Derry City FC v. Shamrock Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 17, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 23rd May 2025, kick-off 7.45pm
Unbeaten in four following last week’s draw away to Drogheda
United, Derry City welcome table-toppers Shamrock Rovers to the Brandywell on
Friday night. It’s the biggest match of Derry’s season to date, as victory
would keep the pressure on Rovers at the summit. With City clicking into gear,
and Rovers in free-scoring form, Friday night’s game could be decisive come
November. With the atmosphere of a packed Ryan McBride Brandywell, this won’t
be one to miss.
Derry City:
Heading into last Friday’s game away to Drogheda United in
second place in the table, joint on points with table toppers Shamrock Rovers,
a loss for Derry City would have seen them slip from the top three. Without
Ronan Boyce through injury, and Carl Winchester through suspension, the
Candystripes had a task on their hands to leave Louth with a positive result.
The sun was shining and a big travelling contingent had made
the journey to Sullivan & Lambe Park but it was the home side who made the
most headway in the first half. When the referee blew for half-time, Drogheda
United were the side ahead. Right back Elicha Ahui rose to meet Owen Lambe’s
corner and directed it past Brian Maher in the City goal just minutes before
the half was ou - a deserved opener for the hosts, who were unfortunate not to
add to it across the ninety.
Derry grew into the game in the second period, although
Drogheda had the better chances throughout the half. Brian Maher’s fingertip save
over the crossbar twenty minutes into the half, followed by the introduction of
Paul McMullan and Dom Thomas three minutes later, saw the game turn on its
head.
United had stifled most of City’s forays forward and were
prepared to sit deep and defend. Tough to break down, the visitors knew they
had to make the most of any chance for a goal. Pat Hoban, making his first
appearance in two months, sliced a golden effort at goal inside the box on the
77th minute and it seemed like it wasn’t to be for the Candystripes.
It was substitute Dom Thomas who came to the rescue for
City. Realising that trying to break down the Drogheda defence wasn’t working,
the Scotsman took one touch after receiving the ball from Hayden Cann and fired
towards goal in the 90th minute. His deflected shot from distance
wrongfooted Luke Dennison and squirmed into the bottom corner, sending the away
end into raptures. It was too late for a winner, but it was a hard-won point
and one which could prove crucial towards the business end of the season.
The draw in Drogheda wasn’t pretty, but with just one defeat
and five wins from the last seven games for Derry City, it was an important
point to get. With Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and St. Patrick’s Athletic all
winning across the weekend, a loss would’ve seen us slip to fourth at full-time.
With Rovers hammering Pats, and Shelbourne drawing with Drogheda United on
Monday night, City have a game in hand going into the crunch tie with Shamrock
Rovers on Friday.
Carl Winchester will be a welcomed return in the centre of
midfield against Rovers, whilst it was good to see that Adam O’Reilly was fit
enough to play following a hefty collision at the end of the match in Cork
almost two weeks ago. Brian Maher made some fine saves, whilst Hayden Cann
slotted in at right back following Ciaron Harkin’s substitution at half time.
It was surprising to see Michael Duffy and Gavin Whyte taken off, seeing that
they’ve been our two best attackers in 2025, but the introductions of McMullan
and Thomas won the game for City – a genius move from Tiernan Lynch.
Robbie Benson is proving to be another solid pickup.
Relegated with Dundalk last year, he’s fitted seamlessly into the Derry City
midfield when called upon and hasn’t lost any of that fight that he showed
throughout his career. It’s the experience in that older squad that’s grinding
out results. Pat Hoban’s return to the pitch following two months out will be
another addition to the City frontline and a solid option off the bench against
Shamrock Rovers. With Ronan Boyce, Sadou Diallo, Ben Doherty and Cameron
Dummigan all still out, Tiernan Lynch will need his squad sharp going into
Friday’s game.
Shamrock Rovers have found form and are steamrolling all
that come in their way at the moment, scoring twelve and conceding just once in
their last four games. It’ll need to be Derry City’s best performance of the
year to claim victory on Friday, but it’s one which would keep us firmly in the
title race. Almost at the halfway point of the season in terms of matches
played, the table is really taking shape.
To beat a team like Rovers, Derry will likely set up how
they did against Shelbourne. Welcoming the champions to the Brandywell for the
first time since lifting the cup there in November, there would have been a
temptation to sit back and let them have the ball. Tiernan Lynch set his side
up to do the opposite.
City knew their press triggers and had exposed Shelbourne’s
weaknesses. The first goal came from a well-worked corner routine and the second
by pressing the centre back and forcing him into a mistake. It’ll be these
situations and chances which City will need to avail of to find goals on
Friday. Against St. Pat’s four days later, our only goal came from being
front-footed, forward facing and energetic to nip a misplaced pass and play the
striker in-behind. This is where having the likes of O’Reilly in the team can
add so much. Noticing these differences show how City have progressed in
midfield and forward areas since Tiernan Lynch took over. His Larne team was a
goal machine after all.
In saying that, there needs to be a precise fine line. Press
too high and leave too much space in-behind and we’ll get punished. Our back
four or five aren’t the quickest and teams have found joy in lobbing the ball
over the defenders and freeing their quick forward to go 1v1 against the
keeper. Rovers ripped City apart doing exactly this last year, when Aaron
Greene got in-behind to score two identical goals in a six minute spell in
Rovers’ 3-1 win in Derry last April. It’s something which Lynch and his side
have worked on this year, and something which has drastically improved from the
2-1 defeat at home to Waterford back in March. I’m no tactician, but for those
of you who know your stuff, you’ll enjoy the tactical battle on Friday as much
as the physical.
Visiting fellow high-flyers Bohemians next week before the
mid-season break, it’ll be vital for Derry City to keep up the good form going
into the summer. Without European football this year, we’ll hope to use the
advantage of less games in the congested summer schedule to our advantage. To
do that, the Candystripes need positive results against their title rivals from
now on in, starting with Friday night.
Shamrock Rovers:
Shamrock Rovers went into the final day of the 2024 season
knowing that victory at home to Waterford would’ve seen them lift the Premier
Division title for the fifth year in a row. After failing to hit consistent
form all season, Rovers went top for the first time all campaign when they went
1-0 up just four minutes into the last match of the year. Top of the table for
more than the next hour, Rovers hearts
were broken when Harry Wood scored late on to see Shelbourne beat Derry City in
the Brandywell - a goal which saw the Reds pip the Tallaght side to the crown.
Rovers ended 2024 strongly and would go on to make history
on the continental front. Picking up wins against Larne, TNS and Borac Banja
Luka, whilst drawing with APOEL Nicosia and Rapid Vienna, Stephen Bradley’s
side progressed to the Knockout Phase of the UEFA Conference League. The first
Irish side to progress through the league phase of European competition
eventually bowed after losing to Molde on penalties.
It seemed as though the hangover from the second leg against
Molde, which occurred just four days before the league season kicked off, had
an impact on the early stages of Shamrock Rovers’ league campaign. No strangers
to a slow starting season, Rovers lost to Bohemians in the Aviva Stadium on the
opening day and were rooted to the bottom of the table after three games. Fast
forward two months, fourteen matches and nine wins later and the Hoops are five
points clear at the top of the Premier Division.
Losing just once in the last fourteen, and winning four on
the bounce, it’s clear that Rovers are clicking into gear. A recent 3-0
demolition of then leaders Drogheda United showed their intent, before they
hammered St. Pat’s 4-0 in Tallaght four days later. Their goals scored metric
of 31 is by far the league’s highest. Conceding just 15 and boasting the best
defence in the league, the south Dublin side are showing their quality as the
most well rounded team in the league.
Hate them or love them, that word ‘quality’ often pops up in
discussions around Shamrock Rovers. Midfield maestro, and former Ireland player
Jack Byrne, has bounced back from a disappointing 2024 to score twice and
assist six more already this season. He’s joint with Moses Dyer and Michael
Duffy on eight goal involvements in 2025 and sits top of the Premier Division’s
assist charts.
16 year old Michael Noonan became European football’s
youngest ever goalscorer when he bagged against Molde, whilst fellow strikers
Aaron Greene and Rory Gaffney have netted five and four respectively in the
league. Both 35 years of age, they’re setting the example for Noonan.
Twelve different players have found the net for Rovers in
the league in 2025, three more than Derry City. While only four City players
have scored more than once individually, eight players have bagged twice or
more for Rovers. When you consider that defenders Lee Grace and Josh Honohan,
the latter of whom was called into the Republic of Ireland senior squad for
upcoming friendlies, have five goals between them, it shows how threatening
Rovers came be.
Jack Byrne aside, Rovers’ midfield needs no introduction.
Graham Burke has scored four and assisted six this year, propelling himself to
the top of the goal involvement chart for the Premier Division. He’s one of the
best players in the league yet again this season. The acquisition of Ireland
U21 midfielder Matty Healy from Royal Francs Borains in Belgium is also proving
a real coup. Last year’s PFAI Player of the Year, Dylan Watts, is joined by
Aaron McEneff, Danny Mandriou, Gary O’Neill and Darragh Nugent in the centre of
the park. With Danny Grant, Trevor Clarke and Sean Kavanagh providing width to
the attack, they’re a frightening prospect going forward.
With former Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty, who was sent
off the last time these sides met, between the sticks with Roberto Lopes, Lee
Grace and Dan Cleary in front of him, they aren’t short at the other end of the
pitch either. Right back Adam Matthews started for Celtic in their famous 2-1
win over Barcelona in 2012 and has played six times for Rovers this season,
whist former Derry wingback Sean Robertson is a recent arrival following the
termination of his contract on Foyleside. Young winger Victor Ozhianvuna is one
of the hottest prospects coming out of Tallaght and is rumoured to be the
subject of bids from some of Europe’s elite. The rumoured fee would eclipse
Mason Melia’s move to Spurs as the League’s most expensive sale in history.
Undefeated in their last six, and in free-scoring form,
Shamrock Rovers will see victory over Derry City on Friday night as a serious
jump hurdled in the title race. Three points would see them go eight clear of
City, a sizable gap given the midway point of the campaign. It’s up to the
Candystripes to assert their dominance in front of a bumper crowd and show
their own title ambitions to stop Ireland’s best team from ploughing on.
Round-up:
With both sides in good form and hoping to flex their
muscles at the top of the Premier Division, it’s a top two clash of serious
proportions. It’s looking likely that an attendance of more than 5,000 will be
in the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Friday night, so this game has lofty
ambitions to live up to.
Tiernan Lynch would’ve felt hard done by coming away from
Tallaght with just one point when these two last met at the end of March. With
red cards flashed to players on both sides, the game was stifled and neither
Rovers or City tried to go for the jugular. As the league takes shape and the
stakes get higher now though, that won’t be the case this time round.
Derry City have just one win from their last nine games
against Rovers. That victory came back in March 2023, whilst Rovers have won
four of the other eight. Both of the last two games between the two have been
draws, but the Candystripes haven’t beaten Shamrock Rovers in league action in
the Brandywell in more than three years. You may remember that win too, when
Jamie McGonigle’s 95th minute winner lifted the roof on the Lone
Moor Road. Tiernan Lynch will be hoping Friday’s crowd will boy his side on to
similar scenes this time round, closing the gap to top spot.
If you haven’t already got a ticket for Friday night, I’d
advise you to get one. It’s the biggest game of the Tiernan Lynch era so far and
will indicate where Derry should expect to be in terms of a title race. Victory
would keep us right in it, but defeat could open a gap too big. A draw wouldn’t
really suit anyone. With attacking football, flying tackles and a loud
atmosphere on the cards, this is what Friday nights are all about.
Pól O’Hare – 21st May 2025
