. With space ahead of him, the Englishman rolled it into the path of Pierrot who made no mistake from close range. Two assists for James-Taylor, two goals from Pierrot – Drogheda’s front two showing their ruthlessness once again. Substitute Sean Robertson pulled one back for City on the 83^rd minute when he nutmegged James Bolger before cutting inside and firing a left footed effort towards goal. The strike was deflected by Andrew Quinn and nestled into the roof of the net. Too little too late for Derry who, despite a late resurgence, failed to really test Luke Dennison in the last ten minutes – as they had failed to do for the previous 83.

Derry City:

Where did it go wrong for the Candystripes on Friday night? Ruaidhrí Higgins took the blame after the match for the result and if he could start that game again, I’d say he wouldn’t go with that formation. Whether you want tot call it a 5-3-2 or a 3-5-2, it just didn’t quite click. There have been calls for Danny Mullen and Pat Hoban to start together in a classic two up top, but it was Drogheda United who showed how to properly work a front two. Pierrot’s strength and positioning, coupled with Douglas James-Taylor’s pace in behind, make a proper, old-fashioned partnership. Pat Hoban couldn’t really get involved in the game, marshalled by Drogheda’s physical defenders. Danny Mullen was playing slightly too deep at times, whilst Paul McMullan couldn’t affect the game as he usually would due to playing as a wing-back rather than a winger. Jacob Davenport, a natural holding midfielder, didn’t look comfortable at left wing back. He’s not the type of player to take on a man 1v1, something that is missing with Ben Doherty out of the side.

Will Patching and Adam O’Reilly were both missed in the centre. Patching scored a wondergoal in Weaver’s Park earlier in the year and Adam O’Reilly has been immense recently. That work rate of O’Reilly was certainly a loss, whilst Patrick McEleney was operating too far back to affect the game closer to the opposing net like Patching does. We had been great in the previous couple of games against Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne playing in that 4-3-3, so I think the pack was shuffled just too much in Weaver’s Park. Drogheda had us exactly where they wanted us, narrowing the play on that tight pitch. Two lapses in concentration led to both the goals for the home side and, when you’re chasing a title with five games to go, you can’t be giving goals away like that. There was a positive on Friday night though, as 16 year old Glenn McCourt came on for Mark Connolly to make his debut. Highly rated in the academy, he’s one to watch going forward. Sean Robertson took his goal well and looked lively off the bench. Jacob Davenport made his first start for Derry after signing in July, whilst Patrick McEleney started his first game since June following an arm injury.

It’s one of those ones to get out of the system and regroup, we’re still just four points from top spot and one game from a cup final so the league’s far from over. We’re all frustrated with the Drogheda result, but it’s because we know how close we could be to winning the league. It’s the hope that kills you, but there’s just over a month left of the season and Derry City haven’t been this close in years. We’re lucky that we’re still in it despite the loss, as St. Pat’s beat both Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers over the weekend. That Shels game was a great advertisement of the league and meant that Damien Duff's side had failed to capitalise on one of their two games in hand. Galway United’s win over Waterford puts them level on points with the champions and just one behind Derry City – they host Dundalk on Friday night and could leapfrog Derry into 2^nd with a win. Just seven points now separate first and sixth. The Candystripes are the bookie’s favourites to lift it in November, seeing that two wins from their two games in hand would currently see them top. Even if Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne draw on Sunday, City would still go top with two wins. I know this is a preview for the cup semi-final, but it’s impossible not to talk about the league table at the minute.

In terms of the match against Bohemians, Derry City are a different prospect with Patching and O’Reilly in the team. Hopefully both will be fit enough to play a part. I’d say Ronan Boyce has done enough since coming back into the side to start at right backm whilst O’Reilly, Patching and Diallo is our best midfield at the minute with Cameron Dummigan out for the season. Dan Kelly is still ruled out with a knee injury, as is Ben Doherty following a recent strain. Ciarán Coll misses Friday's game through suspension. Captain Patrick McEleney would become just the fifteenth ever player to make 300 appearances for the Candystripes if he plays on Friday – the last player to reach that milestone was Gerard Doherty back in 2013. It’s our second FAI Cup semi-final in three seasons, with the previous one coming in the form of a 2-1 win over Treaty United in 2022.  Derry City have played their best football of the season in the cup, digging in deep to beat Cork City whilst playing fluid attacking football against St. Pat’s and Shelbourne. The Candystripes haven’t conceded in the FAI Cup this year, in fact Enda Curran’s penalty in the semi-final in 2022 was the last time they conceded in the competition as the loss against St. Pat’s last year was 0-0 after 120 minutes. I’ve probably jinxed that now right enough. Play with a mixture of that fluidity and the doggedness we saw in Cork and Derry could be Lansdowne bound. 

Bohemians:

It’s been something of an uninspiring campaign for Bohemians. Eighth in the league, but in no real danger of slipping into the relegation play-off spot, the Dublin side sit seven points behind Waterford in seventh and four points ahead of Drogheda United in ninth – albeit with a game in hand. Alan Reynolds’ side have won just five games at home this campaign, only two of which have come since the 1-0 victory over Drogheda United on 19^th April. Those two wins were both in the Dublin derby with Shamrock Rovers, so they know how to get a big game over the line. Bohs have, however, had more joy in cup action. Their first test, a second round bout at home to Shamrock Rovers saw them progress via a Dayle Rooney penalty in the second half. Despite a few unsuccessful appeals from Rovers to replay the tie after Bohs fielded Dawson Devoy when he was supposedly ineligible, the team in red and black were drawn away to Kerry FC.

It was the biggest game in Kerry’s short history, and they nearly caused an upset for the ages when a Ryan Kelliher brace saw the home side come from behind twice to take the game to penalties. Bohemians’ quality and experience came to the fore in the shootout, as they won 4-2 to face UCD in the quarter-finals. UCD were coming off the back of an impressive 2-0 away win over Sligo Rovers but conceded four at home against Bohs as Reynolds’ side cruised to the semis. Bohemians have won the FAI Cup seven times, once more than Derry City and joint third all-time with Shelbourne. They’ve reached recent finals in 2021 and 2023, losing both to St Patrick’s Athletic. They’ll be hoping to go one step further and lift the cup for the first time since 2008 in November.

Ross Tierney and Alex Greive are Bohemians’ top scorers in the cup, both with two. Martin Miller, James Clarke and Dayle Rooney have also bagged in the competition. The latter has probably been Bohs’ best player in 2024. Signed from Drogheda United prior to the season starting, Dayle Rooney has scored seven and assisted thirteen in all competitions. He can operate off both wings and is a real threat going forward. The returns of Dawson Devoy and Ross Tierney, from MK Dons and Motherwell respectively, are two huge coups for Alan Reynolds. Two quality midfielders, they’ve contributed to eight goals since joining during the summer window. James Clarke, a rumoured transfer target for Ruaidhrí Higgins in the window just passed, is another versatile midfielder, whilst Adam McDonnell and Jordan Flores have been mainstays in the Bohs team this year. Jevon Mills has impressed on loan from Hull City at centre-back and Jake Carroll is another impressive, experienced acquisition. Kacper Chorazka has had a good first season between the sticks too.

With seven scored and two conceded in three cup games, Bohemians will be hoping to get the Dalymount noise behind them. League form tends to go out of the window in a cup semi-final, but last week’s 2-0 away win over relegation-destined Dundalk last week won’t have done their confidence any harm.

Round-up:

Derry City have won five of the last ten against Bohemians, with the most recent coming in the form a 2-1 win in Dalymount back in June. In Cameron McJannet’s last game in a Derry shirt, he assisted Danny Mullen for a 94^th minute winner. There hasn’t been a goalless match in Dalymount between these two since July 2019, whilst Bohemian’s 2-1 win there in March was their first at home to City since September 2020. This is a match that rarely disappoints. Both sides will be going at it, so expect fireworks. It could go to extra-time and penalties, but both Ruaidhrí Higgins and Alan Reynolds, who won the FAI Cup as Higgins’ assistant manager in 2022, know that they could be as little as 90 min away from an Aviva day out. Dalymount’s a sell-out for the biggest game of both team’s seasons. With Drogheda United and Wexford battling out the other semi-final on Sunday, Friday’s winner will likely be the favourite to lift the cup. There are only a maximum of seven games left in 2024, seven wins could see Derry lift a league and cup double. Keep the faith.

Pól O'Hare - 1st October 2024

FAI Cup Quarter Final Match Preview: Derry City v Shelbourne (14th September 2024)

 

FAI Cup Quarter Final Match Preview: Derry City v Shelbourne

 

After a glorious seven day spell at the summit of the Premier Division, Derry City must overcome the disappointment of dropping back down to second, and allowing Shelbourne to reclaim a four point buffer at the top of the table, when they face their title rivals in a cup tie for the ages in the Brandywell on Saturday. It’s the top two in the league, and the two favourites to lift the cup, battling it out in an early-Autumn quarter-final under the Brandywell lights on a Saturday evening. The game’s likely to sell out, and with the added tension of knowing these two won’t meet again until the final day of the campaign, this is the type of game to define a season.

Last time out - Galway United 1-0 Derry City:

Going into a league game as table toppers for the first time in almost six months, Derry City knew that a win could be a massive step towards clinching a first title since 1997. Travelling to a ground they haven’t won at since 2015, City started the game well against the second best defensive team in the league. Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men found joy down the flanks against Waterford the week before and went down the same route in Galway. Sixteen minutes in and the closest opportunity of the first half saw Sadou Diallo’s strike from range narrowly miss the post on Brendan Clarke’s right hand side. Six minutes later and it was a loose touch from the former Wolves and Man City midfielder which fielded possession the way of Galway United, forcing Brian Maher into a save following a right-footed Jimmy Keohane effort from outside of the box. City could have, and probably should have, opened the deadlock with less than ten minutes of the first half remaining when neat interplay between Adam O’Reilly and Paul McMullan saw the ball flashed across the box. Will Patching was on hand from fifteen yards out to sweep the ball low and past Clarke in the Galway goal, narrowly missing the same as post as Sadou Diallo twenty minutes earlier.

Thirteen minutes after the restart and Patching again came close, forcing Brendan Clarke into a fantastic save when he whipped a strike from the corner of the box towards the stanchion of the goal. A third great opportunity for City to open the scoring. It wasn’t long though before the home side found themselves a goal. A deep free kick was looped into the Derry box, and it seemed that Brian Maher had caught it, before coming down on top of substitute Danny Mullen and dropping the ball. American midfielder, and August Player of the Month, Patrick Hickey was on hand to stab into the net as the referee waived away claims for a foul from the City faithful. A rare error from Maher, but a massive goal for Galway in their hunt for Europe. Right from the restart and City had a golden opportunity to level it. Danny Mullen, involved for the wrong reasons in the other box just minutes earlier, met Paul McMullan’s inch-perfect ball into the box with his forehead. With the goal to aim at, the Scotsman saw himself denied by the ever-present Brendan Clarke in the United goal. A massive performance from the veteran keeper. City piled on the pressure in the last ten minutes but it wasn’t to be, as one of the league’s soundest defences kept another clean sheet. A poor result for the Candystripes, but the opportunities were there to be taken.

Derry City:

After the highs of topping the table a week prior, the loss to Galway has shown us how small the margins are in football. Derry played well in Eamonn Deacy Park for the most part, the attacking play was crisp and we came agonisingly close on three occasions. If Brendan Clarke wasn’t between the sticks for the Tribesmen, we would have won that game by a margin of a goal or two at least. Paul McMullan showed his skill and close-control down the wing, whilst Patching could have bagged himself a brace on another day. New signing Andre Wisdom was solid once again as he met fellow former Premier League full back Greg Cunningham on the left side of the Galway defence. On the other hand, Pat Hoban was kept quiet on his return to his hometown and Danny Mullen had a second-half cameo to forget. I would have liked to see Sean Robertson come on in the second half, his direct running and raw pace would have troubled a tiring Galwegian back-line. Jacob Davenport is another play I’d love to see more of, with Cameron Dummigan’s injury I think a midfield three of O’Reilly, Patching and Davenport would be a joy to watch. Signed in early July, Davenport’s only 45 minutes in red and white came over a month ago in the 1-1 draw with Dundalk. It was good to see Patrick McEleney back in the team against Galway after breaking his arm earlier in the summer. If he gets up to speed, he could provide that one flick or ball into the box that could win games between now and November. That international break will have been welcomed by the City players and staff alike, as they’ve been given time to regroup and get the defeat on the Atlantic coast out of the system.

Shelbourne:

Quarter-final opponents don’t come much bigger than this at the moment in Irish football. Shelbourne, who lost 4-0 in a record breaking cup final win against Derry City two years ago, travel to the Brandywell four points clear at the top of the Premier Division table. They say form goes out of the window in cup games, and that’s something both managers will want to believe on Saturday. For the top two teams in the country, neither side are really playing like it. Both City and Shelbourne have won just one of their last five league games and are fairly keeping each other occupied in the race for the title. Damien Duff’s Shels side needed extra-time and penalties to beat Galway United in the round of 16 after a 1-0 away win over Bray Wanderers in the second round of the cup. Their 1-0 win away to Dundalk is their only league win since the end of June, whilst a double-header against Swiss giants FC Zurich in the UEFA Conference League added an extra 180 minutes into July and August’s schedule.

Defensively is where Shelbourne have shone this season. Just 19 goals conceded in 29 league games is some feat – Conor Kearns, Paddy Barrett and co. have kept a tight ship at the back for Shels. The addition of the Aiden O’Brien, the former Millwall and Ireland striker who has more than 200 EFL appearances, has hit the ground running since signing from Shrewsbury Town in August. The 30 year old has scored twice in four appearances for the Reds so far, adding to the already strong centre forward options of Sean Boyd and John Martin. Damien Duff will hope that O’Brien’s goal will be important in the run-in as his side have scored 32 in the league this term – ten fewer than Derry City and ranking them in seventh in the league in terms of goals scored. A prolific number nine could be the missing key to the Shelbourne puzzle.

Will Jarvis, who was recalled from his loan by Hull City after playing against Derry back in August, was Shelbourne’s main attacking threat this year. His combined goals and assists of 12 was the highest in their side, ahead of Sean Boyd on 9 and John Martin on 6. Only Jarvis and left back Tyreke Wilson have registered more than two assists this term for Shelbourne. Former Derry City man Matt Smith bagged last time out against Bohemians, a goal which put Shels in the driving seat in the title race – that was his first league goal of the campaign. Captain Mark Coyle is a tough midfielder in the middle of the park, whilst the energy of Evan Caffrey and talent of Harry Wood balance out a tidy midfield trio. Liam Burt, Ali Coote and Rayhaan Tulloch are all quality wingers and give Duff options off the bench. These two won’t face each other now until the last game of the season, a potential title-decider in the Brandywell on the 1^st of November. Things are getting serious.

Round-up:

Derry City have reached the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup for the second time in three years. That fixture in 2022 was one of the best games in the Brandywell all season. City played Shamrock Rovers off the park in the first half, before conceding in the second half and taking the game to extra-time, where goals from Danny Lafferty and Brandon Kavanagh sent City into the semis. Treaty United lay in wait back then and with half of the remaining teams in the Cup currently playing in the First Division, there’s a good chance of another First Division side meeting Saturday’s victor.

Seven of the last eight league ties between Derry City and Shelbourne have ended in draws, with Derry’s 1-0 win in Tolka in March 2023 the only time since August 2022 when the points haven’t been shared. Four of those previous eight have seen red cards whilst the rivalry between Higgins and Duff that we saw in Tolka last month could make a reappearance. In the three games played between Shelbourne and Derry City in 2024, two have been scoreless. Sean Boyd’s 89^th minute equaliser split the spoils in the Brandywell in May. The last quarter-final to be played between these two was the League Cup quarters back in 2018, when City came out 7-3 victors as Ronan Curtis bagged a first half hattrick.

Saturday will mark twelve years to the day since City beat Mervue United 7-1 in the FAI Cup quarter-finals back in 2012. Mark Farren bagged a hat-trick that day, equalling then surpassing Liam Coyle’s record goal tally for the Candystripes when he bagged on the 60^th and 61^st minutes. The solitary goalscorer for Mervue that night was none other than a 21 year old Patrick Hoban. A decade and a bit on, and the now 33 year old will lead the line for City at the same stage in the same competition. Another FAI Cup quarter-final highlight came back in 2014, when City drew 2-2 with eight man Drogheda United before hammering the Louth side 5-0 in the replay. Ryan McBride scored in the first game, whilst Patrick McEleney and Michael Duffy both netted – that was ten years ago on Monday. There have certainly been a few high scoring quarter finals in the Brandywell over the past few years, here’s hoping Saturday will bring similar fireworks.

With the other three quarter finals taking place on Friday night, it won’t be much of a wait before the winner in the Brandywell learns their next opponent. The semi-final draw will be held after full-time on Saturday evening, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see an upset or two heading into it. UCD, who beat Sligo Rovers 2-0 in the round of 16, welcome Bohemians to Belfield. Wexford host Treaty United in a tie which will guarantee a First Division side in the last four, whilst Drogheda United travel to Athlone Town in the other fixture. Possibly just 180 minutes away from an Aviva day out, the FAI Cup is really beginning to heat up.

 

Pól O’Hare – 12^th September 2024

Cork City v Derry City: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Cork City v Derry City: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Cork City FC v. Derry City FC., FAI Cup Third Round, Turner’s Cross, Friday 16^th August 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Derry City conceded precious ground in the title race last Friday when relegation-scrapping Dundalk held the Candystripes to a 1-1 draw in the Ryan McBride Brandywell. In a game where a win would’ve put Derry top, for a day at least, City have only gained one point on top-of-the table Shelbourne. Hopeful of progression to the quarter-finals, Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men now face a long trip south to face runaway First Division leaders Cork City in the Third Round of the FAI Cup - a side who City haven’t faced since the Rebels were relegated from the top flight last season.

Last time out – Derry City 1-1 Dundalk:

In Dundalk's previous visit to the Brandywell, City dispatched the Louth side with a dominant 4-1 win. Sitting 9^th in the league, just two points above bottom going into the game, the City faithful expected something similar this time round – knowing that a win by any margin would have put Derry top of the table. The home side started the better of the two in the first fifteen, with Ben Doherty and Michael Duffy troubling Dundalk’s defence down the flank. The two linked up on the ten minute mark when Doherty’s cross was met by Duffy who headed into the ground and over the Dundalk goal. Ten minutes later and the away side opened the deadlock as they grew into the game. Daryl Horgan’s whipped corner was glanced into the bottom corner by captain John Mountney, a precise header to give the away side an early lead.

Ten minutes before half-time and Derry really should have had a penalty. Cameron Dummigan’s driven ball into the box struck the hand of Sean Keogh but Rob Harvey waved away claims of a City penalty – much to the dismay of the City crowd. Dundalk could, and probably should, have had two goals before half-time though. Horgan broke down the right hand side before sliding the ball across the box. Robbie Benson’s dummy meant the ball came to the feet of Robbie Mahon, who’s left footed effort flew narrowly over the crossbar. A big scare for City going into the break.

Derry started the second half with vigour and energy, two traits missing during most of the first half. The introductions of Jacob Davenport and Danny Mullen gave Derry more dynamism going forward. Less than twenty minutes into the half, and Mullen collected the ball from Davenport before curling into the bottom corner. Both the City subs involved in equalising the tie. The Candystripes pushed on throughout the second period and really should have won took all three points. Derry’s Scottish striker could have had a hattrick when he found himself 1v1 with Goddard twice in the space of five minutes. After a defensive mishap, Mullen got onto the end of a loose pass back before Felix Goddard saved well. Andy Boyle’s defensive header looped over his centre back partner and in the path of Mullen again minutes later. The 29 year old tried to clip it over Goddard but didn’t connect with it cleanly and watched as the ball landed on the roof of the net. Two big opportunities which could be decisive at the end of the season. One more point on the board, but two lost in the title race for Derry City.

Derry City:

Derry were let off the hook by Shelbourne on Saturday when the league leaders lost 2-1 away to Sligo Rovers – a result which kept the Candystripes in the title race. A Shels win would have put them five points clear with a game in hand, leaving City with a mountain to climb. Shamrock Rovers, despite having three games in hand on Derry going into their match against Drogheda United on Sunday, failed to make ground on the top two as the bottom side held them to a draw in Tallaght - it seems like no-one wants to win the league this year. Waterford, Sligo Rovers and Galway United are three other teams fighting for European spots with just two points now separating third and sixth.

In honesty, the Candystripes need to be beating teams like Dundalk in order to mount a serious title charge. With Sligo beating Shelbourne, a win on Friday night would have put Derry top of the table going into the FAI Cup bout with Cork City. The upcoming cup game gives City a break from the tension of the title race, but they’re facing the leaders of the First Division. After winning the cup in 2022 with a record breaking 4-0 win over Shelbourne in the final, City crashed out at this stage last year – losing on penalties to eventual winners St Pat’s after beating Athlone Town 3-0 in the second round. It’s now been more than three years since the Candystripes had an FAI Cup campaign in which they didn’t face a First Division team, and it’s been thirteen years since we last lost to a First Division team in cup action. That loss came in the form of a 4-1 drubbing away to Wexford Youths in 2011, ouch.

City come into the cup tie with a mostly clean bill of health and no new injury woes. Jordan McEneff has been in the matchday squad for the past two games as he returns from a broken foot, meanwhile Jacob Davenport made his debut for the Candystripes when he replaced Adam O’Reilly at half-time against Dundalk. The English midfielder didn’t look like he hadn’t played since April, showcasing his silky first touch and composure on the ball. He seems like a quality operator and a tidy defensive midfielder, the former Man City man is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Patrick McEleney is reportedly edging closer to a return following an arm injury whilst Collie Whelan is on his way to returning to full fitness. Whelan bagged the winner against Cork City on his Derry debut last year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Danny Mullen start on Friday after he picked up his ninth goal of the season against Dundalk - the Scotsman seems to bag for the Candystripes when it really matters.

Cork City:

After a dismal campaign in the Premier Division last year in which Cork City finished 9^th before losing to rivals Waterford in the play-offs, the Rebels have turned round their fortunes this year. Tim Clancy’s men are runaway leaders of the First Division, sitting on 60 points. That’s 15 points more than Athlone Town in second place. They’ve all but guaranteed their immediate return to the top flight, and they’re doing it in style. Of their 27 league games, Cork City have lost just one, drawn nine and won the other seventeen. They’re rock solid at the back too, conceding only ten goals in the league this season. They haven’t conceded more than once in a single domestic game this term, with their only heavier defeats coming in friendlies – namely a 5-0 loss to Championship side Stoke City in mid-July. City will need to be on top form to beat the Munster side on Friday.

Jack Doherty, a winter arrival from neighbours Cobh Ramblers, is Cork’s current top scorer with seven goals. His three additional assists mean that he’s the only player in the City squad to have contributed to ten or more goals this term. Charlie Lyons, a left-sided centre back who also signed from Cobh Ramblers, is Cork’s next highest scorer with five goals. He’s the second highest scoring defender in both League of Ireland divisions this term, behind only UCD’s Éanna Clancy, who has netted six. Derry man Evan McLaughlin, who left the Candystripes to join Cork at the end of last season, has scored five and assisted a further three in 2024. An attacking midfielder by trade, the 22 year old has impressed at left-back for the Rebels. Former Celtic and Cliftonville midfielder Barry Coffey is another tidy midfielder, whilst Dutchman Malik Dijksteel’s first goal of the season was an effort from outside the box to beat Finn Harps in the previous round of the cup. 24 year old English goalkeeper Bradley Wade has played all of Cork’s 28 games in league and FAI Cup action, keeping an extremely impressive 18 clean sheets. That shows not only his quality, but the quality of the defence in front of him.

Cork City’s two combative central midfielders, Greg Bolger and Sean Murray, are two players who won't shy away from a big game. The former has made over 400 appearances in the LOI, winning three Premier Divisions, four FAI Cups and will likely add a second First Division winner’s medal to his collection this term. He’s an experienced midfielder and a master of the dark arts. 36 in September, he’s still more than capable of performing at this level. Sean Murray is a former Ireland U21 international who made more than 150 appearances in the English Football League with Watford, Wigan Athletic, Swindon Town and Colchester United. A Premier Division and League Cup winner with Dundalk in 2019, as well as an FAI Cup winner in 2020, Murray signed for Cork after a spell at Glentoran and has made 22 appearances this term.

The Rebels have quality all over the park, and their two most recent signings are statements of intent of the highest order. First came the return of Ruairí Keating. Keating was nominated for the PFAI Player of the Year last year after bagging thirteen goals in the Premier Division. The 29 year old turned down Derry City to join St. Pat’s in the off-season but terminated his contract to return ‘home’ to Cork City after scoring four goals this term – one of which came against Derry in the Brandywell. The next big name to return to the club was none other than Sean Maguire. His 38 goals in 51 appearances for City between 2016 and 2017 saw him pick up the PFAI Young Player of the Year award in 2016 and the top scorer award in 2017 as Cork won their first league title since 2005. After moving to Preston North End in the summer of 2017, where made more than 150 appearances, Maguire went on to make 11 appearances and score once for the Republic of Ireland senior team. Now 30, the striker has returned to Cork after a year at Carlisle United. Two formidable forward signings for Cork City, and two men who Derry’s centre backs will need to be on top form to handle.

Cathal O’Sullivan is another one to watch for the Munster side. At just 17, O’Sullivan’s highlights reel is something special and he’s one of the most promising players on the island. Of his five league goals, two were nominated for the July Goal of the Month award.  A skilful attacking midfielder, and the only nominee for the July Player of the Month to play in the First Division, O’Sullivan is a rumoured transfer target for some of Europe’s elite and can move to the UK when he turns 18 next March. He could follow in the footsteps of fellow Cork-man Jaden Umeh, who recently sealed a move to Portuguese giants Benfica, with City in-line for compensation and future add-ons.

Round-up:

In a way, both teams will fancy their chances on Friday. Derry will be favourites but need to respect the First Division side. Cork’s solidity in front of their own goal, and clincality in front of the opposition’s, will be of concern for Ruaidhrí Higgins. Both sides are also in good form. In the ten games after losing to Athlone Town in late May, Cork City have won seven and drawn the other three, scoring fifteen and conceding just three. They are a serious outfit for the First Division. Derry, who play their first away game in the FAI Cup since a loss to Finn Harps in August 2021, have lost just one of their last ten domestic games and put last year’s winners St. Pat’s to the sword in the previous round.

The two sides met in the FAI Cup in 2022, with Derry beating ten-man Cork 2-0 in the Brandywell. Cork City haven’t beaten the Candystripes since October 2018 when they put three past City in Kenny Shiels’ last home game as manager. In the eleven meetings since, Derry City have won nine, including beating Cork in all four league meetings between the sides in 2023 with an aggregate score of 8-1. Derry City have aspirations to go all the way in both the league and cup this year, whilst Cork City certainly wouldn’t say no to progressing to the quarter-finals. This is gearing up to be a proper cup tie, and a battle of the two cities for the first time in ten months.

Pól O’Hare – 14^th August 2024

Derry City v Drogheda United: Match Preview

 

Derry City v Drogheda United: Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 22, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 28^th June 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

With the summer break now over, and the season passed its midway point, Derry City find themselves second in the Premier Division, two points behind table-topping Shelbourne. After bidding farewell to English defender Cameron McJannet, City’s vice-captain and one of the longest serving players in the squad, the Candystripes announced the signing of former Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Jacob Davenport from Morecambe. The transfer window officially opens on July 1^st, and with several Derry players now into the last six months of their contact, it’s building up to be a busy one for Ruaidhrí Higgins and his staff. After also learning their fate in European qualification, Higgins will want his men to continue their five game unbeaten streak.

Last time out:

The Candystripes faced a tricky Thursday night away trip to Dalymount Park two weeks ago where they faced a Bohemians side who had won just one of their previous seven. Despite the heavy rain in the north earlier in the day, blue skies met the City faithful as they arrived in Phibsborough. The home side began the game the brighter side, despite a headed attempt from Michael Duffy coming back off the post after seven minutes. Just before the fifteen minute mark, pressure on the City goal resulted in a penalty when Sadou Diallo fouled Dayle Rooney in the box. Jordan Flores’ spot kick was saved by Brian Maher – the goalkeeper’s third penalty save of the year – but Danny Grant was on hand to sweep in the rebound and give the home side an early advantage.

City responded immediately, as Diallo turned from villain to hero when he diverted Will Patching’s cross into the Bohemian net. The scores now level again after seventeen minutes. The away side were the better team from then on in, striking the woodwork four times in all during the 90. Cameron McJannet, Dan Kelly and Danny Mullen were introduced in the second half in an attempt to snatch all three points, and that’s exactly what happened. City had a few chances go begging late in the second half and as the clock turned over to 94, Brian Maher’s punt forward was knocked on to Danny Mullen by Cameron McJannet. The Scottish striker arrowed it into the bottom corner to bag his second stoppage time winner of the season, and meant that Cameron McJannet assisted the winner on his last Derry City appearance to send the travelling support home happy.

 

Derry City:

It’s only been two weeks since we’ve last seen City play but it feels like it could have been a month. Prior to the Bohemians game, there were rumblings that Grimsby Town were interested in Cameron McJannet and, after seeing the 25 year old’s celebrations following Danny Mullen’s winner, it all but confirmed that that could have been his last involvement as a Derry City player. About a week later, his transfer to the League Two side was confirmed. Assisting a 94^th minute winner wasn’t a bad parting gift from the centre back, who made 142 appearances in red and white, with his highlight at the club coming as he scored twice and won Man of the Match in the 2022 FAI Cup Final. McJannet, who was signed from Stoke City in the summer of 2020, became a mainstay on the left-side of defence almost instantly as he grew into one of the league’s best defenders. Captaining the Candsytripes on over 50 occasions, the Englishman seemed to really take to the club and to the city as he showed unquestionable passion for the badge across his four years at the Brandywell. His boots will be big ones to fill, especially considering the value that a good left-sided centre back brings to a squad.

I’d personally have Galway United’s Rob Slevin high up on the McJannet replacement list if I was Ruaidhrí Higgins. The former Finn Harps and Cork City defender has been integral to Galway’s defence, keeping nine clean sheets in eighteen appearances. The Tribesemen have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just thirteen goals in twenty games. Turning 26 in August, City would be getting a defender approaching his prime, but will likely need to spend big to secure his signature. Galway aren’t short of a few Euro and will want to keep one of their standout performers. Reputable stats website Transfermarkt values Slevin at €75k, but with a contract expiring at the end of the season, Galway may accept a discounted fee as to not lose the Cork native on a free come November.

It’s hard to value League of Ireland players, as most inter-club deals within Ireland are free transfers and foreign clubs seem to sign players from the Premier and First Divisions at significantly lower prices than what they would be worth in the likes of England, for example. Danny Mandriou’s move to Lincoln City from Shamrock Rovers for just €30k in 2022 is a prime example. At a time when Transfermarkt valued the midfielder at €375k, Lincoln triggered his massively reduced release clause when he was a standout performer in a Shamrock Rovers side who had just won the league for the second year on the bounce and were about to qualify for European group stages.

Just last week a similar instance occurred. Shelbourne’s Gavin Molloy, who has been a mainstay in Damien Duff’s side’s title push, joined Aberdeen after they triggered his release clause of around €80k, when the 22 year old’s value sits at €125k. I don’t think a young defender with bags of first team experience at a club pushing for a title in League One or the Scottish Championship, for example, would be sold for such a low fee. If City were to splash out on Slevin, the club would being doing well to be writing a cheque for less than about €30,000 – which is roughly what was spent on Pat Hoban six months ago.

There has been a new addition to the City squad in the past week, with midfielder Jacob Davenport joining from Morecambe. The 25 year old played as both a central midfielder and left back alongside Sadou Diallo, Will Patching, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Brahim Díaz in the Manchester City youth setup. He made over 50 appearances in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers between 2018 and 2022, and also made 26 appearances in League Two with Morecambe last season. A deeper-operating midfielder with a wicked left foot, it seems like City may have secured another bargain from the Man City academy. Former Manchester United forward D’Mani Bughail-Mellor featured for Derry as a trialist against Crusaders last Saturday, as did released Southampton right-back Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo. The latter bagged the winner and Bughail-Mellor is said to have played well in the forward areas. Davenport won’t be available for the Drogheda game, as his contract at Morecambe doesn’t expire until the 30^th of June, but he – and any other new faces – will be welcomed additions as European and FAI Cup games fast approach.

Speaking of Europe, it seems like the City faithful have been keeping SkyScanner in business over the past ten days or so. It was announced last Tuesday that Derry would face FC Bruno’s Magpies of Gibraltar in the First Round of Europa Conference League qualifying, with the away leg in Gibraltar being played on July 11^th, just in time for a bank holiday weekend. It has been announced that, due to stadium renovations, the game will be played in the smaller Europa Point Stadium, meaning that only 200 tickets will be made available to City fans. There will certainly be a scramble for tickets once those come out.

It was going to be a big tie, as we love a European game, but when FC Copenhagen were announced as the Second Round opposition for the winner, an extra dimension was added to the First Round tie. UEFA really did us dirty with that one, as we’ll face a side who beat Manchester United and drew with Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season if we get past Magpies. It’s a glamour tie and no-one is expecting us to get into the Third Round like we did last year, but welcoming Denmark’s biggest team to the Brandywell a week before an away trip to Copenhagen is the stuff of Candystripe dreams. The Danes have got the likes of Jordan Larsson (son of Hendrik), Mohamed Elyounoussi (who Southampton paid £16m for and loaned to Celtic) and 74 time Sweden international Viktor Claesson in their squad. At this stage, we can only cross our fingers and hope we get past Magpies before focusing on what may come after.

 

Drogheda United:

Kevin Doherty has done an exceptional job on a shoestring budget since taking over as manager in late 2021, but his Drogheda United side haven’t quite clicked into gear this term. After an eighth placed finish in 2022 and a seventh placed finish in 2023, Doherty had moulded Drogheda into a team that were tough to break down and could grind out points. They’ve drawn or beaten Derry in six of the last ten games between the sides, alongside beating Shamrock Rovers and holding them to draws twice last season. This year, though, the Louth side have struggled for points after losing key players like Dayle Rooney and Conor Keeley in the off-season. With only three wins in twenty-one games, Drogheda find themselves bottom of the Premier Division, three points behind previously stricken rivals Dundalk. It seems like the Drogs haven’t coped with the increased quality of promoted sides as previously expected. UCD and Cork City got relegated last year, whom Drogheda finished ten and thirty points above respectively. The two clubs that got promoted, Galway United and Waterford, haven’t been overawed by a return to the Premier Division and find themselves fifth and fourth following highly successful campaigns in the First Division campaign last year.

Left back Evan Weir is joint with Haitian forward Frantz Pierrot at the top of Drogheda’s scoring charts, both on four. American winger Steve Zishim Bawa is next in line with three, meaning that only three players in United’s side have scored more than once this season. Weir’s two assists on top of his goal tally mean that he’s been the most creative player in the Drogheda side in 2024. Midfielder Darragh Markey has three assists and one goal so far this term and is, in my opinion, one of the league's most underrated players in the number 10 role.

Drogheda United’s twenty goals scored is the third lowest in the league but isn’t an awful return in honesty. A real worry for Kevin Doherty is the 37 goals his side has conceded, an average of 1.76 per game. At that rate they’re on course to concede another 26 goals or so in the last fifteen games of the campaign, which would see them conceding 63 by the end of the season – nine more than their tally last year. Another worry for Doherty is his side’s loan situation. The loan deal for Evan Weir from Walsall expires at the end of June, whilst Oisin Gallagher and Hayden Cann’s loans from Lincoln City have already come to an end – weakening the Louth side’s defence and midfield. The loss of Weir in particular, who has contributed to 30% of their goals this season, could be detrimental to their survival hopes. It has already been announced that forward Douglas James-Taylor will join the club in July, on-loan from Walsall. He scored twice in 26 League Two appearances last term and will be tasked with providing the goals to keep Drogheda United afloat come the end of the season.

 

Round Up:

The visitors on Friday have lost five of their last seven games and haven’t won since notching a 94^th minute winner against Dundalk on the 6^th of May. They’ve conceded fifteen in their last seven games and have scored just once in their last four. They’re desperate for a win, but a journey to Derry City, the form team in the league, isn’t what they will have wanted to see after the break. They welcome league leaders Shelbourne next week, so it doesn’t get any easier for Kevin Doherty’s men.

The Candystripes haven’t lost in over a month, winning three and drawing two of their last five games. A 2-0 friendly win over Crusaders on Saturday will see the City players fresh going into the match against Drogheda, whilst Shane McEleney and Colm Whelan both started in Derry’s U20 side’s recent 4-1 win over Dundalk U20s. Sean Patton, who has made five appearances for City’s senior side this season, bagged one of those four on Saturday too.

City are unbeaten against Drogheda United since April 2023, winning three and drawing two of the last five. The Candystripes have won two on the bounce against Drogheda in the Brandywell, going back to last August, and have lost just one in the last ten against the Louth side in Derry in all competitions. With the European ties, new signing and last minute winner against Bohs creating a positive buzz around the place during the summer break, you’d hope for a Derry City victory on Friday. A win could put Derry top of the table if Galway United defeat Shelbourne in Tolka Park, and with there being just one more league game after this until August, we’re fast approaching the business end of the season.

 

Pól O’Hare – 26 June 2024

Double Preview: Derry City away to Dundalk and home to Waterford

 

Double Preview: Derry City away to Dundalk and home to Waterford

 

Friday 31^st May 2024: Dundalk FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 18, Oriel Park, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Monday 3^rd June 2024: Derry City FC v Waterford FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 19, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, kick-off pm

 

Last weekend: Derry City 2-2 Sligo Rovers –

As Derry prepared to face Sligo Rovers last Friday, a team who had won just once in their previous nine fixtures, they knew that a win could close the gap on table-topping Shelbourne. Ruaidhrí Higgins was looking for a reaction as his City side were coming off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Shamrock Rovers earlier in the week, in a match where a win could have sent them top.

The first half was a scrappy affair, as referee Rob Hennessy pulled the game back for nineteen fouls – fifteen of which were committed by the away team. Sligo had opened the scoring after eighteen minutes, when Reece Hutchinson’s deflected cross from the left flank deceived Brian Maher and looped into the corner. Rovers were lucky to keep all eleven men on the pitch after Conor Reynolds’ lunge on Will Patching caught the City midfielder above the knee. The young centre back received a yellow card for the challenge, much to the dismay of the City faithful.

The home side flew out of the blocks in the second half though, with Michael Duffy pouncing on a defensive error to slide past Ed McGinty five minutes after the restart. As Derry momentum was building, a loose pass from Brian Maher saw Niall Morahan one-on-one with the City shot-stopper before slotting the ball into the bottom corner. Will Patching’s 83^rd minute penalty rescued a point for City, who were disappointed not to claim all three after recording 73% possession and 24 shots across the 96 minutes. Shelbourne’s 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers sees them go six clear at the summit, whilst Derry maintain a three point buffer on Rovers in third.

 

Derry City:

Despite the poor first half, Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men threatened considerably more in the second 45. The introductions of Patrick McEleney, Cameron Dummigan and Cameron McJannet at half-time gave City a bit more solidity and creativity. McEleney’s ball to Paul McMullan, which won Derry the penalty late on, was a pinpoint switch of play from deep inside City’s half. Sam Todd started alongside Shane McEleney, but the 25 year old seemed to have a bloody calf towards the end of the first half and was one of three substituted at the break. Diallo was replaced, presumably for more creativity going forward, whilst Cameron Dummigan’s was introduced in place of Ronan Boyce.

 

The Candystripe’s downfall in the first half on Friday was a lack of intensity in the press. As was the case in the second half, it was runs at the defence from Michael Duffy and Paul McMullan which forced Sligo into two defensive mistakes – the first leading to Duffy’s goal and the second winning a penalty. Dundalk have conceded 25 in 17 this term, so a high press could be the key to netting a couple of goals down in Oriel Park. Derry also seemed to be given more freedom to shoot from outside the area in the second half, and with the talent of City’s midfielders, this will surely wield goals from the likes of McEleney and Patching if afforded more often.

Dundalk:

The best way to summarise Dundalk’s season to date is that they’ve had more managers than wins. After internal turmoil towards the end of last season, which saw Brian Ainscough take over as owner and club legend Pat Hoban leave, Dundalk had to wait until the seventh game of the 2024  campaign to gain their first win. They’ve only won once more since, when John Mountney’s 91^st strike saw Dundalk overcome Shamrock Rovers. Manager Stephen O’Donnell was sacked and replaced by Noel King, who’s stint only lasted 25 days as he left citing medical issues. Jon Daly, sacked by St. Pat’s just a few weeks ago, is the new manager of the Lilywhites. His first home game in charge will come on Friday, as Ruaidhrí Higgins men must be wary of the new manager bounce.

Dundalk, who finished third as recently as 2022, find themselves rock bottom of the Premier Division table. With nine losses, six draws and just two wins after seventeen fixtures, it’s apparent that Jon Daly has quite the job on his hands if his Dundalk side are to avoid relegation. They sit three points behind their Louth neighbours Drogheda United and seven points from safety. Only Drogheda have conceded more goals than the Lilywhites this season, whilst the Oriel Park side’s goal return of nine is four less than the next worst – Galway United’s tally of thirteen. Jamie Gullan and Robbie Benson have bagged three goals each this season, with the former also registering one assist. John Mountney, Scott High and Ryan O’Kane have also scored once this season, whilst Daryl Horgan tops Dundalk’s assist chart with two.

Derry City haven’t lost to Dundalk since November 2022, winning three and drawing two of the following five fixtures. Furthering that, Dundalk haven’t beaten the Candystripes in Oriel Park since June 2021, when current City forwards Dan Kelly and Pat Hoban netted for the Lilywhites. City have won just three of their last twenty-one games in Oriel Park though – once last year, once in 2021 and once eleven years ago, back in 2013. The Lilywhites also haven't conceded in any of their last six home games. Derry have netted fifteen goals across their last four meetings with Dundalk though, including a 4-1 win earlier this season. 

 

Waterford:

In their first season back in the Premier Division since 2021, Waterford find themselves fifth in the table. Seven wins, four draws and six losses from their first seventeen games back in the division certainly isn’t a bad return and, with a record of four wins in their last five, the Munster side are in a good place. Their last two home games have been 4-2 and 4-1 wins over Drogheda United and Dundalk respectively, whilst Keith Long’s men recorded an impressive 3-1 away win against Shamrock Rovers in early May. The Blues are behind just Derry City and Shamrock Rovers in the scoring charts this season, netting 24 in 17 games.

Pádraig Almond, brought back to Ireland after an illustrious spell in the English Football League after leaving in 2010, has bagged eight goals so far this campaign. The 36 year old scored a thirteen minute hat-trick against Drogheda last time out as his side overcame a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2. Only Pat Hoban has found the net more times than Amond in the league this season. Winger Maleace Asamoah has scored six times too, leaving him joint sixth top scorer in the league – level with Shelbourne’s Sean Boyd. The Fleetwood Town loanee has been a joy to watch for Waterford fans this campaign. Darragh Leahy has scored twice and assisted twice from left-back so far too.

Derry City have met Waterford twice this season, winning 3-0 in the Brandywell in March and 2-0 in the RSC in April. The Candystripes have only lost once in their last eight home games in all competitions against the Munster side too – that came back in April 2021. Cameron McJannet’s goal for City that day wasn’t enough to earn a point, but it marked his first for the club, and his first senior goal since scoring the equaliser for Ashton against Leamington in the National League North in April 2019, almost two years to the day prior.

Round-up:

The Friday-Monday game weekends have been coming thick and fast this weekend for clubs involved in Europe. Derry, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne and St. Pat’s have all played two more games than the rest of the division as fixtures have been brought forward to avoid congestion in July and August. Those four sides are past the half-way marks in their seasons, but it has left the door open for other clubs to capitalise on games in hand. For example, Galway United currently sit fourth on 27 points. Six points from their two games in hand would see them at 33 – two more than what Derry City currently sit on in second place. Similarly at the bottom of the table, the four teams beneath St. Pat’s could theoretically leapfrog them if results were to go a certain way.

It just shows how close the table is this season and with Shamrock Rovers still struggling to kickstart their season, the opportunity is there for others to capitalise. Shelbourne’s six point lead at the top looks healthy once again, whilst Derry City will need to turn draws into wins if they’re to win a first title since 1997. It feels like, even at this stage, every weekend could determine the outcome of the season.

 

Pól O’Hare – 29^th May 2024

Double Preview: St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City, Shamrock Rovers v Derry City

 

Double Preview: St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City, Shamrock Rovers v Derry City

 

St Patrick’s Athletic FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 16, Richmond Park, Friday 17^th May 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

Shamrock Rovers FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 25, Tallaght Stadium, Monday 20^th May 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

After conceding a late equaliser to Shelbourne and missing the chance to go top nine days ago, Derry City struck five minutes from time to beat Bohemians and stay within touching distance of first position. Michael Duffy swept past Bohs’ netminder Kacper Chorazka in the 85^th minute to give the Candystripes all three points after a relatively even affair on Friday night.

 

Up next for Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men are two difficult back-to-back away matches against St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday and Shamrock Rovers on Monday. The Saints have been front and centre in terms of Irish football news in recent days after speculation heavily linking Stephen Kenny with the vacant manager’s job came to fruition. Jon Daly, who guided Pats to cup glory last campaign, was relieved of his duties after a 1-0 loss to Sligo Rovers – a result which left the Inchicore side 7^th in the table. Stephen Kenny, who won six trophies as Derry City manager, had been unemployed since leaving his post as Republic of Ireland boss last November. The 52 year old is the  most successful League of Ireland manager of the modern era after his spell with Dundalk where he won five league titles, three FAI Cups and two League Cups as well as qualifying for the Europa League Group Stages. Landing the Dubliner on a five year deal is a clear statement of intent from Pats. The man who mentored Ruaidhrí Higgins during his time as both a player and coach at Dundalk, as well as a player at Derry City, will face him in the opposing dugout on Friday.

 

Shamrock Rovers have also been in the news recently after they secured a sponsorship deal with Sharp Group to install LED perimeter advertising boards for Tallaght Stadium. The deal has been described as the largest ever commercial sponsorship in League of Ireland history and will bring around €650k which will go towards funding professional contracts for academy players. The club hope to generate up to €1m across the four-year partnership in something that can be seen as a positive for the League of Ireland as a whole. It’s clear that Tallaght is the best stadium in the league, but the added signage will give it an even more professional and high-end feel. The fact that the revenue is earmarked to contribute to youth players breaking into the senior team is crucial in a sustainable model for a modern football club. Fair played to Rovers.

 

Back to on the pitch matters and Derry City welcomed back Patrick McEleney into the team after a near-two month absence through injury. Sadou Diallo, injured in pre-season, got the best part of a half-hour into the tank to make his second appearance of the campaign. Michael Duffy made a scoring return to the squad after a niggling injury picked up against Shamrock Rovers, whilst Sam Todd saw his first action since the 0-0 draw with Shelbourne back on April first. Ruaidhrí Higgins will be glad to get some of his key players fit and firing for the upcoming schedule.

 

Last week’s win against Bohemians leaves the Candystripes in second, just one point from top spot and with a superior goal difference than table-topping Shelbourne. Shels and Shamrock Rovers both dropped points last weekend drawing with Drogheda United and St. Pat’s respectively. It’s only been three and a half weeks since we last played Rovers and Pat’s in a double-header, coming out with a 3-1 win and a 3-1 loss, but this time it could be a real opportunity to go out and make a statement against two sides who had league-winning aspirations coming into the campaign. Despite being third, it feels like Rovers are still the team to beat, whilst Pat’s’ squad is rich on quality and could turn any team in the league over on their day.

 

As I’ve said, Shamrock Rovers and St. Pat’s played out a 2-2 draw last weekend. Former City midfielder Brandon Kavanagh racked up his eighth assist of the campaign – three higher than Shamrock Rovers’ Dylan Watts to render himself the outright assist leader in the division. 16 year old striker Mason Melia’s cool finish, clipping the ball over Leon Pohls to level the scores in the second half, has done the rounds on social media. He looks like he’ll turn out to be a quality player. In terms of Rovers, they had 19 shots in that game – 10 of which were on target. Combine that with 59% possession, and the fact that Pat’s’ goalkeeper Danny Rogers was forced into making 8 saves, it shows that Stephen Bradley’s men are relentless in searching for goals.

 

The usual suspects are to be watched for both teams this weekend. Neil Farrugia and Jack Byrne are both back from injury, whilst Aaron Greene has a scoring ratio of one in two and Darragh Burns has contributed to seven goals in fifteen games. If there’s a weakness in the Rovers team, it’s probably in the goalkeeping position. Leon Pohls has had some shaky moments in the past but has proven himself as Rovers’ number one keeper this term. Still, his slip prior to Melia’s equaliser gave the striker ample opportunity to lift the ball over him. In terms of Pat’s’ dangers on Friday, there’s no denying the quality in midfield. I had a feeling that selling Brandon Kavanagh might come back to bite Derry, and with the Dubliner on top of the assist charts it’s fair to say he’ll be a threat on Friday. Chris Forrester needs no introduction, whilst Jamie Lennon and Aaron Bolger add to a very solid midfield. If Jon Daly didn’t stick with the back five as much, I’d say Pat’s would be considerably closer to the summit than they currently are now.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but it’s another massive weekend in the title race. With how tight the top of the table is at the minute – just three points separating the top three – any slip up could completely derail a title challenge. Rovers haven’t quite clicked into gear just yet, Shelbourne’s once eight point gap has dwindled to just one and a win for Waterford in their game in hand could have them joint third. The standard of the bottom half of the table has made the rest of the league more competitive, and it’s for the better. City have lost just one of their last eleven league games against Pats, but haven't beaten Shamrock Rovers in over a year. Two big performances on Friday and Monday could go a long way and, after these two games, Derry will only play both St. Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers once more before the campaign’s over in November.

 

Pól O’Hare – 16th May 2024

Drogheda United v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Drogheda United v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Drogheda United FC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 10, Weaver’s Park, Friday 12^th April 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

It was a case of no-Hoban-no-problem for Derry City as they thumped stricken Dundalk 4-1 at the Brandywell to end a three-game winless streak and climb back to second in the Premier Division table. Goals from Adam O’Reilly, Will Patching, Danny Mullen and Michael Duffy saw City cruise past the Louth side, who sacked manager Stephen O’Donnell after the loss and find themselves rock bottom of the table – winless this term. Derry face Dundalk’s Louth and relegation zone neighbours Drogheda United on Friday, as the Candystripes aim to build on some positive momentum following a handful of poor performances.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men seemed to have a bit of confidence about them on Friday night, showing the signs of a reinvigorated side. City's manager spoke before the game on how he wanted his team to put in a shift that would get the fans back on side and, particularly in the second half, they did just that. It seemed that fans, players and staff alike were pleased to have the pressure lifted and get a bit of positivity back about the Brandywell. Adam O’Reilly and Will Patching were particularly impressive in controlling the midfield, crowning their performances by each finding the back of the net. Another positive was seeing the returns of Cameron Dummigan and Ben Doherty after injuries, whilst four different scorers showed that Pat Hoban wasn’t as much a miss as feared.

 

It doesn’t feel like two months ago since Drogheda travelled to the Brandywell on the opening day of the season and, with the first round of fixtures behind us, a quarter of 2024’s league games have already been played. Since their 2-1 defeat in the Brandywell in mid-February, Drogheda’s season hasn’t quite gone to plan. Their only win came over Bohemians, a 2-1 victory in early March. The Drogs are coming off the back of a run which has seen them draw their last three fixtures, although holding table toppers Shelbourne and third placed St Patrick’s Athletic are certainly not bad results.

 

Drogheda have struggled for goals this season and it seems to be hurting them. Left back Evan Weir is their top league scorer with three goals. Andrew Quinn, Steve Zishim Bawa and Derry native Oisin Gallagher are the club’s only other league scorers – chipping in with a goal each. Haitian striker Frantz Pierrot, who was highly sought after following a bountiful season in the First Division with Athlone Town last year, has failed to hit the ground running. He has featured in seven of Drogs’ eight games and hasn’t yet found the back of the net. Warren Davis is also scoreless in eight games this season, leading manager Kevin Doherty to trust veteran midfielder Ryan Brennan with leading the line against Shelbourne last week.

 

Playmaker Darragh Markey is always a threat when Drogheda play. The former St. Pat’s man contributed to five goals last season and is tricky in the number ten role. Derry man Oisin Gallagher, who is on loan from Lincoln City, opened his account for the season with a smart finish against Shelbourne last week, and is versatile across the midfield. Despite not scoring this term, Frantz Pierrot’s strength and presence in the attack can’t be undermined – his twenty-two goal haul last season speaks for itself. Former Finn Harps man Adam Foley also netted a hattrick in a recent 4-0 win over Athlone Town in the Leinster Senior Cup. Drogheda United certainly aren’t a bad side and have talent in the team which would arguably warrant a higher placing in the league than were they find themselves.

 

Derry City could do with continuing their newfound run of form and winning away to Drogheda on Friday, especially considering the double-header against Shamrock Rovers and St. Pat’s the weekend after. The Candystripes are unbeaten in their last four against Drogheda and have lost just twice of the last nine games against the Louth side, going back to March 2022. Weaver’s Park is a tough place to go to though, with City coming out on top in just one of the last five meetings between the two there. Adam O’Reilly scored his first Derry City goal in this fixture last year - he’ll be hoping to find another this time out.

 

With the gap to top spot still sitting at six points, Derry need to be winning in order to stay in the hunt for the title. Drogheda find themselves three points from safety and need to turn their unbeaten streak into wins across the next few weeks in order to gain some distance between themselves and the relegation zone. The game on Friday mightn’t be a pretty one, but both sides will be aiming for the win in order to keep tabs in their fights at either end of the table.

Pól O'Hare - 11 April 2024

Sligo Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Sligo Rovers v Derry City, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 2, Sligo Showgrounds, Saturday 24^th February 2024

 

Goals from Ronan Boyce and new signing Pat Hoban saw Derry City begin 2024 with a win against Drogheda United last weekend. Only City and St Patrick’s Athletic recorded wins in the Premier Division on the opening day, meaning that the Candystripes sit top of the league going into Saturday’s fixture away to Sligo Rovers. The Bit’O’Red were unlucky to leave Dalymount with just a point last week, as James Clarke’s stoppage time equaliser rescued a point for Bohemians in a two-all draw.

 

It was a Derry City debut to remember for Pat Hoban as he bagged a goal and an assist against Drogheda. His link up play in the front-line gave Ronan Boyce space to open up and curve a left footed strike into the top corner from outside the box just one minute after half-time. A quarter of an hour later and Hoban had opened his own account for the season, reacting fastest inside the box to slot past Andrew Wogan after the Drogs’ keeper palmed a Will Patching strike into the path of the Galwegian forward. The Louth side responded just four minutes later as left-back Evan Weir, who left Drogheda for Walsall in the off-season before returning on loan, whipped a free kick off the crossbar and in. A deflection off the City wall left Brian Maher stranded, but it was certainly an impressive way to pull a goal back for the away side. Maher had a good game himself though, saving three shots including a Ryan Brennan penalty – his first league penalty save since denying Shelbourne’s Shane Farrell in June of last year.

 

Ruaidhrí Higgins will hope that the injury sustained by Mark Connolly isn’t too serious. The 32 year old centre back was replaced by Shane McEleney just before the Drogheda goal. It was good to see Cameron Dummigan and Adam O’Reilly return to the squad after niggling injuries, and the twenty or so minutes of action that Dan Kelly saw on his debut looked promising. Ciarán Coll also played the last ten, nearly five years to the day since his Derry City debut back in 2019. The absence of captain Patrick McEleney was the one glaring omission from the matchday squad, but it’s believed that the midfielder’s injury isn’t long-term.

 

Sligo Rovers were getting some criticism in the off-season for not strengthening a squad which had an unimpressive 2023. An eighth place finish saw them survive in the Premier Division, finishing six points above Cork City in the relegation play-off spot. Rovers won just two of their last twelve league games last term, one against UCD and the other which all but ended Derry City’s title hopes in late September. Their performance against Bohemians last week showed positive signs for 2024 though. After going behind just five minutes into the first half, goals from Reece Hutchinson and Fabrice Hartmann had Rovers ahead going into the break. If it wasn’t for a 94^th minute leveller, they would’ve headed home with all three points. There were some big departures last year, namely the moves of David Cawley to Finn Harps, Johan Brannefalk to Ariana, Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt to Gefle, Frank Liivak to Levadia Tallinn and the double switch of Karl O’Sullivan and Garry Buckley to Galway United. Derry man Danny Lafferty left the club to return home and join Institute whilst Greg Bolger rejoined Cork City. Striker Pedro Martelo left and goalkeeper Luke McNicholas’ loan to Wrexham was made permanent. This left John Russell with a fairly light squad going into 2024.

 

English winger Ellis Chapman joined Sligo from Cheltenham and seems to have been a shrewd acquisition. He scored a hat-trick in his first appearance – a 5-4 friendly win over Derry in January. The signings of JR Wilson and Simon Power from Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers respectively bring Premier Division experience and pace on either flank. Ed McGinty returned to the club on loan from Oxford United to solve their goalkeeping woes, whilst Wilson Waweru and Conor Malley signed from Galway United and Dundalk. Charlie Wiggett, who appeared at senior level in a friendly for Newcastle United last year, joined Rovers to give more options in defence – something which they’ll need after John Mahon suffered another unfortunate ACL injury. The return of Max Mata on loan from Shrewsbury Town is undoubtedly Russell’s biggest coup of the window though – the New Zealand international striker netted eleven goals in twenty three games last season in Sligo. He finished as the club’s top goalscorer despite leaving in the summer, Stefan Radosavljević came second with just five in the league. Fabrice Hartmann is always one to watch when Sligo Rovers play too. The German winger, who replaced now Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha for RB Leipzig in a Europa League qualifier in 2018, has experience playing in the 2.Bundesliga and Dritte Liga in Germany. He scored a wonderful solo goal in Dalymount last week too.

 

Derry City haven’t won in Sligo since beating Rovers 2-1 back in August 2021. The Bit’O’Red have won three of the last four league meetings in the Showgrounds, with the other being a 0-0 draw in October 2022. Will Patching scored the decider in Derry’s last two league wins over Sligo Rovers too: a 95^th minute penalty back in July last year and the only goal of the game in September 2022. There haven’t been more than three goals scored in this fixture since City won 4-0 in 2017 and only once in the last thirteen meetings has the deficit been more than one goal. The aforementioned 5-4 friendly in January hints that the trend of low-scoring games between Derry and Sligo may be due to change however. Derry notoriously struggle in the Sligo Showgrounds but revenge may be on the mind of the City players after last time out. Home and away tickets are expected to fully sell out, so this one should be a good one.

Pól O'Hare - 22nd February 2024

 

Derry City v. Drogheda United: Match Preview

Derry City v. Drogheda United: Match Preview

Derry City v. Drogheda United, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 1, 16^TH February 2024, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

 

It will have been 84 days since Derry City’s 3-0 home win over St. Patrick’s Athletic in the final game of the 2023 season, closing the curtain on a campaign full of ups and downs for the City faithful. The excitement from the Candystripes’ run to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League was quickly extinguished after two penalty shootout losses in the space of a week in August which saw City crash out of both Europe and the FAI Cup. A lack of clinical edge in the final third saw Derry drop valuable points towards the business end of the season, resulting in a second place finish for the second season in a row. Some good football was played and good moments were had but fans, players and staff alike will hope that the Candystripes can go one better in 2024 and claim the League of Ireland Premier Division for the first time in 27 years.

 

Similarly to Derry, Drogheda United dropped points in 2023 due to the lack of a deadly forward. Freddie Draper got off to a flying start on loan from Lincoln City, finishing as Drogheda’s top scorer in the league with eight goals despite his loan ending in June. Drogs’ next top league scorers were Adam Foley with seven and Dayle Rooney with five. The latter did, however, create eight assists and will be a big loss after signing for Bohemians in the off season. A seventh place finish for Drogheda capped a solid campaign, especially considering that the team from Louth claimed the scalps of Derry, Shamrock Rovers and St. Pat’s along the way. Tying manager Kevin Doherty down on a full-time basis until the end of the 2025 campaign may prove to be their biggest victory of 2023 though.

 

The visit of Drogheda United on Friday marks the first time since 2019 that Derry City have played the first game of the league season in the Brandywell, when they beat UCD 3-0 nearly five years ago to the day. City have played Drogheda just three times on the opening day of the season since the turn of the century too. They claimed the three points with 1-0 and 2-0 wins in 2009 and 2005 respectively, whilst Drogheda won 2-1 in the Brandywell in 2002. Drogheda haven’t lost a season opener since a 1-0 defeat to St. Patrick’s Athletic back in 2013 however. Meanwhile, the aforementioned win over UCD in 2019 was the last time that Derry won on the first game of the season. Since then, the Candystripes have lost twice and drawn twice. Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men may want to look back to 2017, when they beat Bohemians 4-1 down in Dalymount, for some inspiration on winning big on the first game of the season.

 

In this fixture last season, Derry won twice, Drogheda won once and a fairly scrappy 0-0 draw was played out in Weavers Park in October. Derry’s 3-0 win in the Brandywell in August was their joint biggest league win over United since a 4-0 win in March 2017. In 2022, three of the four league fixtures between City and Drogheda ended in 1-1 draws, showing just how even this fixture can be. Drogheda are known for being tough to break down for a reason.

 

In the off-season, Drogheda United have had to deal with the scenario that many a League of Ireland club has had to face, that of their best players being tempted to other clubs in the league on free transfers at the close of the season. Dayle Rooney, who made thirteen goal contributions in the league in 2023, signed for Bohemians on a two-year deal. Conor Keeley was the other standout departure. The big centre back, who Drogheda were glad to hold on to after interest from Notts County during the summer, signed for St. Pat’s, also on a two-year contract. Arguably Drogs’ two best players last term, they leave big boots to fill. Kyle Robinson, who scored four goals in twelve games in 2023, left for Arbroath in the Scottish Championship. Luke Wade-Slater and Jamie Egan both joined Longford Town whilst Dylan Grimes left the club and Jarlath Jones signed for Athlone Town.

 

Despite their relatively small budget, Drogheda have recruited well ahead of 2024. Frantz Pierrot, who scored twenty goals in thirty four First Division games for Athlone Town last season, was the marquee signing brought in to solve their goal issues. The Haitian striker also scored in both of Athlone’s play-off games and is already off the mark for Drogheda, scoring and assisting against Bohemians in the Leinster Senior Cup. The 24 year old is only on a one year contract in Louth and may attract suitors if he continues his goalscoring form into 2024. The signing of UCD’s captain Jack Keaney was a smart acquisition in replacing Conor Keeley. Keaney can play in both defence and holding midfield and impressed in 2023, despite UCD’s dire campaign. The transfers of Andrew Quinn and Conor Kane from Shelbourne add depth, whilst the loan signings of Derry native Oisin Gallagher and Hayden Cann from Lincoln City will give both a taste of senior football. The capture of South African international goalkeeper Jethren Barr, who most recently played for Portadown, will run Andrew Wogan close for the number one spot. Keep an eye on 18 year old Irish/French striker Killian Cailloce and 21 year old American/Nigerian winger Steve Zishim Bawa who signed from SM Caen and Bodens BK respectively. Kevin Doherty will hope his youthful squad can repeat at least a mid-tabled finish once again this year.

 

Derry City did considerably less business in the transfer market than Drogheda United, with Ruaidhrí Higgins feeling that City needed just one or two more pieces to add to the puzzle of a potentially title winning team. The sale of Brandon Kavanagh to St. Patrick’s Athletic allowed money to be spent elsewhere, most of which I presume went into the €30k fee demanded by Dundalk for Pat Hoban. Kavanagh impressed last season when given a run in the team, but the City faithful will hope that he won’t do too much damage to his former employers in 2024. Cian Kavanagh, who scored important goals against KuPS both home and away in the second round of the UECL also returned to St. Pat’s, where he spent time as a youth player. He’ll probably be second choice behind Ruairí Keating in Inchicore, especially after the sale of Tommy Lonergan to Fleetwood Town. Evan McLaughlin, who missed most of last season due to a health issue, signed for Cork City in the First Division. He did well at a brief loan spell at Coleraine last year and could be important in Cork’s proposed promotion push this term. Speaking of Coleraine, that’s where Jamie McGonigle returned to after two and a half years at Derry. He scored some huge goals for City and was electric in 2021 and the first half of 2022. After spotting that his squad number had changed to free up the number 9 shirt, speculation had begun that his future lay elsewhere. An undisclosed fee was agreed, again which I presume helped in signing Hoban. Jack Lemoignan joined Harland & Wolff Welders in the hunt for game time after impressing on loan at Ballinamallard, meanwhile Caoimhin Porter and Daithí McCallion joined Institute and Ballymena United on loans until June. Assistant manager Paddy McLaughlin left the club too, being replaced with former Derry City player, assistant manager and caretaker manager Paul Hegarty. Derry have recently been hit with a blow going into the season after it was confirmed that Sadou Diallo will miss around two months of action due to a meniscus injury sustained in a high tackle against Finn Harp in pre-season. 

 

Derry’s two signings in the off-season seemed to show the two different types of transfers these days. Firstly, once word got out that City were interested in signing Daniel Kelly from Dundalk, it seemed that the deal was wrapped up fairly smoothly and the player was announced on a two year contract in mid-November with little fuss. Kelly is an athletic and quick winger who can read the game well. At 27, he’s in the peak of his career and has worked with Ruaidhrí Higgins in the past. He’s won the Premier Division, FAI Cup and League Cup during his career and brings pedigree, experience and another option in wide areas. Derry’s other signing this window was quite the opposite of a quiet transfer. Despite being contracted to Dundalk for 2024, the club made it clear that record goal-scorer Pat Hoban was surplus to requirements and could leave the club. Then it was announced that Dundalk found new owners and investment who stated their desire to keep the forward. Talks with Derry were going well despite rumoured interest from Hoban’s hometown club Galway United, as well as Bohemians, St. Pat’s and more recently Shamrock Rovers. Talks were thought to have stalled, before Hoban was announced in the Brandywell a few days later. It was a saga that Fabrizio Romano would have wanted to get in on. Hoban is exactly what Derry need in order to mount a proper title charge though. The 32 year old was the Premier Division top scorer three times and won the Premier Division itself three times, alongside two FAI Cups and a League Cup. He also played in the Europa League group stages in 2020, as well as holding the record as Dundalk’s best ever goal scorer with 148 goals.

 

Both Kelly and Hoban have netted in pre-season and it seems that Derry are going into the league campaign in good form. Despite a 2-2 draw to Finn Harps in mid-January, and a 5-4 loss to Sligo Rovers shortly after, City are coming off the back of 2-0, 4-0 and 3-0 wins over Finn Harps, Glenavon and Institute. Behind closed-door friendlies against Glentoran and Dundalk wielded 5-0 and 3-0 wins also. Drogheda have had a good pre-season too, defeating Bohemians 3-1, rivals Dundalk 2-1 and Malahide United 4-2 to progress to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Senior Cup. Their most recent friendly ended in a 2-1 win against Bray Wanderers. Killian Cailloce scored in a 2-1 friendly defeat against St. Pat’s in January too.

 

It’s hard to predict which way games will go this early in the season but City will hope to get off on the right foot against Drogheda in the Brandywell on Friday. After Shamrock Rovers’, 3-1 win over St. Pat’s in last week’s President’s Cup, it seems that they will, once again, be the team to beat in 2024.

 

Pól O’Hare – 14 February 2024