Report: Derry City 2 - 0 Drogheda Utd
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After a confidence-boosting rather than confident start to Derry’s season, this 2-0 win over champions, Drogheda, was the match where it all came together for Derry manager, Stephen Kenny.
During a predictably tight and high tempo opening during which both defences seemed jittery, there was only an excellent cross from overlapping Derry full-back, Gray, to note by way of quality. McCourt was, as usual, double-marked and drew a number of fouls while Higgins proved his growing stature with a range of passing which allowed Derry a measure of possession thus far missing this season. Some good link-play between Morrison and Farren almost opened up Drogheda while the away side had a couple of half chances with Robinson and the dangerous Zayed both shooting weakly at Doherty in the Derry net.
After the break, both teams set out with a little more freedom than in the first half. Drogheda broke on the right and Derry did well to smother away their cross at the expense of a corner but on 51 minutes a packed Brandywell erupted as Derry ended the deadlock. A break on Derry’s left initiated by Gray saw winger, Morrison, close in on the Drogheda box and his low driven cross was turned in by a crowd of players including Derry striker, Farren, though defender, Kendrick, may have got the unfortunate last touch.
Two minutes later, the Drogheda defence self-destructed even more spectacularly when they allowed an innocuous pass through to the incredibly hard working Farren in the penalty area; the ultimate confidence player and one with two league goals already this season, Farren showed great composure to wait for the stranded Shelley before cutting inside the Drogheda defender to be tripped for about as easy a penalty decision as any referee might hope for, Farren driving the spot-kick low into the right corner and the home fans into delirium.
Drogheda’s legendary control looked shaken and, on 58 minutes, Thiam, the Champions’ P.S.G. import, petulantly pushed Hutton over to receive a second yellow card. Quite what Paul Doolin will say to the tall striker who left his team a man down when already two goals down with half an hour to go, might best be left to the privacy of the dressing room but, to be fair to the Champions, they refocused and forced an excellent last ditch tackle from Hutton and even a goal line clearance as Derry, job apparently done, relaxed their considerable efforts in the last ten minutes.
Stephen Kenny spoke before this game of issuing a statement of intent and, given the quality of the opposition, the best result and performance of the new season might have done just that. Derry were focused and organised though Kenny may have left it late to use his bench but with tackles from McCourt and a Cruyff-turn from Delaney, the few who missed this performance at a packed Brandywell must think themselves accursed they were not there.
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Gareth McGlynn, Pater Hutton, Clive Delaney, Steven Gray; Paddy McCourt (Niall McGinn 75), Ruaidhri Higgins, Barry Molloy, Owen Morrison (Ciaran Martyn 88); Mark Farren, Kevin McHugh (Conor Sammon 82).
Booked: McGlynn, McCourt.
Drogheda United: Mikko Vilmumen; Joe Kendrick, Graham Gartland, Adam Hughes, Brian Shelley; Shane Robinson, Stuart Byrne, Paul Keegan (Aidan O’Keefe 80), Ollie Cahill; Ibrahim Iyane-Thiam, Eamon Zayed (Guy Bates 69).
Booked: Gartland, Thiam.
Sent Off: Thiam (57).
Referee: Damien Hancock.
Attendance: 3,500 (estimate).
