Derry City finally put their home woes to bed with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bohemians at the Brandywell on Friday evening. Goals from Conor Murphy, his first for the club and Stephen McLaughlin ensured Derry City climbed to fifth in the table just ahead of the visitors on goal difference.
It was a game that took a while to get going and it wasn't until the 13th minute that the first real chance of the game materialised. Simon Madden's corner was only cleared as far as Ryan McBride and his well struck first time shot was just over the bar.
The two teams were fighting out a scrappy midfield battle and the deadlock was broken in the 28th minute when McNulty failed to claim the ball from a corner and the ball fell to Conor Murphy who calmly slotted home to claim his first goal for his new team.
Derry were dominating at this point and a terrific 30-yard strike from the impressive Owen Morrison was unlucky to be deflected over the bar. Bohemians were finding it difficult to get behind the Derry defence marshalled superbly by the returning Stewart Greacen and were probably glad to hear Neil Doyle blowing up for half time.
The second half saw Bohemians start with more urgency and in the 51st minute Michael Barker chipped a lovely throughball to Ken Carr but the debutants touch just deserted him at the crucial moment allowing Doherty to gather.
Two minutes later the superb Simon Madden beat his full back and crossed but Mark Farren was unable to direct his header goalward. Madden was running riot and in the space of five minutes he put no less than four pinpoint crosses into the box but no-one was able to produce an end product.
In the 63rd minute Bohemians were awarded a free kick 25 yards out but Ryan McEvoy blasted it well over the bar. Stephen McLaughlin then saw a shot beat the Bohemians netminder only for Evan McMillan to clear it off the line. McMillan then got his head on a corner at the other end beating Doherty but McBride was there to head it off the line. In the 77th minute Owen Morrison hit a well struck free kick under the wall but McNulty saved well.
The result was confirmed in the 86th minute when Barry Molloy picked the ball up in midfield and released Stephen McLaughlin who made no mistake as he lashed the ball past a despairing McNulty. This semed to take all the air out of the visitors sails and Derry held on comfortably for a well deserved victory.
Declan Devine will have taken great delight from his sides performance but Aaron Callaghan will have been a little disappointed with his sides lack of a cutting edge.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Simon Madden, Stewart Greacen, Ryan McBride (Shane McEleney 85), Dermot McCaffrey; Owen Morrison, Ruaidhri Higgins, Barry Molloy (c), Stephen McLaughlin; Conor Murphy (Patrick McEleney 71), Mark Farren (David McDaid 71).
Subs not used: Eugene Ferry, Matthew Rooney, Ryan Curran, Barry McNamee.
Booked: Greacen (31), Molloy (84).
Bohemians: Andy McNulty; Derek Pender, Evan McMillan (c), Kevin Feely, Keith Buckley; Ryan McEvoy, Stephen Traynor (John O'Connor 66), Dave Mulcahy, Andy Mulligan (Dwayne Wilson 61), Michael Barker; Ken Carr.
Subs not used: Craig Sexton, Roberto Lopez, Luke Byrne, Danny Joyce, Adam Martin.
Booked: Mulcahy (84).
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 1,100 (est).
ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Simon Madden (Derry City).
