All focus on third for Derry City after FAI Cup exit.

Derry City failed to advance to the last sixteen of the FAI Cup yesterday evening as they were beaten emphatically 4-0 by Dundalk at Oriel Park.

The Foylesiders fell behind after 47 seconds and by the final whistle found themselves severely outclassed by the Lilywhites. 

A brace for John Mountney, a penalty from David McMillan, and a late strike from former Derry player Michael Duffy put the Candystripes firmly to the sword in the last 16 of Ireland's most famous domestic cup.

Derry City manager Kenny Shiels was disappointed to exit from the competition but had no complaints come the game's conclusion. 

Speaking to Drive 105, Shiels said: "Yes, we are disappointed. We conceded early and that just set the marker for the game.” he said.

Despite his disappointment, Shiels’ insisted his side must put the defeat behind them as they prepare to welcome Dundalk to Maginn Park on Sunday.

“It’s a long time (until next Sunday). It’s a vitally important that we get the chins up again. At halftime, it could have been one nil either way. They were reduced to shots from distance and I thought we cut them open more than they cut us open in the first half, apart from the goal obviously.

“We went in one nil down and we felt hard done by at the interval, but then we gave away a penalty and I was disappointed that we gave away the penalty,” Shiels said.

Despite feeling like his side had a foothold in the game, Shiels felt that Dundalk fully deserved to go through to the next round.

“There was quite a period in the second half where there was nothing in it. We were making forays to try and get back in the game, (but) they had the goals in the can. The last ten or twelve minutes we lost composure and they ran out worthy winners,” he added. 

Before the game, Shiels knew that the second meeting between the sides this Sunday was by far the most important as the Candystripes push for the final European spot in the final third of the season.

“The next game is our most important one and that’s one that we need to go and do our best in.

“We need to lift the lads this week and hopefully we can get enough from them to get a performance.”