Derry City v UCD: Match Preview

  

Derry City FC v. UCD AFC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 32, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 29^th September 2023, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            Derry City’s title push has been dealt a significant blow after losing 1-0 to Sligo Rovers last Friday. A late Stefan Radoslavjević goal punished the ten men of City, who struggled to get a foothold in the game. The Candystripe faithful felt hard done by, with referee Rob Harvey denying Derry a seemingly clear penalty when the game was at 0-0.  Shamrock Rovers’ goalless draw with UCD rubbed salt into the Derry wounds, as a win for Derry would have cut the gap to the top to two points.

           

            Shamrock Rovers now sit five points clear of Derry City at the top of the Premier Division table and will need to lose at least two of their last five games in order to give the Candystripes a chance at catching them. It's definitely not impossible, but it'll be some task. Ruaidhrí Higgins men suddenly found themselves looking over their shoulder too, as a win on Monday night for St. Pat’s over Drogheda, in their game in hand, would have seen the Inchicore side go into second place. Drogheda's Dayle Rooney's goal of the season contender ensured the win for the team from Louth however, keeping Derry in second.

 

            Despite a draw against the champions, made more impressive by the fact they had just 20% of the ball and faced 23 shots, UCD’s relegation to the First Division was confirmed on Friday. This came just a day after it was announced that manager Andy Myler would leave his role at the end of the season. It was also confirmed on Friday that UCD would be replaced in the Premier Division by Galway United. The Tribesmen’s 4-0 away win over Kerry FC ensured their return to Ireland’s top domestic league after a six year absence. Galway currently have a massive goal difference of +66 and their 4-0 FAI Cup win over Dundalk shows that they ought to be respected in 2024.

 

            Friday’s meeting between Derry City and UCD will be the second between the teams in September alone. Derry swept the Students aside earlier in the month, beating them 5-0 in the UCD Bowl. The Candystripes will hope for a similar outcome this time round, but UCD’s resilience against Shamrock Rovers shows that Derry will have to be clinical.

           

            Since that win against UCD earlier in the month, City have drawn with Shamrock Rovers and lost to Sligo Rovers – two results which have dented their title push.

 

            Derry City were without Patrick McEleney against Sligo on Friday – the 31 year old also missed out on Derry’s game against Shamrock Rovers and hasn’t featured for the Candystripes since that 5-0 win over UCD. Shane McEleney has served his one game ban after a straight red card against Rovers, but City will be without Ronan Boyce for the tie against UCD after his red card in Sligo. Jamie McGonigle hasn’t played for Derry since their 3-1 away win to Dundalk at the start of the month, but has been an unused substitute in the three games since – he’ll be hoping to get a run out against UCD after scoring a hat-trick against the Students last season. Sam Todd will also want to play against his former club, but has played just twice for Derry since signing during the summer.

 

            UCD have nothing but pride to play for after the confirmation of their relegation. They were without defender Adam Wells against Shamrock Rovers after suspension, but he is eligible for the game against Derry. The Students haven’t scored in the league since a 1-1 draw with Cork City on the 11^th of August, conceding eleven goals and picking up just one point since that draw in Turner’s Cross. UCD’s main threat comes from 21 year old striker Danu Kinsella-Bishop, who is their top scorer with five goals. Ciaran Behan has also scored twice and made three assists from midfield in the 2023 campaign. 18 year old Jake Doyle has netted thrice and recorded one assist. Donegal native Jack Keaney is the UCD captain and has made 30 appearances this term. Winger Daniel Norris has made 28, whilst former Derry midfielder Brendan Barr, Adam Wells and Kinsella-Bishop have made 26. Departing manager Andy Myler is no stranger to switching up his tactics. He has set up in a 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 5-3-2 and 5-4-1 this term.

 

            There seems to have been a lot of “what if’s” this season, but this match could have been massively beneficial to Derry’s title challenge if they won last week in Sligo. Despite last week's loss, a win for Derry on Friday would close the gap to Rovers back to two points if the champions lose to Shelbourne. The Candystripes certainly aren’t down and out yet, but they will want to finish the season in a strong fashion should they be the ones lifting the trophy in November or not. They need to get a run of wins together in order to make the most of any slip-ups from Shamrock Rovers - if they are to occur again.

 

Pól O’Hare – 27 September 2023

 

 

 

           

Sligo Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC, 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division Round 31, Friday 22^nd September 2023, The Showgrounds, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            It’s as you were in terms of the Premier Division title race after Derry City and Shamrock Rovers played out a 1-1 draw in the Brandywell last Friday. A late Graham Burke penalty cancelled out Cameron McJannet’s opener to see the spoils shared, but the Dublin side will be happier with the result.

 

            The 1-1 draw meant that Shamrock Rovers maintain their four point buffer to second placed Derry, now with just six games remaining in the League of Ireland season. The Candystripes need to win all six of those fixtures, whilst relying on Rovers to slip up twice, if they are to realise their dream of winning a first league title this side of the millennium.

 

            That’s considerably easier said than done. Both Derry and Shamrock Rovers have to face Drogheda United, Shelbourne and St. Pat’s before the season’s out, as well as Derry travelling to Sligo this Friday. There are opportunities for points to be dropped before November, but with both City and Rovers facing the same six teams in the run in, the eventual winner will need to maintain supreme focus.

 

            Sligo Rovers, who have failed to muster a consistent run of form throughout the season, currently sit in 8^th place in the Premier Division table. A 2-0 win away to UCD at the weekend ensured they stay six points clear of Cork City in 9^th despite losing 3-0 to The Rebels a fortnight prior. The Bit O’Red will not look comfortably at their next six fixtures though, having to face Derry, Bohemians, St. Pat’s, Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers before the season’s over. They’ll be fighting tooth and nail as every point is precious at this stage of the campaign.

 

            Despite battling at opposite ends of the table, Sligo may fancy their chances against the Candystripes on Friday. Derry haven’t won away to Sligo Rovers since August 2021, when Ronan Boyce scored four minutes from time to ensure the points went north. It was an even later goal, this time for current Finn Harps man Seamas Keogh, which captured all three points for Rovers in the 2022 season. He scored in the 94^th minute in the Showgrounds in May 2022 to break City hearts and earn a 2-1 win for his side. The other game in the Showgrounds that year ended 0-0, whilst former Derry winger Will Fitzgerald scored after just three minutes in May 2023 as Sligo held out for a 1-0 win against Derry in this season’s previous fixture in the Showgrounds. This doesn’t make for great reading for the City faithful, especially when considering that Derry have won just two of the last seven meetings between the two sides.

 

Derry fans won’t forget Will Patching’s 95^th minute penalty which ensured a 2-1 win for the Candystripes in the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium this July. Derry native Danny Lafferty equalised for Sligo Rovers in that game, just ten minutes after Jamie McGonigle opened the scoring. The theme of late goals in this fixture continued on St. Patrick’s Day in the other Brandywell tie this year. Ciaran Coll scored on the 81^st minute to equalise after Max Mata’s opener. That game could’ve, and probably should’ve, finished as a Derry victory. Ollie O’Neill was caught after threading the ball through to Jamie McGonigle in the first half. Just as McGonigle had wound up an effort on goal, which would beat Luke McNicholas and nestle into the bottom corner, the referee blew his whistle to stop the play. Despite allowing the game to play on, Derry were without a goal which should have stood, made worse by the fact that the ball was given back to City to take a free kick for the foul on O’Neill. Hopefully Friday’s game isn’t decided by such a blunder.

 

Both teams go into Friday desperate for three points to keep their respective title and survival hopes alive. Shamrock Rovers face UCD, a tie which they will likely win, meaning Derry will leave themselves with a real mountain to climb should they not come away victorious from the Showgrounds. Cork City, who have a game in hand on Sligo, sit six points behind the Bit O’Red and face bottom side UCD before the season is out. The pressure is on Rovers to keep that lead to six points and steer clear of a relegation play-off.

 Sligo Rovers have recorded just one win in their last six league ties - a 2-0 victory at home to UCD last weekend. They were well beaten by Cork City in early September, and fell to defeats against Shelbourne, Dundalk and St. Pat’s in August. A week after losing to Drogheda United in the first round of the FAI Cup in July, Sligo threw away a 2-0 lead to eventually draw 2-2 against the Louth side in the league. 

Derry City, on the other hand, have lost just once in their last fifteen games. That loss came away to Tobol Kostanay in August, and they haven’t tasted league defeat since a 1-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers in late June. City have won four of their last seven league ties since that defeat to Rovers, including 5-0 and 3-1 wins in their previous two away fixtures and the aforementioned 2-1 win over Sligo in July. The Candystripes won’t be without confidence heading into Friday’s game, knowing that wins are vital in keeping close to Shamrock Rovers.

 

Sligo Rovers had significant squad changes in the summer transfer window – something which has affected results. Highly rated former Ireland U21 goalkeeper Luke McNicholas was lost on loan to Wrexham, whilst top scorer Max Mata was sold to Shrewsbury Town. Estonian international Bogdan Vaštšuk departed and joined Vozdovac in Serbia, whilst 19 year old centre back Éanna Clancy joined UCD. There were some interesting transfers into the club, however. Former Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Robbie Burton, who was on loan at Sligo in 2022, joined on a short term deal. Left back Reece Hutchinson made his loan from Cheltenham Town permanent, whilst pacey winger Fabrice Hartmann’s loan from RB Leipzig was extended. Pedro Martelo, a former Portugal U20 striker, joined from Belenenses in Portugal’s second tier.

 

Luke McNicholas made 26 appearances before departing for Wales in the summer, meaning that 18 year old Conor Walsh would be made to deputise in goal. After making three appearances and conceding five goals, he was replaced by veteran Richard Brush for the UCD game. The 38 year old kept a clean sheet against the Students and may be in line for a start against Derry, owing to his experience. Across the back-line, Reece Hutchinson, Johan Brannefalk, John Mahon and New Zealand international Nando Pijnaker have all made over 20 league appearances, showing that John Russell has a preferred defensive core in his 4-2-3-1 formation. Sligo played a defensive 5-4-1 once this term, losing 3-0 to Cork City.

 

In the middle of the park, Niall Morahan, Greg Bolger, Kailin Barlow, Stefan Radosavljevic and Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt have completed over twenty appearances too. Radosavljevic signed for Sligo Rovers from HB Torshávn, whom Derry defeated in UECL qualification this summer. Max Mata bsgged eleven goals in twenty six appearances this season before leaving and has left a hole in the attack since his departure - Sligo have scored just two league goals since the New Zealand man left the club. Frank Liivak and Will Fitzgerald both have six goal involvements in the front line, whilst Fabrice Hartmann has five. Right back Johan Brannefalk has six assists, whilst Kailin Barlow has five assists and two goals to his name. The lively Hartmann is one to watch with pace to burn and a bag of tricks. 

 

The Showgrounds has never been the happiest of hunting grounds for Derry City, but with Sligo’s poor form since the summer break, the Candystripes will hope to claim the win on Friday. Both teams could really do with the points to strengthen their fights at either end of the Premier Division table. Late goals seem to be a theme in ties between Derry and Sligo Rovers in recent times too, so expect action right until the end. Every game is a must win at this stage. 

 

Pól O’Hare – 20^th August 2023

 

Derry City v Shamrock Rovers: Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v. Shamrock Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 30, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, 15^TH September 2023, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            Derry City can narrow the gap to Shamrock Rovers at the summit of the Premier Division table to just one point should they defeat the Tallaght side on Friday night. Rovers, who are chasing their fourth league title in a row, can go seven points clear should they claim victory in the Brandywell. With just six games remaining in the 2023 League of Ireland campaign, this clash between first and second has all the makings of a classic.

 

            Will Patching shone as City put five past UCD last week in their game in hand, whilst Brandon Kavanagh also netted a brace for himself. Danny Mullen scored his second goal in three games after just two minutes to set the Candystripes on the right track. The victory meant that Derry now sit four points behind Shamrock Rovers going into Friday night’s game, and all but confirmed UCD’s relegation as they lie seventeen points behind ninth placed Cork City.

 

            There is no two ways about, this clash against Rovers is the biggest game of the Premier Division season so far. City haven’t lost in the league since falling to a 1-0 defeat against the Champions in Tallaght in late June. In fact, since losing to Rovers in the Brandywell in May, Derry have won nine and drawn three of their last twelve home games. Rovers, too, haven’t tasted league defeat in over two months either. Their 2-0 away defeat against Dundalk, four days after beating Derry in June, was the last time Shamrock Rovers came away empty handed from a league game.

 

            Shamrock Rovers have beaten Derry twice in the league this season - a 2-0 win in the Brandywell in May and a 1-0 victory in Tallaght in June. City, however, defeated Rovers 2-0 in the President's Cup back in February, before beating them 2-1 in Dublin three weeks later. Rovers have won all but one of their last ten league visits to the Brandywell and won't back down from a fight on Friday.

            Both sides are full of confidence approaching the tie. Rovers have won three and drawn two of their last five league games, with their most recent victory coming in the form of a 3-0 Dublin Derby win over bitter rivals Bohemians. Derry City on the other hand, can boast four wins and a draw from their last five league fixtures. The Candystripes have been in fine goalscoring form in that time too, netting fifteen goals and conceding just four in league action. They’ll need to keep that prowess in front of goal up if they are to pip Friday’s opposition to the title. Rovers’ goal difference is currently +30, whereas City’s is +24. If City manage to win on Friday, that gulf in goal difference will decrease, but it will be a tall ask to overcome the highest scoring team in the division come November.

 

            The manner of Derry’s win against UCD meant that key players could be rested or brought off early. Michael Duffy and Jamie McGonigle were named on the bench but didn’t feature, whilst Patrick McEleney got the best part of thirty five minutes in the second half in order to increase his match fitness. Shane McEleney and Brandon Kavanagh started, whilst Sam Todd, Jordan McEneff and Cian Kavanagh saw over half an hour of action. A first team debut was also handed to 17 year old Callum McCay, who replaced Sadou Diallo on the 71^st minute.

 

            Worryingly, defensive trio Ronan Boyce, Cameron Dummigan and Mark Connolly were not included in the squad against UCD, meaning it is doubtful that they will be fit in time for Rovers’ visit on Friday. It’s coming up to a year since Ciaron Harkin devastatingly re-ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, but there is no sign of an imminent return unfortunately. The knee injury which kept Colm Whelan out of action for a year was reagitated in Shamrock Rovers’ last visit to the Brandywell in May, prematurely ending his season after a prosperous start to life in Derry. Hopefully it won’t be too far into 2024 before we see the striker in a red and white shirt again. Evan McLaughlin, who has been out of action for over five months, recently underwent surgery and will begin rehabilitation.

 

            Shamrock Rovers’ primary concern is the knee injury of star man Jack Byrne, who saw a specialist in London in August. He hasn’t featured since injuring his medial knee ligaments in Rovers’ Champions League qualifying defeat to Icelandic side Breidablik in mid-July, but is expected to return before the end of the season. Neil Farrugia, one of the league’s best full backs, returned from injury to score against Bohemians two weeks ago. Prior to that game, he hadn’t played since Rovers’ 1-0 win over Derry in late June. He played just ten minutes against Bohs, so may not start on Friday despite his impressive goal in the Dublin derby. Aaron Greene hasn’t been included in a Rovers’ squad since they drew with Shelbourne on August 11^th, whilst Sean Gannon hasn’t played since starting against Ferencváros a week previous.

 

            Stephen Bradley tends to set his Rovers team up with three centre backs and two, more attacking, wingbacks. Therefore, Shamrock Rovers most often play either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 formation. With Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes and Lee Grace all appearing in more than twenty league games this season – and Sean Hoare in eighteen – Bradley has a solid defensive core. The profiles of Trevor Clarke and Sean Kavanagh in left-back, and Neil Farrugia in particular at right back, shows that Bradley has a specific mould of forward-thinking full-back in mind when setting up his teams. Clarke has seven goal involvements, Farrugia five, and Kavanagh six this term, whilst Ronan Finn – who can play right back or in the midfield – has three. That means 21 of Rovers’ 54 league goals (38.9%) have been made by, or scored by, wide defenders. This is definitely something which Ruaidhrí Higgins will be aware of.

 

            In the midfield, Rovers have quality too. Markus Poom, on loan from Levadia Tallinn, has come into his own since the injury to Jack Byrne and has contributed to seven goals this term. Richie Towell, who scored in the Brandywell earlier this season, has six goal involvements. Gary O’Neill is a tough defensive midfielder, and Graham Burke has chipped in with thirteen goals or assists this term from the left flank. Jack Byrne will be a miss in the Rovers midfield if Friday is too soon for his return, as he scored in the Brandywell in April and has made eight assists this season. Liam Burt was excellent for Bohemians last year, but has scored just once since crossing the Dublin divide in the off-season. Galway native Rory Gaffney was named both the PFAI Players’ Player of the Year and the SSE Airtricity Player of the Year for the 2022 Premier Division season. The striker has chipped in with eight goals and five assists this term and offers a physical presence in the Rovers frontline. Ireland U21 forward Johnny Kenny, on-loan from Celtic, has seven goal involvements in 27 games, whilst Aaron Greene has five in thirteen.

    Friday's game is the biggest fixture of the season and is likely where the league will be won or lost. If Derry win and cut the gap to a point, they will fancy their chances in finishing the season strongly and only need Rovers to drop points once to overtake them should City keep winning. Shamrock Rovers, with a win, will go seven points clear and will need a serious drop-off in form to not win the league for the fourth year in a row. European games aside, this is City's biggest game since the FAI Cup final last year. The Candystripe faithful will need to replicate an atmosphere akin to that against KuPS in the Brandywell during the summer if Derry are to topple the champions. It's a big one. 

 

Pól O'Hare - 13 August 2023

           

 

           

UCD v Derry City: Match Preview

 UCD AFC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 26, Belfield Bowl, Wednesday 6^TH September 2023, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            Derry City are back up to second place in the Premier Division table after an impressive 3-1 away win over Dundalk on Friday. A Will Patching brace, either side of a goal from Ben Doherty, saw the Candystripes overcome their Louth opposition despite having just 27.8% possession. Particular mention must be given to Brian Maher in the City goal, who made a string of phenomenal saves to keep his side firmly within the title race.

 

            Derry City capitalised on St Pat’s’ defeat to rivals Shelbourne to leapfrog the Inchicore side and heat up the race for the league title. Leaders Shamrock Rovers’ 3-0 win over Bohemians in the other Dublin Derby of the evening has seen them extend their lead at the top to 7 points, but Derry still have to face Rovers and have a game in hand. Shelbourne’s win saw them move into fifth place and above Dundalk, whilst the loss for Bohemians has given Derry a 3 point buffer over Bohs in fifth.

 

            Ruaidhrí Higgins made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 against Bohemians in Dalymount, handing a second Derry City debut to Sam Todd, who signed from UCD earlier in the summer. That was Todd’s first appearance this season following injury, and his first Derry City appearance since 2017 when he lined out against FC Midtjylland in a Europa League Qualifier. Shane McEleney partnered Todd in central defence, replacing Mark Connolly who came off injured against Bohs. Cameron McJannet started in left back and allowed Ben Doherty, who was preferred to Michael Duffy, license to play further forward. Patrick McEleney began in the midfield for the first time since early August, replacing Sadou Diallo.

 Due to the injury-hit City defence, no defenders were named on the bench. Ronan Boyce, Cameron Dummigan and Mark Connolly were not included in the team and it’ll be unlikely to see any of the three feature against UCD, unless it’s off the bench to gain a bit of match sharpness ahead of the game against Shamrock Rovers on the 15^th. Against UCD, I’d expect Ruaidhrí Higgins to rotate his squad in order to keep his preferred starting eleven sharp for the game against Rovers next week. Brandon Kavanagh, Jordan McEneff and Jamie McGonigle came off the bench against Dundalk, and will likely feature against UCD. Cian Kavanagh will also be hoping to play against The Students, as he hasn’t appeared for Derry since the game against Tobol Kostanay in Tallaght three weeks ago.

 

            UCD are rock-bottom of the League of Ireland Premier Division and are playing for little more than pride before their relegation is confirmed. They have won just two games this season; against Sligo Rovers in June and at home to Cork City in May. They have, however, drawn against Shelbourne, Dundalk and Bohemians this season already, meaning Derry will have to be clinical if they are to win comfortably. With eight games to go, UCD are seventeen points behind Cork City in ninth place. Their FAI Cup hopes finished with a 5-1 home defeat to First Division leaders Galway United too. They lost 3-0 to Drogheda United on Friday, they haven’t won in five, and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in twenty games either – it’s not looking good for The Students.

 Derry, on the other hand, are in good form and need a win against UCD to be just four points behind Shamrock Rovers in first. It’s easier said than done but should City beat UCD and Rovers, they will be just one point behind top spot. Derry haven’t dropped points against UCD since July 2019, when the sides played out a 0-0 draw in the Brandywell. UCD have beaten Derry 16 times in 68 league outings, but Derry have won nine and drawn one since that last defeat in October 2014. This season, Derry have scored eight goals and conceded just once in their two games against UCD so far. Jamie McGonigle won’t forget playing UCD in 2022 – he scored a hat-trick in a 7-1 win in the Brandywell – and will be hoping to get in on the goals on Wednesday too. City play UCD at home on the 29^th of September and will hope to be even closer to the summit by then.
The Students’ main threat comes from 21 year old striker Danu Kinsella-Bishop, who is their top scorer with five this term. Ciaran Behan is also one to keep an eye on in attacking midfield; he’s scored twice and made three assists in 2023. Donegal native, and UCD captain, Jack Keaney has made 27 appearances this season. Winger Daniel Norris has made 26 appearances, whilst seven other players have made over twenty appearances. One such player will be familiar to Derry City fans – midfielder Brendan Barr left Derry City to join UCD prior to the start of the 2023 season after loan deals in the Irish League with Ballymena United and Dungannon Swifts. The 22 year old plays deeper for The Students than he did at Derry, usually featuring in defensive midfield. Manager Andrew Myler is open to changing his system but has played a 4-2-3-1 in UCD’s previous three games. They have also lined out in a 4-4-2 this term, along with playing 5 in the defensive at times.
The Derry City players will need to be clinical in front of goal if they are to win all three points against UCD on Wednesday. This match is Derry’s game in hand over the other title hopefuls, meaning that a win would be crucial in continuing their title push. UCD have shown that they can hold stronger teams to draws this season, something which Ruaidhrí Higgins will have warned his players of. City haven’t lost in Belfield since 2005 and have won their last eleven games away to UCD, conceding just thrice. Derry will hope to extend this record on Wednesday and come back up the road happy, knowing they have nine days to prepare for the crunch tie against Shamrock Rovers.

 

Pól O’Hare – 4th September 2023

Dundalk v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Dundalk FC v. Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division, Round 29, Oriel Park, Friday 1^st September 2023, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            Derry City and Bohemians played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Dalymount last Friday, but it was a result which wasn’t ideal for either team. Still level on points, Derry and Bohs remain firmly within the title race, but Shamrock Rovers’ win over Dundalk sees them four points clear at the top. That win also means that Rovers' gap to City and Bohemians has been extended to seven points.

 

            Derry do have a game in hand, an away fixture at UCD in early September, as well as a vital tie against the league leaders on the 15^th. In theory at least, a win over UCD and Rovers would cut the gap to the top to one point should Derry hit a patch of good form, and other results go their way. Therefore, Derry’s title hopes are far from over, but they can’t afford to drop points at this stage of the season.

 

            The Candystripes are away to Dundalk on Friday, hoping to win in Oriel Park for just the second time since 2013. This is definitely a surprising stat, but it makes some sense when considering how good that Dundalk team was for large parts of the 2010s. They won five league titles out of a possible six between 2014 and 2019 and qualified for the Europa League group stages. Current Derry stars Michael Duffy and Patrick McEleney were central to large parts of their success, whilst manager Ruaidhrí Higgins was part of the Lilywhite’s title-winning team of 2014.

 

            Derry’s last win in Oriel Park was definitely one for the history books. It was the last game of the season in 2021 and Derry, revitalised under new manager Ruaidhrí Higgins, needed a win to clinch European football (with a bit of help from St. Pat’s in the form of an FAI Cup final win that year). After going 1-0 down in the first half, a Ciaron Harkin rocket on the stroke of half-time brought the Candystripes level. Just seven minutes into the second half, Jamie McGonigle slid it past Peter Cherrie to score what would turn out to be the decider.

 

            This season Derry are unbeaten against Dundalk. Back in March, the sides drew 0-0 in the Brandywell. Five weeks later, Dundalk scored twice in two minutes to go ahead in Oriel Park before a Cian Kavanagh header equalised in a game that would finish 2-2. When the sides met in the Brandywell in May, City were dominant. Goals from Jordan McEneff, Brandon Kavanagh and Michael Duffy ensured a comfortable 3-0 win.

 

            This Friday’s tie holds more weight though. Dundalk are currently sitting in sixth, four points behind Derry in the last European spot. The Candystripes are three points behind St. Pat’s in second and have a goal difference of +17, compared to the Inchicore side’s +18. Pat’s face a tricky tie away to Shelbourne, who themselves sit level on points with Dundalk and are in the race for Europe. If other ties go Derry’s way (Shels beat Pat’s and Bohs beat Rovers), they could find themselves in second place with a win over Dundalk.

 

            Neither Ronan Boyce nor Cameron Dummigan featured against Bohemians last Friday, whilst former Dundalk defender Mark Connolly was replaced by Shane McEleney after just seventeen minutes. Connolly seemed in some discomfort after going down early on but continued to play on prior to his early departure. These are three key players who Ruaidhrí Higgins will not want to be without going into the latter stages of the league campaign. Patrick McEleney hasn’t started since coming off injured in Derry’s 3-3 draw against KuPS on August 3^rd, but has frequently featured from the bench since. The captain is another man who Higgins will want to keep as fit as possible for the remainder of the season. Aside from these concerns, and the long-term injuries to Colm Whelan and Ciaron Harkin, the Derry manager seems to have no other injury worries. Danny Mullen was impressive on Friday and will hope to kick-on after scoring his first goal for City too. Summer signing Sam Todd is yet to feature but was named on the bench against Bohemians. He may be involved soon due to City’s injury hit back-line.

 

            Dundalk are on a decent run as of late, winning two, drawing two and losing one in their last five games in all competitions. That loss came against league leaders Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght last Friday. Similarly to Derry, Dundalk progressed from the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League after beating Bruno’s Magpies of Gibraltar 3-1 on aggregate. They slipped to a disappointing 5-3 aggregate defeat in the second round against KA Akureyri, who currently sit 7^th in the Icelandic top division. That loss threatened to derail their season, but wins over Shamrock Rovers and Bray Wanderers in the FAI Cup sees them in an intriguing quarter-final tie against Galway United. The Lilywhites will hope to go far into the cup this season, with European qualifiers awaiting the winner.

 

            Stephen O’Donnell tends to play a 4-2-3-1, but played a back five against Shelbourne earlier this month. He has also set his team up in a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3 this term. Dundalk’s Welsh goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd is one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the League of Ireland. He has started all 28 of the Lilywhites’ league games this season, keeping 7 clean sheets. English right back Archie Davies has been impressive for Dundalk too, starting 26 games and making three assists. Across the rest of the Dundalk backline, Hayden Muller has made 25 appearances whilst left-back Darragh Leahy has 22. Scottish centre back Darren Brownlie has been brought it from Partick Thistle to add stability in the defence.

 

            The Dundalk midfield consists of former Derry players Greg Sloggett and Keith Ward, who have made 20 and 19 appearances respectively. Alfie Lewis has made 21 league appearances whilst former Rochdale man Conor Malley has made 24 starts. 20 year old winger Ryan O’Kane is a prospect on the wing, chipping in with five goal involvements this season. Daniel Kelly also has five goal involvements from the wing this term, as does striker John Martin. Club record goalscorer Pat Hoban has netted ten goals this year and is always a physical threat in the frontline. The return of former fans-favourite Daryl Horgan, who has made 17 appearances for the Irish national team since leaving Dundalk in 2017, is a real statement signing by the Lilywhites. He left Dundalk for Preston North End six years ago, and has since lined out for Hibernian, Wycombe Wanderers and Stevenage. Horgan scored a late winner in the FAI Cup second round against Bray Wanderers.

 

            Each point is precious when it comes to this stage of the season. With nine games left for Derry, and one less for Dundalk, both sides will likely go all out in search of a win. With a Dublin Derby between Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians the highlight of the round on Friday, Derry’s title hopes could be skewered should results not pan out as they hope. A Rovers win would put them ten points ahead of Derry if the Candystripes lose to Dundalk. The old cliché that the last run of games are all cup finals is more evident than ever now.

 

Pól O’Hare – 30 August 2023

 

 

Bohemians v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Bohemian FC v Derry City FC, Dalymount Park, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 28, Friday 25^Th August 2023, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            Derry City will be eager to put a disappointing week behind them and focus on their title charge when they face Bohemians on Friday. Two penalty shootout defeats in the space of four days saw the Candystripes eliminated from both the Europa Conference League and the FAI Cup. Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men now fight on just one front, for the League of Ireland Premier Division title, and have only ten games remaining to overturn a five point deficit to the top.

 

            Despite keeping clean sheets against both Tobol Kostanay in the third qualifying round of the UECL, and St. Pat’s in the second round of the FAI Cup, Derry City find themselves out of both competitions following two cruel penalty shootout defeats. After playing 240 minutes of football in their last two fixtures, Higgins’ men travel to north Dublin on Friday to face a Bohemians side who sit level on points with City, behind only on goal difference.

 

            Bohs are unbeaten in seven games, since a 3-1 defeat against Sligo Rovers in late June, and find themselves in the fight for the league title. Manager Declan Devine, former Derry City manager and player, joined the club prior to the end of the 2022 season and was tasked with a rebuild after a sixth placed finish last term. The Dublin side began the 2023 campaign positively too, winning seven of their first ten games, leaving them top of the table until round fourteen in early May.

 

               When Derry face Bohs, there is often little to separate the sides. In the last ten meetings between the teams, there have been five draws, four Derry wins and just one win for Bohemians. That sole win for the Dubliners came earlier this season, when a second-half Dean Williams penalty in the Brandywell took the three points back down to Phibsborough. In fact, the Candystripes haven’t lost in Dalymount since September 2020, when Keith Ward and Andre Wright both scored in second half stoppage time to ensure a 2-1 Bohs win. Friday’s meeting will be the last of the four in the 2023 season. Last time out, a 0-0 draw was contested in Derry, whilst a Ryan Graydon goal separated the sides in Dalymount four weeks prior. Both teams have won three of their last five league games and, with five points separating first and fourth, a win is vital to both side’s title push.

 

            There have been some memorable encounters between the two in recent times. Derry played some of their best football this season in the first half in Dalymount in May, dominating a ten-man Bohs side before defending some resilient pressure from the home side in the second half. Derry’s 3-2 win in Dublin in July 2022, which included a Dawson Devoy wondergoal for the hosts, sticks out as another noteworthy encounter. Earlier that season, James Akintunde scored a 93^rd minute winner for City to sink his current employer. The English forward started Bohemians’ most recent game, a 6-0 win over Rockmount in the FAI Cup.

 

            A 3-3 draw late in the 2021 season was a classic Bohs-Derry fixture. Liam Burt opened the scoring after just 7 minutes for the home side. Just after the hour mark, Jamie McGonigle levelled the tie with a wonderful curling strike into the top corner. Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, a former fans favourite at the Brandywell and previous Bohemians player, put City ahead on the 76^th minute. Georgie Kelly, who came through the youth ranks at Derry, levelled the tie once again five minutes later. Derry thought they’d won it after James Akintunde scored a late goal in the 91^st minute, but a 96^th minute Ciaran Kelly equaliser ensured the points were shared. City finished fourth that season, just two points above Bohemians, and qualified for European football after Bohs lost in the 2021 FAI Cup final.

 

            Ruaidhrí Higgins will have to rejuvenate his side after such a tough week both physically and mentally. Two penalty defeats and 240 minutes played across two fixtures will take its toll on the players, but the close and competitive nature of the current title race will serve as motivation to finish the season strongly for players and staff alike. After coming off injured against Tobol in Tallaght, Will Patching was replaced again in extra-time against St. Pat’s. Cameron Dummigan was in immediate discomfort after awkwardly twisting his hip in a tackle in normal time and was replaced by Danny Mullen. Shane McEleney, who was carrying a niggle following the game against Drogheda, was replaced by Mark Connolly on the hour mark. These knocks will hopefully not be serious, as Ruaidhrí Higgins needs as deep a squad as possible coming into the final stages of the season.

 

            Bohemians seem to have as strong a squad as possible coming into the tie against Derry. They’ll be hoping to continue their excellent form and take third place from the Candystripes. St. Pat’s, who sit one point clear in second place, will likely defeat UCD at the weekend and will expect to hold onto their current standing no matter the result in Dalymount. Declan Devine hasn’t deviated from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation this season and tends to have favourites when it comes to his main starting eleven. Just thirteen players have made over twenty or more league appearances this season for Bohemians (one of which being Grant Horton who has returned to Cheltenham following the expiration of his loan).

 

Bohs’ goalkeeper James Talbot has started all 27 of their league games this season, keeping an impressive ten clean sheets but conceding an average of more than a goal per game. Polish defender Kacper Radkowski, on loan from Slask Wroclaw, is the only other player in the Bohemian squad to start every league game. The midfield trio of captain Adam McDonnell, eighteen year old James McManus, and James Clarke, has been the go-to  recently. Bohs are strong in this position on the bench too, with the experienced heads of Jordan Flores and Keith Buckley both making over twenty appearances this term. McManus was the subject of bids believed to be around €250k from unnamed English clubs during the summer after impressing for the Dublin side, despite juggling League of Ireland football with completing his Leaving Cert.

 

Jonathan Afolabi, formerly of Celtic, is in superb form lately. He has netted in eight of his last seven league appearances and has scored in both of his sides’ FAI Cup games this season. The 23 year old will have been highlighted as one of Bohs’ main threats. Declan McDaid and Kris Twardek have made more substitute appearances than starts this season but offer quality in the wide areas when featuring. They have seven assists between them this term. The return of former star player Danny Grant from Huddersfield Town, who was close to a move to St. Pat’s, has further boosted the Bohemians front-line. He has made two assists in just three appearances since returning to Dalymount. Alistair Coote has ten goal involvements in 21 games, whilst former City striker James Akintunde has one goal and one assist in fourteen since leaving the Brandywell.

 

Whether it’s high scoring or not, Derry’s trips to Dalymount are entertaining affairs. The Derry faithful often travel in numbers to Bohemians away, and with over 3100 making the journey to Tallaght last week, many will make their way down to Dublin again on Friday. The home support in Dalymount is one of the best in Ireland in terms of creating an atmosphere and throwing the title race into the mix will add that little extra fire to the tie. Derry have kept three clean sheets in their last three – in playing time that is – but with Afolabi’s tendency to find the net recently, Brian Maher and his defence will be made to work if they’re too make it four in a row. Champions Shamrock Rovers also face Dundalk on Friday, looking to extend their lead at the top. A Dundalk win would do Derry, Pats, and Bohemians a favour in terms of keeping Rovers close. It would, however, put Dundalk on 46 points which is Derry and Bohs’ current tally. A win for both City and Dundalk on Friday would see the Candystripes come within two points of Rovers in top spot, with a game in hand against in UCD coming in September. Derry could really do with that win to keep the title dream alive.

 

Pól O’Hare – 23^rd August 2023

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

 

Derry City v St Patrick’s Athletic, FAI Cup Round Two, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Sunday 20^th August 2023, kick-off 5pm.

 

            Derry City bowed out of the UEFA Europa Conference League following a cruel penalty-shootout defeat against FC Tobol on Thursday. After a gruelling two hours of football in Tallaght Stadium, the Candystripes couldn’t find a winner despite drawing the tie level on aggregate through a Will Patching penalty in the first half. The Kazakhstani side capitalised on penalty misses from Ben Doherty and Brian Maher to set up a group stage play-off against Czech side Viktoria Plzeň, who beat Gzira United of Malta 6-0 over two legs to progress.

 

            Ruaidhrí Higgins spoke of his devastation at being knocked out in such a manner, but expressed his pride in the team after the match. It’s a quick turnaround for City as they regroup to face St. Pat’s in the second round of the FAI Cup on Sunday. After 120 minutes of football on Thursday, Higgins will have to work with a fatigued squad in order to pick his strongest starting eleven.

            Despite the match against Tobol Kostanay going to extra-time and penalties, Derry know how to deal with a domestic game in quick succession of a big European tie. After their 1-0 defeat in Kazakhstan last week, City faced a long trip home and didn’t get back into Derry until midday on the Friday. With just two days back in the country, City defeated Drogheda United 3-0 to come within five points of the Premier Division summit on Sunday.

 

            Derry City will be hoping for similar luck this time round. St. Pat’s have only beaten Derry once in the history of the FAI Cup, a 2-0 final win in 2014. The two sides haven’t faced each other in the cup since 2018 either, when City came out 1-0 winners following a late Aidy Delap goal. This season, Derry and Pat’s have faced each other thrice in league action. Both sides have beaten each other this term already - Derry coming out 2-0 winners in the Brandywell in April and Pat’s winning 4-1 in Inchicore in June. An entertaining 1-1 draw was played out in the opening game of the season between the two teams in February.

 

St. Pat’s, despite a slow start to the league season, enjoyed a purple patch following the appointment of Jon Daly as their new manager in May. Since taking over as interim manager on May 2^nd, the Saints have played seventeen games, winning ten, drawing three and losing four. Two of those four losses came to F91 Dudelange in the UECL first round, emphasising Daly’s impressive job in turning round Pat’s domestic form. Derry sit one point behind the Inchicore side in the league table and play them in the Brandywell on the last game of the season. That game may be vital in the races for both the league title and for European places come November.

 

            In terms of FAI Cup action this season, Derry progressed to the second round following a comfortable 3-0 win over Athlone Town. Pat’s also faced First Division opposition in the first round, beating Longford Town 2-1 to reach this stage. A place in the quarter final awaits for the winner, and with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne both bowing out in the first round, City and St. Pat’s will fancy their chances of going the full way. Should Derry progress, they could set up a north-west derby with rivals Finn Harps in the quarter final. The Ballybofey side beat Leinster Senior League opposition Skerries Town 5-0 on Friday evening.

 

            As Derry’s game against Tobol reached the latter stages, the City players were getting increasingly fatigued. Will Patching was replaced by Patrick McEleney early in the second half after going down injured. The former Manchester City midfielder has been in fine form of late but may not start on Sunday, depending on the severity of his knock. Michael Duffy has played a lot of football after coming back from injury, and Mark Connolly was heavily affected by cramp in extra-time. Brian Maher, who unfortunately missed a penalty in the shootout, played well but suffered a nasty fall in the second half. Tadhg Ryan, who kept a clean sheet in the first round tie against Athlone Town, may be in-line to start on Sunday as a result.

 

            St. Patrick’s Athletic, after losing 5-3 on aggregate to F91 Dudelange in the first round of UECL qualifying, haven’t had much disruption to their schedule due to European involvement. They also have had nine days of preparation following their 0-0 draw at home to Bohemians last Friday, ensuring they have a fresh squad to face Derry. Joe Redmond, who suffered a serious hamstring injury earlier in the season, has recently returned to the St. Pat’s squad. The 23 year old is a former Ireland U21 international and is Pat’s’ captain when fit. He scored an 89^th minute equaliser against Derry on the opening day of the season in Inchicore. Tom Grivosti, who partners Redmond in central defence, is out for the season after suffering an unfortunate ACL injury in late May.

 

            Despite playing seventeen league games this season, former Feyenoord defender Noah Lewis left St. Patrick’s last week. 17 year old full back Sam Curtis can deputise at centre back however, whilst new signing David Norman played on the left of a back three for Northampton Town last season. Former Liverpool, Aberdeen and Oldham Athletic right back Ryan McLaughlin is a recent addition to the Pat’s defence. The 28 year old has been included in the squad twice but is yet to feature. Chris Forrester is always one to look out for too, racking up twelve goals and four assists in the league this season. Former Hearts and Atlanta United winger Jake Mulraney also has twelve goal involvements in twenty-two this term. English goalkeeper Dean Lyness has been impressive between the sticks this season too, keeping eight clean sheets in twenty-two league games.

 

Elsewhere in the second round, fans of Cork City and Waterford will have to wait until Monday to witness their sides’ second meeting of the year after the tie was postponed prior to kick-off. Despite being 2-0 up away to UCD, Galway United were left frustrated after Storm Betty put a premature end to their game. That match will restart from scratch on Monday evening. Bohemians comfortably defeated Munster Senior League side Rockmount 6-0, whilst Dundalk edged past a resilient Bray Wanderers. Daryl Horgan’s first goal following his return from Wycombe insured that the Lilywhites left the Carlisle Grounds with a 1-0 win. Drogheda United also beat First Division opposition by a single goal, holding onto an early lead to win away to Kerry. In one of the more obscure ties of the second round, St. Patrick’s C.Y.F.C face Wexford on Sunday.

 

Both Derry City and St. Pat’s will hope for a successful cup run this term. Derry, who won the cup in 2022, and Pat’s, winners in 2021, both know that favourable draws in the quarter final will leave them within touching distance of another Aviva day out. Nine of the sixteen teams playing in the second round play in either the First Division or the regional Senior Leagues, meaning that both the Candystripes and the Saints are two of the favourites to win the competition. Due to this fixture taking place on Sunday, whilst four of the eight other ties took place on Friday, Derry and Pats will have more of a feel of what to expect in the quarter final. The draw for the quarters takes place on Tuesday 22^nd August at 12.30pm.

 

Pól O’Hare – 19 August 2023

Derry City v FC Tobol Kostanay: Second Leg Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v. FC Tobol Kostanay, UEFA Europa Conference League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg, Tallaght Stadium, 17^th August 2023, kick-off 19.45pm Irish time (00.45am Kazakhstani time)

 

            Derry City fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first round of their UECL Third Round qualifier against Kazakhstani outfit Tobol Kostanay last Thursday. A left footed wonderstrike from Roman Asrankulov, which kissed the crossbar before nestling in the top corner, was all that separated the sides in the first leg.

 

            The home team started the brighter of the two sides. Within one minute Ivorian forward Serges Deblé released a shot from inside the box which, fortunately for Derry, was straight at Brian Maher. Derry’s first promising foray forward came when Will Patching found Paul McMullan within the Tobol half. The Scottish winger drove towards the Kazakh defence before jinking between two players, a run which Derry fans are quickly becoming accustomed to. A cynical trip from Asrankulov was necessary to prevent the former Dundee man from bearing down on goal, and the following freekick from Patching was punched away by Ivan Konovalov in the Tobol goal.

 

The Kazakhstani side were lucky to keep all eleven men on the pitch after Serikzhan Muzhikov’s two footed lunge on Adam O’Reilly, just yards from the referee. Austrian referee Stefan Ebner felt that the tackle wasn’t even worthy of a card, despite showing nine yellows during the course of the game. This wouldn't be the last time that Ebner would be in the spotlight either.

 

Derry City had Brian Maher to thank once again early in the second half. Mark Connolly’s poor clearance landed at the feet of Deblé who clipped it forward to Islam Chesnokov. The winger was one-on-one with the City shot-stopper who bravely made himself big and smothered the ball.

 

Ten minutes later, the deadlock was broken. Chesnokov picked the ball up on the halfway line and switched it wide to Miljan Vukadinović. The former Serbian international laid it off to left back Roman Asrankulov who fired the ball into the top corner via the woodwork. An unstoppable drive to give the Kazakhstani side the lead.

 

Derry had a chance of their own just five minutes later. Sadou Diallo, who has been in fine form of late, unleashed a strike from range which seemed to worry Ivan Konovalov. Will Patching got to the rebound and was bundled over within the penalty area. Ebner waved away Derry penalty claims and awarded a free kick to Tobol for a supposed dive from the Englishman. Soon after, a scuffed kick from Konovalov landed to Patching again. The midfielder played it to Michael Duffy who cooly took it past the Tobol defender before firing it into the side netting. A close miss in what would pan out to be Derry’s best opportunity of the game.

 

FC Tobol, therefore, take a 1-0 lead into Derry’s ‘home’ tie in Tallaght Stadium on Thursday, but Derry City are definitely not counting themselves out just yet. In European qualification, a 1-0 lead is slender. Tallaght’s smooth playing surface will work to the advantage of both teams. Ruaidhrí Higgins and Milić Curčić want to play attacking football and, as has been seen with Derry’s win over KuPS and Tobol’s win over Basel, both managers have no problem in going all out to get a result.

 

With a 3-0 win over Drogheda at the weekend, Derry City will be confident in their quality going into Thursday’s second leg. As predicted last week, Higgins made five changes to the Derry side which lost in Kazakhstan. Ciaran Coll, Jordan McEneff, Brandon Kavanagh, Danny Mullen and Shane McEleney started. The squad depth required to rotate heavily yet still win comfortably is testament to Derry’s smart recruitment in recent years. Paul McMullan, Will Patching and Patrick McEleney changed the game in the second half after coming on however. Their introductions brought additional quality in the final third and ensured Derry came away with a vital three points. Jamie McGonigle will be glad to have gotten on the scoresheet again, whilst Michael Duffy added another goal and assist to his tally this season.

 

FC Tobol also played on Sunday, losing 2-1 away to Kairat Almaty. Ivan Rogać and Ivan Konovalov were the only two players to start both against Derry and against Kairat. This means it’s the second time in as many weeks that Curčić made considerable changes to his starting eleven ahead of a big European game. He only made two substitutions too, bringing on Chesnokov and Deblé, thus keeping the rest of his starting squad fresh for Thursday. Tobol, who have reached the final of the Kazakhstan Cup, seem to have given up on league ambitions this year. They sit in 7^th, thirteen points off Astana in third, with just eight games remaining. Should they beat Ordabasy in the cup final, they will qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2024/25 Europa Conference League. Therefore, they can afford to rest players in the league in order to give UECL group stage qualification this season their best shot. Curčić has been rewarded for his recent exploits too, winning the Kazakhstan Premier League Manager of the Month award for July.

 

Neither side seem to have any new significant injury concerns going into the second leg. Despite coming off injured against KuPS, Cameron Dummigan was named in the squads for both the first leg against Tobol, and against Drogheda on Sunday. Despite not featuring in either, his presence on the bench suggests that he should be fit enough to play some part in affairs if called upon. Shane McEleney was replaced by Mark Connolly after going down in the second half against Drogheda, but hopefully his injury is not serious. Michael Duffy seemed to hold his ankle briefly after a challenge against Drogheda also, but his cool finish late in the game seems to have eradicated any doubts of an injury. Tobol’s two substitutions against Kairat Almaty seemed tactical as they went into half-time 2-1 down and needed an attacking injection.

 

It was announced last week that UEFA denied Derry City's request to change their 'home' venue for the second leg to Windsor Park in Belfast, despite both the IFA and Linfield giving the switch the green light. This would have been a symbolic event, holding more significance than merely sporting. 

Derry, resultingly, have been given 3500 tickets for Tallaght’s West Stand. An email from the club stated that other stands would be opened pending ticket demand. The Brandywell was bouncing against HB Tórshavn and KuPS in the last few weeks, something which players and staff have attributed to the club’s European success this season. Despite the distance, Derry fans will surely be on top form to replicate this atmosphere down in Tallaght.

 

A UECL group stage play-off against the winner of the tie between Czech club Viktoria Plzeň and Malta’s Gzira United awaits the victor on Thursday. Plzeň comfortably defeated the Maltese side in the first leg, winning 4-0 at home. It will be the furthest that either Derry or Tobol will have progressed in European competition. In avoiding teams such as Aston Villa, Fiorentina and Eintracht Frankfurt in the play-off, whoever progresses will not write themselves off in the final round. It’s a big one for all involved on Thursday.

 

Pól O’Hare – 15 August 2023