Derry City 2 - 0 Drogheda United

Derry City moved to within a point of League leaders Shamrock Rovers as goals from Kevin Deery and Eamon Zayed were enough to give them a deserved, if not nervy win over basement boys Drogheda United at the Brandywell tonight.

There was no repeat of the deluge of goals witnessed on Foyleside on Friday night when Stephen Kenny's men hammered UCD 7-0, yet the Candystripes weren't complaining as they managed to close the gap on Rovers at the summit to the minimum.

Deery nodded home a cross from Eamon Zayed and in the fifth minute of stoppage time Zayed rolled home to seal a win that continues the bright start to the season for last year's First Division Champions, who have lost just the two games so far (both to Sligo Rovers).

Tonight's was a tepid affair on a drizzly night on the Lone Moor Road. The scoreline might suggest a close affair, but in terms of chances it was pretty much all City. Gerard Doherty in the home goal was never seriously threatened, but with City failing to close out the game, there was a palpable nervousness in the air in the closing stages.

That was until the final attack of the game, as Ruairi Harkin broke to set up Zayed, who made no mistake in tucking sweetly past Steven Trimble.

City had an anxious wait for the killer second, which was finally applied by the frontman with the watch showing 95 minutes. The win capped a memorable milestone for City right-back Eddie McCallion. 'Steady Eddie' was making his 500th appearance in the Candystripes. His inclusion was one of two changes made to the side that thumped UCD on Friday night.

McCallion came back from suspension, as did Deery, who replaced Thomas McBride in the engine room. McCallion was captain for the night, but it was club skipper Deery who grabbed the headlines, as it was his 24th minute goal that set City on their way to victory.

Drogs manager Mick Cooke, meanwhile, posted three changes to his XI, with Jack Flynn, Cillian Thompson and Darragh McNamara elevated to starting spots, as Steven McCrossan, Mark Quigley and Mark O'Brien dropped out of the team that lost 1-0 at home to Bohs on Friday.

The Drogs had a couple of half chances inside the opening quarter of an hour, with Cillian Thompson having one effort deflected out for a corner and with a second opportunity the Drogs midfielder failed to trouble Gerard Doherty after he turned smartly on the edge of the box.

After Patrick McEleney was denied by a fine block by Mark Nolan, City made the killer breakthrough on 24 minutes to settle any nerves that lingered among the Brandywell faithful. Eamon Zayed, hat-trick hero in the rout against UCD four days earlier, was the provider of a pin-point cross from the left side of the penalty box and Kevin Deery rose at the back post to head expertly beyond the helpless Steven Trimble.

The visitors, without a win this season coming into the game, got a sniff of an equaliser when City switched off to allow Philip Hand in the left channel, but with David Freeman well poised at the back post, Daniel Lafferty cut out the full-back's cross at the vital second.

Darragh Hanaphy was next to try his luck, but he shot tamely into the side-netting after beating the offside trap.

City threatened early in part two with Daniel Lafferty's low drive smothered by Trimble, before the full-back glanced a header narrowly wide from McClean's corner.

Shortly after being introduced as a sub, midfielder Thomas McBride delivered a teasing ball into the box, where defender Stewart Greacen connected, but fired a first-time effort off target.

The hour had just passed when former Drog Eamon Zayed came close to driving a dagger into his old club. The Derry frontman let fly with a looping effort from 25 yards, but he failed to trouble 'keeper Trimble. Moments later, he went even closer, but headed just wide at the near post after getting on the end of Patrick McEleney's cross.

Zayed had the ball in the net on 68 minutes when he turned home Harkin's cross, after Shane McEleney and Gareth McGlynn combined to set the sub clear, but the celebrations were cut shot by a wave of Terence Moyne's off-side flag.

City continued to press and squandered several good openings – the best of them seeing Gareth McGlynn get past Trimble, but the midfielder's end product lacked the desired conviction – before Zayed finally made his mark on the contest in the dying seconds.

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Eddie McCallion, Stewart Greacen, Shane McEleney, Daniel Lafferty; James McClean, Kevin Deery (Ruairi Harkin 64), Ruaidhri Higgins, (Thomas McBride 56) Gareth McGlynn; Patrick McEleney (Stephen McLaughlin 76), Eamonn Zayed.
Subs not used: Emmet Friars, David McDaid, Eugene Ferry, Michael McCrudden.

Bookings: T McBride (95).

Drogheda United: Steven Trimble; Mark Nolan, Alan McNally, Victor Ekanem, Philip Hand; Jack Flynn (Colin O'Brien, 46), Brian Gannon, Cillian Thompson, Daragh McNamara (Sean Skelly 81); David Freeman (Daniel Corcoran 73), Darragh Hanaphy.
Subs not used: David Quirke, Ronan McEntaggart, Robbie Gaul, Steven McCrossan.

Bookings: Hanaphy (54), C O'Brien (90).

Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
Attendance: 1,798