Shamrock Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview (28th March 2025)

 

Shamrock Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Shamrock Rovers FC v. Derry City FC., League of Ireland Premier Division Round 7, Tallaght Stadium, Friday 28^th March 2025, kick-off 8pm

Tiernan Lynch’s Derry City went into the international break a rejuvenated side following their 1-0 away win over Sligo Rovers two weeks ago, their first in the Sligo Showgrounds since August 2021. The three points lifted the Candystripes off the foot of the table and into 7^th, condemning their hosts to tenth place in doing so. Next up for City is a trip to Shamrock Rovers, a side who put four past Lynch’s Larne side on his last visit to Tallaght in UEFA Conference League action.

Derry City:

Heading down to Sligo rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division table, and without the suspended Carl Winchester and injured Kevin Holt, Derry City needed a victory to escape the relegation zone. Knowing that defeat would leave them bottom going into the two week international break, Tiernan Lynch’s side were desperate to get one over the team who effectively put an end to Derry’s title charge in each of the last two seasons. When the team sheet came out and City had no central defenders on the bench, there were fears that the league’s top scorers could continue their three-and-a-half year unbeaten streak over the Candystripes at home.

It was the hosts who started the game the brighter, despite a coming together between Cian Kavanagh and Dom Thomas straight from kick-off igniting a fracas and slowing the first minutes. The first meaningful attempt of the evening came just after the quarter hour mark, when an inch-perfected lobbed ball from Reece Hutchinson on the halfway line dropped for Jad Hakiki, who lobbed over Brian Maher. With multiple heads-in-hands in the away end, Sam Todd cleared off the line to keep the scores at nil-nil. Heroic defending from the centre back, but it wasn’t the first time that a ball over the top undid the City rearguard.

Five minutes later though, and the away side had a breakthrough. As City’s free-kick supremo Michael Duffy stood over the dead ball on the twenty minute mark, you had a feeling we’d get something out of it. His inswinger was a troubling one for the Sligo defence, evading everyone in the box and bouncing before nestling in the top corner. Despite Rovers’ protestations (the linesman flagged for offside before the referee said it didn’t touch anyone and awarded the goal), the travelling support went into raptures as the Candystripes went a goal to the good.

On a difficult pitch, the match got scrappy and neither team could get the ball down to play much football, leading to a fairly uneventful remainder to the first half. With Ciaron Harkin replacing Sadou Diallo following injury and Shane Ferguson coming on at half-time for Dom Thomas, it seemed like Derry were prepared to sit in and fight for the victory. Danny Mullen’s introduction on the 69^th minute give City energy in the front line, as he pressed the Rovers defence and made himself a nuisance. A sliced effort from him just minutes after coming on proved to be Derry’s last decent opportunity of the game.

Hearts were in mouths across the Showgrounds as the lively Jad Hakiki broke on the counter-attack after nipping the ball from Adam O’Reilly. He drove into the box and played one-two with Cian Kavanagh before sliding in Stephen Mallon. The former City winger had a golden opportunity to level his side on the 86^th minute but took one touch too many and fired straight at the onrushing Brian Maher. A great save from City’s number one to clinch the point for the travelling side; their first in the Showgrounds since 2021. A huge three points for Tiernan Lynch’s men, who enjoyed the victory as much as the travelling support in the corner. City off the foot of the table and hopefully out of the relegation zone for good.

The game against Sligo Rovers wasn’t one for the football purist. The pitch made it difficult for both teams, who resorted to lumping it long to get the ball up the park. Michael Duffy’s goal was his fourth of the campaign and City’s fifth. It was Duffy’s third goal from a dead-ball situation; two penalties and a freekick. Only one of City’s goals in 2025 have come from open play, that was Duffy’s equaliser against Shelbourne on the opening day, meaning it’ll be six weeks when City next play since their last open-play goal. That’s a worry for Tiernan Lynch, who’ll be hoping to create more down the middle and get Liam Boyce in dangerous positions more often. The former Hearts man showed his close-control and technical prowess in the Showgrounds but doesn’t find himself poaching in the box often.

The long-ball nature of the game in Sligo often bypassed the midfield, leaving City’s two in the middle to fight for second balls and break up possession. In a way, that suited Adam O’Reilly and the later introduced Ciaron Harkin – two players who aren’t afraid to get stuck in. City’s centre backs were solid too, beating Cian Kavanagh to every ball in the air and refusing to be bullied by the former City and Pat’s forward. Sam Todd, being left-footed, and Hayden Cann provided balance either side of captain Mark Connolly in the middle, who looked back to his assured best. Sadou Diallo was withdrawn through injury, although Carl Winchester will be back against Rovers following suspension. Tallaght’s large pitch could suit the Candystripes, who have been impressive at times this season when playing with the ball on the ground.

With a two week break and positive away win under the belt, Tiernan Lynch will have his side well-drilled going to Tallaght on Friday. These games are always entertaining, with this one likely to provide more fireworks. City have taken all three points away to Rovers just once since 2017, back in March 2023. After breaking the curse of a winless streak in Sligo though, City will be gunning for the same again this week.

Shamrock Rovers:

The achievement of five league titles in a row was one step too far for Shamrock Rovers in 2024, albeit four in a row isn’t bad going. After a slow start, winless in the first four, Rovers strung a bit of form together but had a stop-start summer period as they juggled European qualification with a title challenge. Their FAI Cup journey ended at the first hurdle last year, with defeat to Bohemians in Round Two. With all focus on European qualification, getting to the second round of Champions League qualifying before making their way to the Europa League play-offs, Rovers entered the UEFA Conference League league phase (mouthful) via defeat to PAOK of Greece in the aforementioned Europa League play-off round.

Despite their inconsistency, the Hoops finished second in the Premier Division, just two points behind winners Shelbourne. In fact, they were top on the final day until Harry Wood’s late goal in the Brandywell clinched the title for the Tolka side. Thinking of it, Rovers should thank us for completely collapsing and giving them a hit at another title. A decent finish in the end for Stephen Bradley’s men, but it was on the European stage were his side shone brightest. An injury-time header rescued a point at home to APOEL Nicosia, before Rovers made light work of Tiernan Lynch’s Larne side – despatching their northern counterparts 4-1 in Windsor Park. Victory over TNS of Wales, Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka and an impressive draw away to Rapid Vienna saw Rovers unbeaten and already qualified for the knockout play-off round going into their last game, becoming the first Irish side to progress through the group stages of continental competition. Chelsea but five past Rovers in Stamford Bridge in the final game, with Marc Guiu netting a hat-trick. After beating Molde away in the knockout round first leg, Rovers had their hearts broken when they lost to the Norwegian side on penalties in the second leg. Molde have since been eliminated by Legia Warsaw. No matter where your allegiances lie, Rovers’ European run was some feat, and did wonders for the coefficient. Fair played to them.

A cool seven million quid in the bank off the back of their European escapades, but the draw of knockout football and an assumedly healthy bonus couldn’t persuade some of Rovers star men to stay. Markus Poom’s loan from Levadia Tallinn came to an end, as did Johnny Kenny’s from Celtic. Rovers failed in a late swoop to bring Kenny back after an appearance for Celtic meant he couldn’t register for anyone other than the Glasgow side or Rovers this year. Wing-back Neil Farrugia made the move to Barnsley, whilst winger Darragh Burns saw his loan from MK Dons expire before being snapped up by Grimsby Town.

Long-time centre back Seán Hoare switched to St. Pat’s, whilst Carl Lennox and Gideon Tetteh moved to UCD and Athlone Town respectively. 18 year old striker Cian Dillon joined Queen’s Park Rangers, whilst Coonan Noonan joined Waterford on-loan and has been one of the Blue’s best players this year. Striker Marc McNulty also departed, leaving Rovers light up front. Moves for Johnny Kenny and former Bohemians striker Jonathan Afolabi didn’t materialise. Derry’s Pat Hoban was also rumoured to be a target. Rovers, then, turned their attention to Michael Noonan of St. Pat’s. They handed the 16 year old his debut in the Conference League against Molde, where he became the youngest ever goal-scorer in European competition proper when he bagged in the second half. The re-signing of Rory Gaffney then took the pressure of the youngster’s shoulders to lead the line, as he and Aaron Greene provide experienced heads up top.

Danny Grant, a man with a tattoo of Dalymount Park, crossed the divide to sign from Bohemians – much to the delight of the Bohs fans as you can imagine. Ed McGinty, who impressed on-loan at Sligo Rovers, signed from Oxford United, whilst former Cork City midfielder Matty Healy joined from Belgian outfit Royal Francs Borains. Adam Matthews, the former Celtic fullback who started in that famous win over Barcelona in Parkhead in 2013, was another statement signing to strengthen the defence. Lastly, right-back Sean Robertson, who spent the second half of last season at Derry City, joined for the Hoops after seeing his contract mutually terminated at the Brandywell.  Decent business all-round from the Tallaght side.

The departure of Johnny Kenny left a gap in the forward line in the shape of a man who bagged 13 goals in the league and five in the UEFA Conference League. A brilliant young striker, it’s yet to be seen if Bradley’s side can replace those goals this year. Michael Noonan is yet to get off the mark in the league, with Graham Burke being their top scorer in the league with two. Aaron Greene, Danny Grant and Aaron McEneff have also all converted in 2025. We know all too well Shamrock Rovers’ main threats. A midfield consisting of last season’s PFAI Player of the Year Dylan Watts, Jack Byrne, Aaron McEneff, Gary O’Neill and Danny Mandriou has seen the addition of Ireland U21 international Matty Healy.

Fullback Josh Honohan was recently called up to the Ireland senior provisional squad, the only LOI player included, whilst Cape Verde international Roberto Lopes forms an experienced back-line alongside Dan Cleary and Lee Grace. Adam Matthews has been injured this season whilst Dan Cleary came off with a knock last time out, but former Candystripe Sean Robertson will be out with a point to prove. I think he looked lively at City, aside from the miss against Sligo Rovers which would’ve put us top of the league. Ed McGinty and Leon Pohls aren’t bad options between the sticks either. When you factor in young talents such as Victor Ozhianvuna, who debuted in the Aviva on the opening day, you wouldn’t be mad putting money on Rovers to regain the title in 2025.

Round-up:

Sitting in sixth with a game in hand, registering two wins, a draw and two losses from their first five in the league, Rovers will be looking to extend their two game winning streak from before the international break. That streak included coming from behind away to league leaders Drogheda United and victory over title hopefuls St. Pat’s. Bolstering the second best defence in the league, the Hoops will be out to limit City’s attacking talent and exploit their pace as they have done against Derry in the recent past.

The Candystripes sit level on points with Shamrock Rovers and will hope to use the Tallaght pitch to get the ball down and play good football. With victory in Sligo breaking a near-four year hex in the Showgrounds, City will be aiming to go one further and get only their second win away against Shamrock Rovers in eight years. Avoiding a repeat of a defeat akin to that seen in Tiernan Lynch’s last game against the Hoops will be key. He’s out for revenge. There are always goals in this tie, and with both sides tasting victory last time out, I suspect Friday night will be no different.

 

Pól O'Hare – 24^TH March 2025

Derry City v Bohemians: Match Preview (21st February 2025)

 

Derry City v Bohemians: Match Preview (21^st February 2025)

 

Derry City FC v. Bohemian FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 2, Friday 21^st February 2025, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, 7.45pm kick-off

 

It was a first game in League of Ireland management to forget for new Derry City boss Tiernan Lynch, whose side slipped to a 3-1 defeat away to champions Shelbourne. After going behind, drawing level and going behind again all within the first fifteen minutes, Shelbourne’s third goal on the stroke of a 50 minute long half-time sealed the win for Damien Duff’s side. For City, all focus now turns to their game with in-form Bohemians next Friday as they aim to make the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium a fortress in 2025.

Derry City:

It seemed like all that could have gone wrong for Derry City last Friday did. Within eleven minutes, the home side had broken the deadlock and raced to an early lead. A looped ball from Harry Wood was blocked by the leg of Sam Todd and fell into the path of Seán Boyd. Shels’ top scorer last season caught everyone in the City backline out by curling it neatly past a stranded Brian Maher with a first-time effort. Despite Shelbourne’s quick start, the scores were levelled three minutes later. An inch-perfect cross from Dom Thomas towards the back post was cooly nodded into Conor Kearns’ net by Michael Duffy. City’s two wingers linking up for the first time to put the Candystripes level.

The scoreline didn’t read 1-1 for long though, 1 minute and 14 seconds to be precise. Conor Kearns lumped a dangerous ball forward towards the City box, and it seemed like time stood still as the ball dropped into the path of Evan Caffrey. The midfielder duly volleyed into the bottom corner from outside the box to put his side back into the lead, before celebrating with that weird Donald Trump dance. Two became three for the hosts on the stroke of half-time, when referee Rob Harvey pointed to the spot for a supposed foul on Seán Boyd in the box. Boyd stepped up and despite slipping in the run up and the ball going through the fingers of Brian Maher, saw his penalty nestle in the corner.

Half-time came and went with a 50 minute delay due to a floodlight failure. Whether that’s an acceptable delay or not for a lighting issue, I don’t know. I seem to remember a game being abandoned in Maginn Park after fifteen minutes or so for a floodlight issue but I’ll say nothing. I was hoping the game would’ve been called off then and there, with the score restarting at 0-0 at another point in the future, but it wasn’t to be. If it were the other way around, I’d have been fuming had the game been called off with my team 3-1 up. City failed to threaten in the second half and, had Mipo Odubeko showed more composure, Shels could’ve had five by the end of the game. It was after half ten at night when the final whistle went to end an awful first away day for City’s travelling support. Onwards and upwards.

Last Friday night highlighted Derry’s defensive issues. Despite bringing in marquee signings in midfield and forward areas, City had failed to recruit in the centre back position. Andre Wisdom, Shane McEleney and Ciaran Coll all left in the off-season, whilst Conor Barr and Duncan Idehen moved to Ballymena United on loan. That left only Sam Todd, who impressed on-loan at Larne in 2024, and Mark Connolly as the club’s only senior centre backs. The lack of pace in the backline was really brought to the fore, particularly in the second half, as a combination of Mipo Odubeko’s pace and Harry Wood’s passing found a quick route past centre’s centre halves. Hayden Cann was announced just before kick-off on Friday night, after a few weeks on trial. After spending the first half of last season at Drogheda United, then getting relegated with Dundalk, he’ll likely provide cover and not oust Mark Connolly out of a starting position. In truth, the club haven’t replaced Cameron McJannet since his departure last June. At the time of writing, there has been no news regarding new defensive additions. Ideally we’d bring in a quick, left-sided centre halve to challenge Sam Todd for a starting spot. A back-up right back wouldn’t go amiss either.

Dom Thomas showed his quality with a beautiful ball in for City’s goal, whilst Michael Duffy found himself unmarked to finish. Hoban’s hold up play before that goal was impressive too, but he and Liam Boyce struggled to impact the game. The bobbly Tolka Park pitch wasn’t helpful in City’s efforts to play slick, passing football but, as Tiernan Lynch said, both teams had to play on it. It’s one to get out of the system and move on to Bohemians at home on Friday, with that buzz of a first home game of the season.

Despite the defeat, Derry City kept more than 60% of the ball against Shelbourne last week. Of course, this didn’t translate to goal but forced Conor Kearns into four saves from ten efforts. On the bigger pitch in the Brandywell, and with no bobbles like the Tolka surface, City will hope to turn some of that possession into the more attractive football that we saw at times in preseason. It’ll be important to get our ball carriers in possession to drive at the Bohemians defence if we’re to hurt them.

There doesn’t seem to be many new injury concerns for City going into Friday’s game. Carl Winchester came off after suffering a dead leg, but aside from the longer term injuries to Cameron Dummigan and Danny Mullen, Derry’s squad will be strong and gunning for a win. Michael Duffy has a tendency to score a wondergoal or two against Bohs and, as the only Derry man with a goal this season, will hope to be the driving force in attack - he and Dom Thomas will aim to have City’s wings firing this year. They’re coming up against a Bohemians team who have made some statement signings and are coming off the back of a huge win against Shamrock Rovers.

Bohemians:

After winning just one of their last twelve home games in 2024, the campaign petered mostly into nothingness for Bohemians. They finished 8^th, just one spot but eight points clear of the relegation zone. Throughout the season, they were never really threatened by the drop, owing mostly to Dundalk’s poor form and Drogheda’s inconsistency. In saying that, Bohs failed to mount a sustainable charge for European football, finishing 17 points behind St. Pat’s in third. They won just four home league games last term, compared to six victories on the road, making their ten wins from 36 games the lowest outside of the relegation zone. Alan Reynolds replaced Declan Devine in March, beating Derry City in his first game in charge, but underwhelming and slightly random signings from across Europe gave way to a lack of quality in the Bohs side when it really mattered.

With his first pre-season at Bohemians under his belt, Reynolds has begun to form a side to his own liking. Their transfer business was impressive to say the least. With fourteen players leaving the club, namely winger Danny Grant switching to rivals Shamrock Rovers despite having a tattoo of Dalymount, the Bohs hierarchy set off on their rebuild soon after the season finished. First announced was 24 year old forward Colm Whelan, who had left Derry City after a two year spell at the Brandywell which was scuppered by recurring ACL injuries. With Whelan returning to full fitness towards the back-end of last season, Bohs have found themselves a hungry forward who bagged 44 goals in 66 games with UCD prior to his move to Derry in 2022.

The signings of Niall Morahan and John Mountney, from Sligo Rovers and Dundalk respectively, showed that Reynolds was looking for proven players within the league to build his side. Morahan is a tidy holding midfielder, who captained Sligo in 2024 and played 190 games for the Bit’O’Red, before penning a long-term deal at Dalymount. John Mountney is a decorated LOI veteran, who won five league titles and three FAI Cups with Dundalk, alongside a fourth FAI Cup with St Pat’s in 2021. At 31, he’s an experienced right-back with a winning mentality and will just as big for Bohemians inside the dressing room as he will on the pitch. The full back area was further strengthened by the loan signing of Kian Best from Preston North End. At 19, he has made 17 appearances for Preston and spent time in the England youth setups – a promising signing for Reynolds’ side.

Two more signings from England followed Best to Dalymount – Connor Parsons from Dagenham & Redbridge and Alex Lacey from Hartlepool United. Parsons spent the last few years at Waterford, impressing on the left-flank, with the highlight of his time coming via a curling effort into the top corner in the 2023 play-offs. He played twice for Dagenham before Bohs brought him back to Ireland for an undisclosed fee. Alex Lacey is a 31 year old centre back with an experienced career in England, seeing him line out for the likes of Luton Town, Gillingham, Yeovil Town and Notts County. He hasn’t played since June of last year but brings an experienced head to the back-line.

The crown jewel of Bohemians’ transfer business in the off-season was undoubtedly Lys Mousset. I don’t think I’ve seen so much hype around a trialist in this league in my life. Starting out at Le Havre in France, he cost Bournemouth £5.4m in 2016. Three years later, Sheffield United made him their record signing when they dropped £10m on the then 23 year old. He finished the 2019/20 season as their joint top scorer. Fast forward six years, and failed moves to Salernitana, Bochum and Nimes, Mousset finds himself in Phibsborough. It’s not often a player with £15m in transfer fees rocks up in the League of Ireland. He hasn’t played consistently in more than a year, so it’s hard to know how he’ll get on, but one thing’s for sure, ‘Psycho Killer Lys Mousset’ is up there with the best chants in the league.

Rob Cornwall and Keith Buckley are two experienced players who came back into the Bohemians fold last Sunday. Cornwall rejoined Bohemians after two years at Northern Colorado Hailstorm prior to the 2024 season, but suffered an ACL injury in preseason which ruled him out of the entrie season. In similar bad luck, club captain Keith Buckley suffered an ACL and MCL tear against St. Pat’s in October 2023. That injury cut short his 2023 campaign and ended his 2024 season before it even began. They’re two players who are highly thought of by the Bohs faithful and will be like two new signings when fully fit. Cornwall in particular was a rock at the back against Shamrock Rovers last week. With strength in depth in their team, Bohemians are a side with a good mix of youth and experience, who have rotational options off the bench if the going gets tough.

Bohemians had an impressive preseason. Of five friendlies and two Leinster Senior Cup ties, Bohs lost just once and scored twenty five goals – not bad at all. It seemed those run outs have done them well too, as they beat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in the Aviva Stadium on Sunday in front of a record crowd of more than 33,000. It was a great occasion for the league and showed the demand that’s there for Irish football at the minute. Rovers, off the back of a surprise 1-0 win away against Molde in the UEFA Conference League knockouts, struggled to fashion many chances. Bohs, as the home side, will now only play in Dalymount once in their next five league games but made the bumper crowd count in the Aviva. Their goal was one of genuine quality, Mousset dropped deep to flick the ball forward for Conor Parsons who, after cutting inside and leaving Roberto Lopes on the ground, saw his effort hit the post. It sat nicely for Ross Tierney in the box, who fired home to open the scoring. Bohs dug deep to see out the victory, being prepared to do the dirty work and defend the edge of their box to repel any Rovers advances. There was an evident yet rare lack of quality in the Rovers frontline as a well-drilled Bohs defence earned their salt. It was a perfect start to the seasons for Reynolds’ men, who will be confident travelling to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday.

Round-up:

Derry City’s and Bohemian’s first league games couldn’t have gone much differently. The two big ties of the round, City were swept aside by the champions who exploited weaknesses in the Candystripes’ back-line to score three and put the game to bed in the first half. Bohemians dug deep in one of the most publicised League of Ireland games ever, scoring early and holding on to clinch victory against their arch-rivals. They’ll be high on confidence and always bring a strong travelling support to the Brandywell. City on the other hand want to make the Brandywell a tough place to come to in 2025 and a win in the first home game is the right way to start that off. The bigger surface will suit Derry more than the pitch in Tolka Park did last week, as Tiernan Lynch will wants his wide men on the ball. I’m expecting an entertaining, end-to-end game on Friday. Bohs have won just twice in their last ten meetings in all competitions with City but will be out for revenge after Derry’s 2-0 win in Dalymount last October dumped them out of the FAI Cup at the semi-final stage. Only one of the last nineteen between these two has been scoreless – that came in the Brandywell in June 2023. Two months prior to that was Bohemian’s most recent win on Foyleside. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game sells out and it’s the first of three home league games in the Brandywell in the next three weeks. As Pep Guardiola once said, ‘we will be there’.

Pól O'Hare - 19th February 2025

Drogheda United v Derry City: Match Preview (27th September 2024)

 

Drogheda United v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Drogheda United FC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 31, Weaver’s Park, Friday 27^th September 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

 

Derry City’s hard earned draw against Shamrock Rovers last Friday keeps the Candystripes hot on the tails of league leaders Shelbourne, who’s loss away to Galway United narrows Derry’s gap to top to just three points. After going behind in the first half, a stoppage time Pat Hoban penalty shared the spoils in one of the biggest moments in the title race so far. City travel to face a Drogheda United side, who look destined for a relegation play-off bout at the end of the season.

Last time out – Derry City 1-1 Shamrock Rovers:

A massive clash at the top of the Premier Division table, a win for Derry City would’ve seen them close the gap to Shelbourne to just one point if Duff’s side lost in Galway. On the flip side, a Shamrock Rovers win would have placed them just one point behind Derry in third place as they continued their recent good form. Eventually, the points were shared – just about. It’s a point which suits the Candystripes more than the Hoops, who sat four points behind Derry until beating Bohemians on Monday. The Candystripes do, however, have the luxury of a game in hand over Rovers. There was a good bit of tension around the Brandywell pre-match, knowing the stakes on the line. The game was a sell-out, with the terraces either side of the Mark Farren Stand packed to the gills – spreading the atmosphere across the stadium.

The home side started the game the better of the two teams, setting out on the front foot and taking the game to the Champions. Left-back Ciarán Coll’s strike from range on the 24^th minute, which stung the hands of German goalkeeper Leon Pöhls, marked the Candystripe’s best opportunity of the opening exchanges. From that moment, Rovers began to grow into the game, eventually opening the deadlock less than two minutes later. Adam O’Reilly, pressured by Daniel Mandriou, ceded possession to Lee Grace who clipped the ball forward to top-scorer Johnny Kenny. Kenny’s left-footed pass across the area found Dylan Watts on the edge of the box, who took two touches to set himself and placed it into the bottom corner with his third. It was against the run of play, but it was a goal which could have been huge in the title race. Rovers took hold of the game after that point, controlling the ball and frustrating the Derry press. It wasn’t until the last seconds of the half when City came close again, as Michael Duffy’s low driven shot narrowly missed the post. Close but no cigar for Derry City, who trailed at the break.

Fifteen minutes past the restart and Derry City had the ball in the net via the forehead of Mark Connolly, ruled out by the flag of the linesman. I still have no idea if it was for an offside or a foul, because the Rovers man dropped at the slightest contact, and it seemed like Connolly was onside when Paul McMullan’s ball was played in. A close call for Damien MacGraith and his officials. Two minutes later and the Candystripes should have been awarded a penalty. Lee Grace lost possession to Danny Mullen, who drove down the left hand side before crossing low into the box. The cross struck the forearm of the sliding Grace - a ball that was heading for Paul McMullan who had space in the middle of the box. Huge calls from the Brandywell faithful, which were waived away by the referee. Rovers came close in the next twenty minutes, with Graham Burke smashing one off the side netting from distance, a strike which I thought had gone in. A minute from the ninety mark and City finally had a bit of luck. Collie Whelan’s flick into the box was closed down by both Patrick McEleney and Josh Honohan. McEleney, seemingly expecting a challenge from the Rovers full-back, went to ground – Damien MacGraith took one look and pointed to the spot. I’m not going to lie, it was a soft penalty, but I don’t think there was contact and it evened out the handball decision which wasn’t given. After a wait of more than three minutes, Pat Hoban smashed past Pöhls to level the tie – much to the delight of the Brandywell faithful. An absolutely inch perfect penalty. The atmosphere was electric for the next few minutes before the final whistle as Derry’s talisman bagged a huge goal in the title race. Six games to go and three points behind, it’s heating up.

Derry City:

After his goal in the game against Shelbourne two weeks ago, Danny Mullen was preferred to Pat Hoban to lead the line. Mullen’s game intelligence and link-up play make him one of the best supporting strikers in the league, and after bagging his tenth in all competitions against Shels, his inclusion from the start was more than warranted. The Scotsman was unlucky not to win a penalty following his cross which struck the hand of Lee Grace. Pat Hoban, who came on in the second half, fired his penalty home with conviction to put himself back on top of the Premier Division goalscoring with his 13^th of the season. I think Sadou Diallo played one of his best games in a red and white shirt before being replaced by Patrick McEleney on the 66^th minute. He looked comfortable in possession and played some quality passes forward. Adam O’Reilly showed his class in the middle once again, proving once again that he’s one of the best midfielders in the league.

Mark Connolly was solid alongside Andre Wisdom at centre back, two men who have been in great form since developing a partnership at the back. Meanwhile, Ronan Boyce made his first start since the 2-2 draw against Sligo Rovers in late May. The 23 year old didn’t look like he hadn’t played much football recently as he showed his quality, particularly in the first half - nearly assisting Michael Duffy right at the end of the half. Speaking of Duffy, both he and Paul McMullan troubled Rovers’ fullbacks, whilst Will Patching had a good game playing in the number 10 role. Jacob Davenport slotted in well at left-back from the bench, whilst Sean Robertson saw his first minutes since his debut away to Waterford. Colm Whelan was a handful after replacing Danny Mullen and played the pass which won City the late penalty. The transfers late in the window are proving crucial in Derry’s squad depth towards the end of the season, with centre back Duncan Idehen still waiting for his debut.

Derry City are in a good place going into the final six games. With just 18 points to play for, City’s current standing in second, three points behind Shelbourne, mean that the league could very well come down to the last game of the season. That is, of course, a top-two clash in the Brandywell on the 1^st of November. The team are in good form and seem hungry – the pressing and energy against Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers recently have kicked City into a higher gear. Aside from the injuries to Daniel Kelly and Ben Doherty, we have a mostly fit squad, and next Friday’s tie away to Drogheda United could put City top if Shelbourne lose to Sligo Rovers. It’s the first time in a very long time that we’ve been this close to the top going into the final month or so of the season - everyone needs to rally together and back the team for the next six weeks. We’ve only lost once in the league since July, so it’s important to keep tight at the back and clinical at the other end of the pitch. In less than two months’ time, we may very well be domestic double winners – but we have to keep the good form up to keep that going.

Drogheda United:

There was a stage when it looked like Drogheda United were certain for the drop, but after the very public demise of their Louth neighbours Dundalk, coupled with a mid-season revival, Drogs seem safe from automatic relegation. They currently sit in 9^th place, five points clear of Dundalk and four points behind Bohemians in 8^th. Whilst not an ideal standing for the men from Weavers Park, they’d fancy their chances in a promotion/relegation play-off tie. Starting with just three win from their first twenty four league games, Drogheda have only lost once in their last seven. Impressively, with 38 goals scored, they’re the league’s fourth highest goal-scorers despite finding themselves embroiled in a relegation battle. Only Shamrock Rovers (44), Derry City (43) and Waterford (39) have scored more.

One big contributor to that trigger-happiness in front of goal is English striker Douglas James-Taylor. The 22 year old Walsall loanee signed on a year long loan in July, which encompasses the first half of next season too. In just nine league appearances he’s netted six goals. On top of that, he bagged a 21 minute hattrick in the FAI Cup against Wilton United, and scored a brace in Drogheda’s next cup game – a 4-1 win over Athlone Town. That’s a return of eleven goals in twelve games in Louth, a sensational start to life for the man who made 26 appearances in League Two last season – what a coup for Kevin Doherty.

After scoring fifteen goals in three FAI Cup games to reach the semi-finals, where they will face Wexford in a massive opportunity to reach their first FAI Cup final since 2013, Drogheda now have scored a massive 53 goals in 34 games. That’s a mad statistic for a team who are in the relegation zone. I can’t look at Drogheda United without mentioning their demolition of Europe-hunting Sligo Rovers too. Doherty’s men hammered the west-coast side 7-0, a demolition of the highest order. Giving all the plaudits to Douglas James-Taylor would be doing another striker, Frantz Pierrot, a huge disservice. The Haitian striker caught the eye at Athlone Town in the First Division in 2023, when he scored 24 and assisted a further 5 in 38 league games (including play-off ties). He’s a handful for opposition defenders and was sent off against Derry in the Brandywell back in June. Pierrot has been in some form recently, bagging four goals and an assist in his last six games to take his tally for the season up to 8 in the league – making him Drogheda’s top scorer. There is a bit of a reliance on the two big men up top for Drogheda though – left-back Evan Weir is tied with former Finn Harps striker Adam Foley on four goals in third place on Drogs’ scoring charts. Weir has since left to sign for Walsall, where he has made a handful of appearances. I always say this, but I think midfielder Darragh Markey is one of the most underrated in the league, whilst Gary Deegan is an experienced player in the centre of the park. Shane Farrell is an impressive signing from Shelbourne, whilst the arrival of full-back Elicha Ahui, who spent half of the 2023 season at Drogheda, is another astute signing. With five league games and a cup semi-final left, Kevin Doherty will be hoping for a big end to the season. Despite sitting second bottom, you can never write off Drogheda United.

Round-up:

In what could very well be a cup final tie in less than two months’ time, Derry City v Drogheda United is a game that could have repercussions at both sides of the table. City are unbeaten in their last six games against Drogheda, going back to a 1-0 loss in the Brandywell in April 2023. The last meeting between the two saw Derry’s best goal haul of the season, a 5-1 victory for the Candystripes. City had five different goalscorers that night, and this tie has only been scoreless once since the penultimate scoreless draw back in May 2017. In saying that, four of the last five in Weaver’s Park have been draws and Doherty’s men held fourth placed Galway United to a draw on Monday. They’re are a tough side to break down, but their league-high goals conceded column of 54 will make good viewing for City’s in-form forward line. The stakes are high and getting higher, Friday could be another big night at both ends of the table.

Derry City v Shamrock Rovers: Match Preview (20th September 2024)

 

Match Preview: Derry City v Shamrock Rovers

 

Derry City FC v. Shamrock Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 30, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 20^th September 2024, kick-of 7.45pm

After a fantastic 2-0 win over league leaders Shelbourne in the FAI Cup quarter-final last Saturday, City welcome the reigning champions to the Brandywell in a mammoth tie at the business end of the Premier Division table. Shamrock Rovers are coming off the back of a 4-0 drubbing of Sligo Rovers and a late win away to Galway United as they gear up to begin their journey in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League next week. Derry City, on the other hand, played their title rivals off the park last weekend and will be confident going into Friday’s tie.

Last time out – Derry City 2-0 Shelbourne:

Billed as a cup tie for the ages, Derry City’s quarter-final bout with fellow double hopefuls Shelbourne provided the Candystripes faithful with their finest performance of the campaign to date. The two hadn’t faced in cup action since City’s record breaking 4-0 final win two years ago, with five of the following six meetings yielding draws. You had to look back to March 2023 to find the last game between Derry and Shels where the spoils weren’t shared, that was a 1-0 win in Tolka Park courtesy of a Ryan Graydon winner for Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men.

Knowing that three of the four other quarter-finals had already been contested, producing a whopping 14 goals, it seemed that the RTÉ cameras had come up North for the right game. The consistent rain throughout the day left the pitch slick, and there was action pretty much from the get-go. Within 70 seconds, Derry set the tone for the evening as Paul McMullan’s pressure won possession from Kameron Ledwidge in the Shelbourne half. McMullan fed it through to Will Patching who fired the first opportunity of the game over the crossbar. Five minutes later and Patching’s midfield partner Sadou Diallo came painfully close for the second time in as many games as he watched a low driven effort fly low and past the post. It wasn’t long past the twenty minute mark before the deadlock was broken and I’m not going to beat around the bush, I absolutely love this goal. Adam O’Reilly’s relentless energy in the midfield saw him win possession from Harry Wood in the centre circle, before a deft feint to the left took the onrushing Matt Smith out of the equation. O’Reilly’s driven ball into the middle of the pitch was expertly dummied by Danny Mullen, taking Mark Coyle and Shane Griffin out of the game. Will Patching found space to collect the O’Reilly pass before laying the ball off for Michael Duffy. The winger jinked into the box, feigning to cut in on his right before shaping up to hit it on his left – leaving Tyreke Wilson helpless. Duffy’s low shot nestled past Kearns to give City a well deserved 1-0 lead with a genuine goal of the season contender. Beautiful football, cheers Derry City.

Shelbourne just about kept the scoreline at 1-0 five minutes before the break, when another sumptuous Derry move saw a Paul McMullen ball take everyone by surprise when Danny Mullen latched onto it before rounding Conor Kearns in the Shels goal. From a tight angle, the Scotsman saw his effort blocked right on the goal-line by Shane Griffin. So close to a dream first half for the Candystripes. Just minutes after the hour-mark, and Derry had that dream goal. After Mark Coyle nipped the ball away from Will Patching, he was stopped in his tracks by the ever-present Adam O’Reilly. The Corkman found Patching, who spun round his marker before playing a one-two with Paul McMullan. The former Man City man drove into the box and squared it across the six yard box to find Danny Mullen, who slotted in for his tenth of the season. Two assists for Patching, and a brilliant two goal lead for Derry City. The connection between the forward line and midfield proving a joy to watch once again. After winning the ball back high-up the pitch once again ten minutes later, Paul McMullan’s driven cross was flicked by the heel of substitute Pat Hoban – the veteran forward’s effort leaving Kearns stranded and narrowly missing the far post. For the following twenty minutes, Shelbourne never really threatened and the home side took complete control. The absolute best performance of the season for Ruaidhrí Higgins and his men to progress to the last four of the FAI Cup.

Derry City:

Saturday’s performance was exactly what we want to see from this Derry City team. Everyone to a man was phenomenal and we played the league leaders off the park. The forward players were fantastic, Patching was a joy to watch given that much freedom in the midfield and O’Reilly covered every single blade of (plastic) grass. Mark Connolly dominated everything coming his way, whilst Andre Wisdom moved seamlessly from right back to centre back. Brian Maher, making his 52^nd consecutive appearance in the starting eleven, faced very little threat from the Shels forwards. The energy and high press throughout the game was brilliant and I’d love to see it every week. Sometimes City tend to sit a bit more compact when the opposition have possession, but with the energy in forward lines, Shelbourne weren’t allowed a minute’s peace throughout the ninety.

The only negative from Saturday’s performance was the injury suffered by Ben Doherty. The Premier Division’s highest assister last term struggled in the first half after seemingly over-stretching and was replaced by Ronan Boyce. That meant that Ciaran Coll moved to left back and Wisdom partnered Connolly for the second half. It was good to see Patrick McEleney come back into the team, and he looked really up for it. His efforts from outside the box, and free kick driven keeper’s side, hint that the captain is confident and coming back to his best. I have to say too, that long sleeve jersey he was wearing was cracker. Jacob Davenport played his first minutes since early August, whilst Pat Hoban came on for the last half hour – twelve years to the day since scoring for Mervue United against Derry in the Brandywell.

It's an away trip to Bohemians on the 4^th of October in the semi-finals, probably the toughest draw City could’ve got. After needing penalties to beat Kerry FC, Bohs hammered UCD 4-0 in the quarters to set up a mouthwatering battle for the final in Dalymount. There’s a lot of football to be played before then though, with City due to host Shamrock Rovers and travel to Drogheda United. There’s also a game against Sligo Rovers which will be postponed until a later date. Derry were phenomenal against Shelbourne and, with a maximum of nine matches to go until the end of the campaign, we need performances like that nearly every week between now and November. Big, big six weeks ahead.

Shamrock Rovers:

Four-in-a-row champions Shamrock Rovers have reignited a glimmer of a title hope to push for their fifth league glory since 2020 after winning their two games in hand. The Hoops find themselves in 3rd place, eight points behind Shelbourne at the top of the table and four points behind Derry in second. They’re now as close to us as we are to Shelbourne. Stephen Bradley’s men have shown a clinical side in the past few years and, despite their anti-climactic domestic campaign in 2024, Derry City know all too well the quality possessed in the Rovers squad. A 3-1 win in the Brandywell and a 1-0 win in Tallaght earlier in the campaign show that the Tallaght side know how to get the job done over the Candystripes.

Shamrock Rovers usually have a knack of kicking on and beating everyone in their sight towards the end of the season, after taking a while to get going in the early stages. Rovers have won each of the last four seasons by at least seven points, with the biggest margin being a sixteen point gap of St. Pat’s in 2021. In 2024, they haven’t quite hit those heights. Bradley’s men won back to back league games for the first time since mid-April with recent wins over Galway and Sligo, but were knocked out of the FAI Cup at the first time of asking by rivals Bohemians. The highlight of their season has undoubtedly been their involvement in Europe, qualifying for the European competition proper for the third time. That’ll net them least €3m, whilst a draw will bag around €150,000 and a win €450,000, serious dough. Despite a 6-0 loss to PAOK of Greece in the Europa League play-offs, Rovers bagged wins in both the Champions League and Europa League qualifiers – showing just how important winning the league is in getting a shot at European groups. The Hoops don’t have the worst league phase ties either, with home ties coming against APOEL Nicosia, Welsh side The New Saints (home to Derry men Josh Daniels and Rory Holden) and FK Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia. Those are games that Rovers could pick up points from, with an away tie against NIFL winners Larne looking like another possible three points. A glamour tie against Chelsea in December, and a tough trip to Rapid Wien of Austria, might not be so fruitful.

The squad depth and quality in the Shamrock Rovers squad is frightening to be honest. Celtic loanee Johnny Kenny tops the goalscoring charts in the Hoops’ ranks with twelve goals, level with Pat Hoban and Pádraig Amond at the summit of the league goalscoring table. Aaron Greene is on eight, with two coming against Derry in May. Darragh Burns, the pacey forward on loan from MK Dons, has scored five and assisted another four as he has displayed his talent on the wing this term. Dylan Watts tops the assist charts with six as he’s filled the gap by the injured Jack Byrne. Former Ireland international Byrne has had a stop-start season, making just 14 appearances. The 28 year old bagged a hat-trick of assists in their win over Sligo Rovers at the weekend, having previously assisted just once all season. Daniel Mandroiu is a major coup after signing from Lincoln City in August, staving off interest from Steaua Bucharest of Romania to seal his signature. 21 year old Conan Noonan has made four assists in something of a breakthrough campaign for him, whilst Darragh Nugent’s energy has seen him made 23 league appearances. The experience of Pico Lopes, Dan Cleary, Sean Hoare (who bagged a brace against Sligo) and Lee Grace build a solid defence, whilst Josh Honohan is proving to be a bargain signing from Cork City.  German goalkeeper Leon Pöhls, entrusted with the number 1 shirt following Alan Mannus’ retirement, has kept 9 clean sheets in 28 league games, but his mistakes have been highlighted this term. They better stay away from Brian Maher though.

Round-up:

Rovers hammered Sligo Rovers last weekend, and needed a fluke of an own-goal to beat Galway United on Monday night. Galway now host Shelbourne on Friday, and could do Derry a favour if the Candystripes get one over Stephen Bradley’s men. History is, unfortunately, not on the side of the team in red and white though. It’s been 18 months since Derry City last beat Shamrock Rovers, but then again it was 18 months since they last beat Shelbourne before last Saturday too. Of the six games since that win in March 2023, Rovers have won four – including two of the previous three in 2024. The President’s Cup win in 2023 was City’s last home win over Rovers, and it was the FAI Cup quarter final in 2022 before that. This fixture earlier in the season saw Derry swept to the side by Bradley’s men, as an Aaron Greene put City to the sword in a 3-1 win for the Hoops. Greene’s two goals both came from beating Derry’s centre backs for pace with a long ball over the top – that was the best we’ve been beaten in a long time. A win could be huge on Friday and with that four point gap still giving Shelbourne control in the title race, a win is almost more of a need than a want. This game is never quiet though and there will be more twists and turns in the last seven games, but Ruaidhrí Higgins will hope that Derry City fans will be given something to remember on the twentieth night of September…

 

Pól O’Hare – 18^th September 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

Shelbourne v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Shelbourne v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Shelbourne FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 26, Tolka Park, Monday 5^th August 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

After progressing to the next round of the FAI Cup with an impressive 3-0 win over last year’s winners St. Patrick’s Athletic, Derry City face Shelbourne in a top of the table clash that could be decisive come the end of the season. The Candystripes travel to Tolka Park second in the table and would go top on goal difference should they beat Damien Duff’s side for the first time since March 2023. Shels have the buffer of a game in hand over Derry and they would go six clear at the top if they beat City on Monday. With ten games left after this one, it could be massive come the end of the season.

Last time out – Derry City 3-0 St. Patrick's Athletic:

Derry City bounced back from their disappointing European exit at the hands of Bruno’s Magpies by putting on a show in the second half of their FAI Cup bout with St. Pat’s, eliminating the holders from the competition at the first time of asking. With Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk also knocked out, the Candystripe faithful will hope for a successful cup journey as Ruaidhrí Higgins aims for a second cup triumph of his tenure.

There wasn’t much of a buzz around the stadium pre-match. The away side had a three week rest period, whilst City had lost in extra-time in the UEFA Conference League just four days prior. There wasn’t much optimism that Derry would progress, especially knowing that history could repeat itself and see City knocked out of European and Cup competition twice in four days as had happened last August.

The away side had the best of the early opportunities, as Mark Connolly made a goal-denying clearance when he diverted Jake Mulraney’s looped ball away from the path of Tom Grivosti, who would have had an empty net to nod into. Twenty minutes in and another dangerous ball from Mulraney saw Chris Forrester side-foot the ball into the ground, just to be met by the fingertips of Brian Maher. Pats were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Axel Sjoberg pulled Michael Duffy to the ground in the box. A spot-kick finally did come on the stroke of half time when Paul McMullan proved too tricky for Sjoberg and turned the Swedish full-back, who bundled City’s number twelve to the ground. Will Patching stepped up but was denied his fourth penalty goal of the season by Joseph Anang. 0-0 at the break, but the home side were on the ascendancy.

City found the breakthrough just eight minutes into the second half, when Michael Duffy rolled back the years by knocking the ball past Sjoberg and beating him for pace before pulling it back into the box. Duffy’s cross was converted through the legs of Anang, sending the Brandywell into raptures – a much needed lift after the heartache of Thursday night. I originally thought that Danny Mullen flicked it under Anang, but from another angle it looks like it hit Grivosti last. Either way, 1-0 City.

One became two just six minutes later as Danny Mullen made sure that his name would be on the scoresheet, rising highest in the box to meet a Ben Doherty corner, grabbing his eighth of the season (I’m giving him that first goal). Michael Duffy netted one for himself on the seventy minute mark to send City through to the next round – slotting Adam O’Reilly’s through-ball under Anang after McMullan won possession from Anto Breslin. A confident second half performance from the Candystripes and a perfect response to defeat in Europe. St. Pat’s no longer have ‘cup specialists’ in their X bio, as City have been drawn away to First Division leaders Cork City in the next round. Pat’s’ recent win over Vaduz of Liechenstein in the Conference League second round was a brilliant reaction following the amount of negativity after being knocked out of the cup. They beat Vaduz 5-3 on aggregate to set up a third round bout against Sabah FK of Azerbaijan.

 

Derry City:

The Candystripes have quickly forgotten their European exit by winning that cup game against Pat’s. I had flights booked for Copenhagen before we played Magpies and went to the match in Parken last Thursday. Magpies brought about thirty fans who were shocked to see their side go 1-0 up before being outclassed by Thomas Delaney, Mohammed Elyounoussi and co. to lose 5-1. It hurt to see a near empty away end when we would have likely brought well over 1000. In reality though, that two week break when Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers both played home and away in Europe might turn out to be a well needed rest to revitalise going into the business end of the season.

The transfer window in the League of Ireland has slammed shut since that game against Pat’s, with Derry City bringing in just one new player. Jacob Davenport has featured on the bench twice since joining from Morecambe, but is yet to play, assumedly due to fitness issues. Caoimhin Porter has left the club to sign for Institute permanently, whilst Ciaron Harkin has joined Coleraine on loan. I’m surprised that the club didn’t move swiftly to replace Cameron McJannet, who left in mid-June, but Higgins seems to be going with Ciaran Coll and Sam Todd as his left-sided defenders now. Coll is a solid performer and consistent when played, whilst Todd’s performance alongside Mark Connolly against St. Pat’s was his best in a Derry jersey. The defensive frailties that we’ve seen recently seemed to have been rectified against Pat’s, as the City backline kept a clean sheet for the first time since a 2-0 win over Galway United on June 7^th. A trialist played in City’s 1-1 friendly draw with Linfield last week, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see a free agent or two come in between now and the end of the month.

Ciaron Harkin has been given a contract extension going into the 2025 campaign and could play a big part next season if he comes back sharp from Coleraine. There has been no word on contract extensions for any other Derry players though, or for Ruaidhrí Higgins for that matter. I’d assume the club, and players, are waiting to see how the league and cup fights will pan out come November. Losing the likes of O’Reilly, Patching and Maher would be huge blows – especially on free transfers. I wouldn’t mind them going to England or Scotland, but losing some of our best players in recent years to rivals in Ireland could be disastrous, and I’m sure they won’t be short of approaches.

Pat Hoban’s twelve league goals still see him top of the scoring chart for the Premier Division, whilst his three assists means he has contributed to more goals than any other player in the league. Paul McMullan’s five assists has him fourth in the assist rankings. Meanwhile, Will Patching and Michael Duffy’s four assists see them joint fifth. Brian Maher also has had to make just 1.9 saves per game on average, the ninth lowest in the division – meaning his defence are doing something right. We seem to be in a good place going into this Shels game, and with some injured players scheduled to return to fitness in the coming weeks, it’s time to kick on for silverware on both league and cup fronts.

Shelbourne:

Shelbourne sit top of the table, three points clear and unbeaten in domestic action since late May, picking up four wins and a draw in their last five matches in league and cup competition. After beating Gibraltar side St. Joseph’s over two legs in the first round of the UEFA Conference League, and picking up a €21,000 fine when the Gibraltarian side took offence to Shels fans calling the rock Spanish, Shelbourne faced a tough task when drawn against Swiss giants FC Zürich. No one really expected the Dublin side to progress past a team of that magnitude, especially in their first European run in eighteen years. Zürich triumphed 3-0 in the home leg, before drawing 0-0 in Tolka Park. That draw means that Shelbourne’s unbeaten home run in Europe, dating back to 2004, will continue into next year. The Shels fans will have had great craic, but that’s an extra 180 minutes of competitive football more than Derry City have played over the past two weeks.

Shelbourne progressed to the third round of the FAI Cup after beating First Division side Bray Wanderers 1-0 two weeks ago. Damien Duff didn’t mince his words when he expressed his disappointment in the performance and manner of the win but his side will be gunning to the lift the trophy at the end of the season. They’ve been drawn at home to Galway United in the next round, not the easiest draw by any means but not the worst either. It’s difficult to predict who’ll win the cup this early, but I’d say Derry City and Shelbourne will likely be fighting deep into the competition.

The Reds’ record of just fifteen goals conceded in twenty four games is the lowest in the Premier Division, owing to a solid defence and a goalkeeper in Conor Kearns who has kept 12 clean sheets in the league. Paddy Barrett has been a rock at the back under Damien Duff but will miss the game against Derry after being sent off against Drogheda United. Another man who’ll miss Monday’s game after being sent off against Drogheda was left-back Tyreke Wilson, who has played in all but one of Shels’ games this season, making three assists and scoring once. English winger Will Jarvis, on loan from Hull City, has been Shelbourne’s most exciting attacking outlet this season. His record of eight scored and four assisted sees him the most productive player in Duff’s squad. Former Finn Harps and Shamrock Rovers striker Sean Boyd has bagged seven in the league this season and is a throwback number nine. Only seven other players have scored for Shelbourne in the league this season, with John Martin’s tally of four goals seeing him third in their scoring charts. For comparison, Derry have had 12 different goalscorers in the league and have scored more than any other team.

Shelbourne’s ‘goals for’ column reads 28 - the same as bottom side Drogheda United - putting them fifth in the table in terms of goals scored. They can certainly owe a lot of their title push to the solidity of their defensive players. Gavin Molloy had been fantastic for Shelbourne over the past few seasons, earning him a move to Aberdeen who triggered his €75,000 release clause. The 22 year old left-sided centre back went straight into the starting eleven and has already contributed to assists in wins over Dumbarton and East Kilbride in the Scottish League Cup. Molloy’s low release clause shows just how undervalued League of Ireland players are. A young, left-footed defender of similar quality in England or Scotland would have commanded a much higher fee.

Molloy was replaced by English defender Sam Bone, who was signed from Maidstone. Bone was part of the Maidstone side that reached the fifth round of the FA Cup last year and started in the win over now Premier League side Ipswich Town and loss against Coventry City. Bone netted on his European debut for Shelbourne in the second leg of their tie against St. Joseph’s, equalising the tie on the night and sending his side through on aggregate. His previous experience in the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, St Pat’s, Dundalk and Waterford means that he is an astute signing for Duff’s men and is a real presence at the back. Shelbourne will likely go defensive on Monday as a draw would still keep them three clear.

Shels had a busy transfer window, bringing in quality across the park. The additions of Ali Coote from Detroit City and Rayhaan Tulloch from Shrewsbury Town add to their already long list of wingers. Harry Wood was impressive on loan from Hull City in the second half of the 2023 campaign, and rejoined Shelbourne on a permanent deal after finishing last season with Grimsby Town. Strength in depth seems to be the way that Damien Duff is approaching the second half of the season. It’ll be interesting to see how that approach fares out, compared to the approach of Ruaidhrí Higgins who has brought in just one new addition to date.

Round-up:

After Monday’s game, Derry City will have just ten league games left in 2024. The season has flown in up until this point, with many fixtures stockpiled into the earlier stages of the campaign to avoid disruption and rescheduling as a result of European involvement. It’s verging on the territory of a must-win game for Higgins’ men, who know that a win will put them top thanks to their healthy goal-difference. Even if City win every game from here on out, Shelbourne would win the league by doing the same thanks to their game in hand. It’s a nervy time to be a Derry fan, and Shelbourne hold the advantage at this point, but the Reds’ European involvement and suspensions may see them lacking energy on Monday. 

The last five matches between these two have been draws, three 0-0s and two 1-1s. It’s always a close game, but Shelbourne haven’t beaten Derry City since April 2022. In fact, March 2012 was the last time Shelbourne defeated the Candystripes in Tolka Park. City have won six of their last eight games, whilst Shelbourne haven’t lost domestically since May. The classic squeaky bum time is upon us, knowing that a Shelbourne win would need to see them slip up three times between now and November to lose the league. The last game of the season is the next time these two meet after Monday and this one could go a long way in determining who’ll lift the title in the Brandywell on the 1^st of November.

 

Pól O’Hare – 3^rd August 2024

Derry City v St. Patrick’s Athletic: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Derry City v St. Patrick’s Athletic: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v St. Patrick’s Athletic FC, Sports Direct FAI Cup Second Round, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Sunday 21^st July 2024, kick-off 6pm

Derry City need to quickly forget about Thursday’s extra-time defeat to Bruno’s Magpies in the UEFA Conference League, as they aim to get their FAI Cup campaign off to a positive start against the holders. Evan de Haro’s extra-time sucker punch inflicted a blow on the Candystripes that will deny them around €300k and a double-header against FC Copenhagen. It also means that Ruaidhrí Higgins will have a fatigued squad going into Sunday’s cup game. St Patrick’s Athletic travel to the Brandywell for the second year in a row, hoping for a repeat of last August’s action which saw them knock Derry City out of the cup on penalties – just four days after City suffered the same fate in Europe.

Last time out: Derry City 2-0 Bruno’s Magpies (2-3 agg.):

It was a case of ‘so close yet so far’ for the Candystripes on Thursday night, as they crashed out of Europe at the first hurdle. Going into the game 2-0 down from the previous leg, Derry City had it all to do to qualify for the second round and face Danish giants FC Copenhagen.

The game started exactly as expected. Derry City began on the front-foot and Magpies immediately had everyone behind the ball. A couple of early opportunities for the away side saw Javier Forjan head one off the post and Ash Taylor head wide from a corner – but those were Magpies best opportunities of the first half. The first of a number of refereeing blunders took place as the City faithful celebrated what they thought was the first goal. Paul McMullan’s ball into the box was met by the head of Pat Hoban and directed into the bottom corner as he outmuscled Francisco Zuniga. The Magpies captain fell to the ground, before putting his hands to face in apparent discomfort just as he watched the ball nestle in the corner. The Andorran ref deemed Hoban’s header illegal, ruling out the goal and booking the City striker.

The deadlock was finally broken eight minutes later as Mark Connolly nodded Ben Doherty’s corner past Dayle Coleing to narrow the aggregate gap to one. The referee couldn’t stop Derry City’s goal this time. As the crowd rose to the occasion and Derry mounted  pressure late in the first half, Doherty found Adam O’Reilly who was making a darting run into the box. A trailing leg from Carlos Garcia saw O’Reilly downed in the area. Perhaps not a blatant penalty, but there was certainly contact between the two players. Not enough contact for the referee though, who showed the City midfielder a second yellow for diving – City inexplicably down to ten going into half-time.

Despite the man disadvantage, Derry again came out flying in the second half as Paul McMullan stung the fingertips of Coleing just a minute into the half. Twelve minutes after the restart and City found themselves level in the tie. After his header came off Will Patching on the goal-line, Pat Hoban stabbed in to put Derry 2-0 up in the Brandywell. Ten man City finally felt that the chance of progression was there. An audacious Will Patching free kick in the 72^nd minute had Coleing scrambling as the ball landed on top of the net. Six minutes later and Magpies should have really found themselves ahead on aggregate as Kevagn Ronco squared to Edu Salles in the box. The latter blazing over from short range. City found themselves in a similar situation just minutes later, as Paul McMullan had the whole goal to aim at following Danny Mullen’s pull-back but sent the ball flying wide.

2-0 City at 90 minutes meant that extra-time was needed to settle the tie. With tired legs in both camps, the rhythm of the game was disrupted and the affair became a scrappy one. There weren’t many clear cut chances in the first half of ET, but when Juanje’s shot from distance rattled the crossbar on the 111^th minute before landing at the feet of Evan de Haro, Magpies found themselves with a golden opportunity. The 21 year old made no mistake, drilling under Brian Maher and giving the away side the advantage once again. Three minutes later and City had another penalty claim waved away when Will Patching was felled after a volley goalwards. Another ‘no’ from the Andorran ref. City’s heartbreak was compounded five minutes before the end, when Coleing spilled the ball at the feet of Pat Hoban, who’s overhead kick was cleared off the line by Ash Taylor. Colm Whelan came painfully close with a volley in the 120^th minute, but the team from Gibraltar clung on and progressed for the first time in their history to host FC Copenhagen next Thursday.

 

Derry City:

It was a heartbreaking evening for Derry City who, on another day, could have had four or five in normal time alone. The disallowed goal and dismissal of Adam O’Reilly in the first half were two huge turning points, and both very dubious calls from the referee. The fact that Derry fought back to score again and take the game to extra-time despite being a man down, as well as dominating possession throughout, showed the resolve of the group. In honesty though, the damage was done in Gibraltar last week. If it was 1-0 rather than 2-0, I have no doubts that we would’ve gone through in the second leg.

Pat Hoban, who was well marshalled in the first leg, caused the Magpies back-line a lot of issues on Thursday night and was deserving of his goal. Paul McMullan ran and ran all game, still tracking back and making forward runs deep into extra-time. The winger really should have scored in the second half but was still the best player on the pitch. Colm Whelan was unlucky not to score late on, whilst Will Patching and Cameron Dummigan plugged the Adam O’Reilly shaped gap in the midfield well following the 23 year old’s red card.  

Neither Ciaron Harkin nor Ronan Boyce were in the squad for either of the games against Magpies, but I feel that they both could have done well last night. If Boyce was on the bench, he could have been brought on at right back to allow Cameron Dummigan to play in the midfield after the sending off. Ciaron Harkin’s tenacity would have boded well in extra-time, especially considering that Sadou Diallo was caught on the ball more than once after coming on late in the second half.

Ciarán Coll had a solid game playing as the left sided centre back, a role I’d like to see him given more-often between now and the end of the season. Even at that, though, we could still definitely do with another defender to replace Cameron McJannet. McJannet’s last game was on the 13^th of June, five weeks ago, and he is still yet to be replaced. Jacob Davenport, our only summer signing, has yet to feature despite being on the bench twice. His fresh legs and set-piece ability could have been useful against Magpies. I’d say we’ll see him on Sunday against St.Pat’s. Should we beat Pat’s, we would certainly need reinforcements to strengthen the squad coming into the second half of the season. The contracts of a number of key players, namely Adam O’Reilly, Brian Maher, Will Patching, Mark Connolly and Patrick McEleney run out in November. I’d hope that talks are ongoing in the background, and don’t blame the players for assessing their options, but it’s concerning that we could lose our best and most valuable players on free transfers in a few months’ time.

St Patrick’s Athletic:

St Pat’s have had quite the up-and-down season. After spending big and making some impressive moves in the transfer market prior to the season beginning, the Inchicore side have failed to nail down a consistent run of form in the league. Now Dundalk manager Jon Daly was sacked in May and replaced by Stephen Kenny in one of the biggest managerial appointments in Irish domestic football history. The man who won six trophies with Derry City in two spells between 2004 and 2011 made his return to the League of Ireland after a five-and-a-half year hiatus with the Irish U21s then senior men’s national team, in a home match against the Candystripes on the 17^th of May. Paul McMullan’s goal gave the visitors all three points that day, as the ‘new manager bounce’ didn’t quite go to plan for the Pat’s faithful.

Stephen Kenny has only won three matches since taken over in Richmond Park, beating Shamrock Rovers and Galway United in the league, alongside a win over Bray Wanderers in the Leinster Senior Cup. St Patrick’s find themselves seventh in the league, six points above the relegation zone but, much like Derry City, the sides around them have the advantage of games in hand. Only Pat’s and Derry have played 25 games this season. Bohemians, who are one place and two points behind St. Pat’s have played just 22, meaning they have a three game buffer on the team above them. Finding themselves embroiled in a relegation scrap at this stage of the season would signal quite the failure in expectation for Pat’s this season.

The FAI Cup, which Kenny has won three times and been runner up four times, offers the Dubliner and his side something of a blank canvas to get their season back on track. After beating Derry on penalties in the Brandywell in the Third Round last year, St. Pat’s progressed past Finn Harps and Cork City on their way to sweeping Dublin rivals Bohemians aside in the final. Last year’s 3-1 final win marked Pat’s’ second FAI Cup win in three seasons as they beat Bohemians again in 2021. That win in 2021 was their first FAI Cup triumph since defeating Derry City 2-0 in the 2014 edition of the final, and that was their first FAI Cup final win since 1961. A win against the Candystripes in the Second Round this year would be the beginning of what Stephen Kenny would hope to be a successful FAI Cup campaign but would also mean that Derry City have failed to progress past the Third Round since winning the trophy in 2022.

Pat’s three summer signings so far seem to be shrewd business. Al-Amin Kazeem, the full back who was on loan at Galway United from Colchester United, saw his contract with the English side expire alongside his loan deal in Galway. The Tribesmen made it known that they offered Kazeem a permanent contract which was declined as the player wanted to return to England. A few days later and the 22 year old was announced as a St Patrick’s Athletic player on a multi-year contract –ouch if you’re a Galway United fan. Joseph Anang, the English goalkeeper who spent half a season on-loan at St Pat’s in 2022 before leaving for Derby County, was the Saints’ second summer arrival. The 24 year old, who was named on the West Ham United bench on numerous occasions in the Premier League, Europa League and FAI Cup in the past few seasons in West London put pen to paper on a deal keeping him at Richmond Park until the end of the 2026 campaign. Anang came straight into the starting eleven in Pat’s’ last game, a 1-0 loss away to Waterford, ousting fellow Englishman Danny Rogers who held the fort between the sticks since early March. On his first start in two years for the Saints, Anang failed to deal with Ben McCormack’s shot and palmed the ball into his own net for the only goal of the game, but his performances in 2022 show the makings of a quality goalkeeper. Zack Elbouzedi, formerly of Waterford and Ireland’s U21 side, signed just last week and could make his debut on Sunday. The 26 year old winger spent the second half of last season on-loan at Swindon Town from AIK Stockholm, where he scored twice in 52 appearances since 2021. Another impressive addition to the squad in Inchicore.

Former Derry City and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Brandon Kavanagh, who was signed from the Candystripes for about £25k in January, has been Pat’s best attacking outlet this year. The 23 year old has scored twice and assisted seven in the league, seeing him top the assist chart for the Premier Division. Ruairí Keating, brought in from Cork City, has scored just four times in 22 appearances this campaign. 16 year old forward Mason Melia is one to watch though – the Ireland U17 international has scored three times this season and is reportedly a target of Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton. St. Patrick’s Athletic have struggled in front of goal this season though. Their 24 goals scored is the same amount scored by bottom side Drogheda United. Only three other sides, Dundalk, Bohemians and Galway, have scored less this season. That isn’t helped when you look at Pat’s’ goals conceded column, which reads 28 – a stat which means they’ve conceded the joint highest number of goals outside of the two teams in the relegation zone.

When Derry City face St. Patrick’s Athletic on Sunday, the away side won’t have played a competitive game in more than three weeks as their FAI Cup final win last year saw them progress straight into the Second Round of Conference League qualifiers. They’ll face Vaduz, who finished third in the Liechtenstein Challenge League last season, at home next Thursday before travelling away the week after. The Inchicore side, therefore, will be fresh coming into Sunday’s game – something which can’t be said for Derry City, who are just off the back of more than 270 minutes of football in a week against FC Bruno’s Magpies.

Round-up:

These two have produced some memorable cup moments over the years. Pat’s’ win last season marked a week in which Derry City’s cup and European dreams were ended, both in penalty defeats, in a space of four days. Higgins and his side will be heart-set on making sure history can’t repeat itself. Back in 2018, Gerard Doherty saved a penalty with the last kick of the game to send Derry City to the quarter-finals, whilst Derry City beat Pat’s in the final in 2012 before the Inchicore side got their own back in 2014. The 2006 final beaten the Candystripes and the Saints has been dubbed the best FAI Cup final of all time, as Derry won the game in extra-time after going behind three times to win in the last ever match played in the old Lansdowne Road.

There’s history between these two, but Derry have claimed the bragging rights in the four occasions these two have met since that penalty defeat last year, namely beating Pat’s 3-0 on the final day of the 2023 campaign and scoring a 92nd minute winner to win 2-1 back in March. Danny Mullen has scored three times against the Inchicore side already this season. With Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk both put out on Friday night, both City and Pats will fancy their chances to go all the way. Cup football is back for 2024, as the winners of the last two editions go head-to-head at the first time of asking this time round. It’s good, old-fashioned Sunday evening football as both sides look to begin their cup campaigns with a win.

Pól O’Hare – 20^th July 2024