Late St. Patrick's Athletic goal costs Derry City win in Dublin

St. Patrick’s Athletic 1

Derry City 1

St. Patrick’s Athletic captain Joe Redmond struck with just 60 seconds of normal time remaining to deny Derry City a win on the opening day of the season at Inchicore.

The Candystripes were headed to all three points thanks to Jordan McEneff’s late goal, but they wilted under late pressure and had to make do with a point in the end.

Derry’s preparations for the game were altered at the last minute when Michael Duffy suffered an injury in the warm-up, meaning there was a starting debut for Fulham loanee Ollie O’Neill.

It was well over 20 minutes before City settled into the game and they should have opened the scoring when they did so. Adam O’Reilly held off two challenges in midfield and played the ball in behind Tom Grivosti to send Ryan Graydon through on goal. Graydon had time to choose his finish but he was denied by a brilliant stop from David Odumosu in the Pat’s goal.

The Pat’s goalkeeper almost went from hero to villain when he came out of his area but kicked the ball straight to O’Neill, who lobbed it immediately towards the empty goal, but Pat’s captain Joe Redmond headed the ball off the line.

The pressure was building however and Derry City took the lead on 33 minutes. Jordan McEneff win the ball from Redmond in midfield and broke forward into the space in behind. He could have picked out the run of Jamie McGonigle, but he opted to go himself and that decision paid off as his scooped shot somehow eluded Odumosu and ended up in the net for 1-0.

It was almost 2-0 within moments as Jamie McGonigle tried his luck from 20 yards and Odumosu had to make another fine stop, diving to his left at full stretch to keep the ball out.

Patrick McEleney came into the game at the expense of O’Neill just before the hour mark, while the home side introduced Jake Mulraney, who reportedly turned down a move to the Brandywell in favour of a move to Pat’s in the close season.

It was Mulraney who was involved in the first real chance of the second half for the home side, his direct running leading to a shooting chance for Jamie Lennon, but it was five yards over the bar.

St. Pat’s really piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes and Brian Maher had to be alert to deal with several dangerous balls into the box as City sank further and further back.

The home side forced three successive corners as time ran out and it was a case of third time lucky as they forced the ball over the line with just 60 seconds remaining, captain Joe Redmond credited with the goal.

Teams

ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Odumosu, Lewis, Breslin, Redmond, Grivosti (Atakayi 66’), Lennon, Forrester (Doyle 74’), Lonergan (Carty 74’), Doyle (Mulraney 53’), Kreida, Curtis.

DERRY CITY: Maher, Coll, Connolly, S McEleney, McJannet, O’Reilly, O’Neill (P McEleney 59’) McEneff (B Kavanagh 71’), Patching, Graydon, McGonigle (C Kavanagh 71’).

REFEREE: Rob Harvey.