FAI Cup Report: Bohemians 0 - 2 Derry City

Derry City brought their impressive league form into the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup on Friday night as they dispatched Bohemians in Dalymount Park to advance through from the third round with a 2-0 win.

Harry Monaghan broke the deadlock with a close range finish at the end of the first-half before Nathan Boyle fired home after 48 minutes to seal Derry’s progress to the next round.

It was Derry who started the stronger early on with efforts from Keith Ward and Ronan Curtis but Bohs had the first meaningful chance five minutes in when Stephen Best found himself in acres of space from a Lorcan Fitzgerald corner. The defender’s header was straight at Gerard Doherty in the Bohs goal however.

After the bright opening, Derry failed to make any meaningful attacks until the 17^th minute when Ronan Curtis broke into the right hand side of the Bohs box, but he fired a powerful effort straight at Dean Delaney, who held onto the shot preventing a potential rebound.

Soon after, Bohs went even closer. Derek Pender did brilliantly to get to the end line and crossed for Mark Quigley who had a fierce header rebound off the crossbar.

Pender was advancing well for Bohs down the right but his peculiar injury after the half hour mark meant a set back for Bohs as he was replaced by Dylan Hayes. The Bohs captain seemingly struggling with his chest and coughing uncomfortably.

It went from bad to worse for Bohs as Derry broke the deadlock after 39 minutes. The away side won a free kick down the right against the run of play and Harry Monaghan reacted fastest to a loose ball in the six-yard box poking home ahead of Derek Prendergast.

Bohs were then hit with another injury set back as Best went down unchallenged as he turned to race back during a Derry attack. The home side suddenly found themselves, a goal and two defenders down going into the half-time break.

The home side came out from the break looking sharp with Eoin Wearen in particular doing the early running but despite a couple of corners it was Derry who broke up the other end and grabbed a second.

Lucas Schubert brought the ball down the right before slipping a ball through for Boyle who hit his shot well in off the post despite the best efforts of Delaney to give Derry a two goal cushion with 48 minutes gone.

Keith Long tried to react as he brought on Dean O’Halloran and the substitute should have had the chance to draw one back but after Keith Buckley broke clear he failed to pick out O’Halloran who was in acres of space in the middle.

It was then Derry’s turn to make it three when Conor McCormack reached the bye-line and crossed for Ronan Curtis who had a strong header saved well by Delaney.

Bohs were really struggling to create anything as they grew further disillusioned with the tie getting further away from themselves. Lorcan Fitzgerald’s 65^th minute free kick that went marginally over the best they could muster.

Indeed, set pieces looked like their biggest opportunity as two Fitzgerald corners in quick succession nearly brought them back into it. Patterson clearing away smartly first before Paddy Kavanagh headed agonisingly close with 15 minutes to go.

As Bohs pushed to get back into the contest, Derry looked dangerous on the counter and Rory Patterson had a great chance having been slipped through one on one with Delaney but he put his effort wide.

With the game approaching full-time, Bohs really should have gotten one back as the ball was cut back from the left to Kavanagh who smashed his shot off the up-right from close range before Rory Patterson nearly made it three when he had two shots cleared off the line from the resulting counter-attack.

However, it was Derry who hung on despite the late surge of pressure from Bohs, but in truth, Derry will be advancing to the next round feeling they fully deserved the win.

Bohemians: Dean Delaney, Derek Pender (Dylan Hayes 34), Lorcan Fitzgerald, Roberto Lopes, Derek Prendergast, Eoin Wearen, Keith Buckley, Mark Quigley, Jake Kelly (Dean O’Halloran 54), Stephen Best (Dan Byrne 45 +1), Paddy Kavanagh

Subs Not Used: Dean Mahon, Kurtis Byrne, Ian Morris

Booked: Derek Prendergast (55), Lorcan Fitzgerald (73)

Derry City: Gerard Doherty, Niclas Vemmelund, Dean Jarvis, Conor McCormack, Harry Monaghan, Keith Ward (Barry McNamee 79), Nathan Boyle, Cristian Castells (Ben Doherty 39), Conor McDermott, Ronan Curtis, Lucas Schubert (Rory Patterson 65)

Subs Not Used:  Shaun Patton, Aaron McEneff, Josh Daniels, Rory Holden

Booked: Cristian Castells (8), Ben Doherty (74), Nathan Boyle (77)

Referee: Tomas Connolly

Attendance: 978

Extratime Man of the Match: Nathan Boyle (Derry City)