Dundalk 0 - 2 Derry City

Goals at either end of the match from Eamon Zayed and Daniel Lafferty gave Derry City a 2-0 win over Dundalk at Oriel Park on Saturday afternoon, despite a brave second-half performance from the under-strength hosts.

Derry were on top from the start and deservedly hit the front through Zayed before the quarter-hour mark when he connected with Lafferty’s cross. The Libyan international thought he had doubled his tally and Derry’s lead on 23 minutes but his header was blocked on the line following Kevin Deery’s corner. Dundalk could have levelled on the hour but Mark Quigley’s shot from range was clawed out by ‘keeper Gerard Doherty. Stephen McLaughlin hit the post with a volley on 76 minutes, but his corner helped seal victory ten minutes later as Lafferty headed in at the back post.

Dundalk manager Ian Foster, who returned from a sideline ban which he served in Sligo on Tuesday night, made two changes to the team that lost in the west as the suspended Dean Bennett and Greg Bolger were replaced by Jason Byrne, who sat out the last game through a ban, and Chris Reilly (pictured), an 18-year-old striker who made his full debut having come on in the last two games. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Bob McKenna and 16-year-old Ben McLaughlin, grandson of the legendary Jim, were on the bench, alongside 16-year-old Conor McDonald. After a quiet opening, where Derry held most of the possession, the visitors hit the front on 13 minutes. After Simon Madden had made a superb block to deny opposite captain Deery, the ball came out to Lafferty whose cross was put in by Zayed. Shortly after, they could have extended their lead but Deery’s free-kick was blocked before Ruaidhri Higgins’ follow-up suffered similar fate.

On 23 minutes, Derry thought they had doubled their advantage. Deery’s corner from the right was headed goalwards by Zayed who felt his effort had crossed the line, but despite the protests, no goal was given. At the other end, Dundalk had a penalty appeal waved away after Ross Gaynor went down under Stewart Greacen’s challenge on the left of the box. On 27 minutes, Dundalk had a chance when Keith Ward was found in space on the left of the box but his low shot was tame and easy for Doherty. A ball into the box then saw Lafferty and Zayed almost combine again but the latter’s shot went off target. On 35 minutes, Zayed saw his shot blocked by the head of Cian Byrne, before, seconds later, Quigley’s attempted lob swerved into the hands of the grateful Doherty. Zayed then had another chance but this time his shot went inches over the crossbar with home ‘keeper Paul Murphy appearing to have it covered.

On 41 minutes, Ward’s through-ball was inch-perfect for Jason Byrne but he was outpaced by Greacen, with the experienced striker then fouling the centre-back. Before the break, a Higgins free-kick caused problems for Murphy as he was forced to push behind, before he flapped at another cross into the box. On 48 minutes, Murphy came out to deny Gareth McGlynn as Derry threatened. Five minutes later, Gaynor’s in-swinging free-kick from the right fell to the feet of Reilly but his smashed shot was well blocked by McGlynn. Before the hour mark, Dundalk could have levelled as Ward’s free-kick caused problems but it was brilliantly headed behind as Jason Byrne looked to connect at the back post. Quigley then almost equalised as what looked like a cross was heading into the net only for Doherty to push it off the goalline and behind.

Derry were still a threat, though, and Deery fired over from just outside the box. Midway through the second half, Patrick McEleney had a chance but his 18-yard shot went the wrong side of the post. As Dundalk looked for a way back into the game, Quigley played a clever ball down the left for Gaynor but Barry Molloy cleared, only as far as Ward, whose effort from distance was gathered by Doherty. On 72 minutes, Derry went close to adding an insurance goal when they won possession in the middle of the park and attacked, but Deery saw his shot well pushed away by the Dundalk ‘keeper before the home defence cleared. On 75 minutes, McKenna traded places with his U19 strike-partner Reilly to make his senior debut. Within moments of entering the game, Derry almost made it 2-0 but McLaughlin’s superb volley from the left of the box came off the post and bounced away to safety. But the visitors did seal victory four minutes from time as Lafferty headed in at the back post following McLaughlin’s corner.

Dundalk: Paul Murphy; Simon Madden, Cian Byrne, Johnny Breen, Nathan Murphy; Mark Quigley, Stephen McDonnell, Keith Ward, Ross Gaynor (Conor McDonald, 87); Jason Byrne, Chris Reilly (Bob McKenna, 75).
Unused Subs: Peter Cherrie (GK), Philip Duffy, Ben McLaughlin.

Booked: Byrne (45+1), Ward (58), Breen (74).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Barry Molloy, Stewart Greacen, Shane McEleney, Daniel Lafferty; Gareth McGlynn, Patrick McEleney, Kevin Deery, Ruaidhri Higgins, Stephen McLaughlin; Eamon Zayed.

Unused Subs: Eugene Ferry (GK), Emmet Friars, Ruairí Harkin, David McDaid, Thomas McMonagle, Mark Farren, Michael McCrudden.

Booked: Greacen (32).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
Attendance: 700.

Airtricity/Setanta Man of the Match: Daniel Lafferty (Derry City).