Patrick McEleney leads Derry City to victory over Cork at the Brandywell

Derry City 2

Cork City 0

Patrick McEleney led Derry City to victory over Cork City in the first home game of the season. 

The Derry City captain struck after half an hour and that was followed by a second goal in eight days from Jordan McEneff as the Candystripes made it four points from two games. 

A sold out Brandywell were anticipating a comfortable evening against newly promoted Cork, but it proved anything but as the Candystripes had to dig in against a determined opponent.

Former City defender Ally Gilchrist almost gave his old team a helping hand midway through the first half when he intercepted a shot from Jordan McEneff but almost headed the ball into his own net, but luckily for him, it trickled wide for a corner.

Cork City were defending deep and defending in numbers in an attempt to frustrate the home side, so it took something extra special to break the deadlock just past the half hour. Ben Doherty cut inside and played the ball in behind for Ollie O’Neill, and the winger found Patrick McEleney in space in the centre, and the City captain curled a beautiful effort beyond Oluwayemi and into the bottom corner for his first goal in almost a year.

Cork could well have drawn level just before the break however when Barry Coffey found himself in on goal against Brian Maher, but his effort was blocked by the Derry goalkeeper from close range.

Cork threatened again 10 minutes into the second half when Joshua Honohan worked his way past Ciaran Coll on the left wing and crossed to the back post where Coffey arrived late with a header, but he couldn’t direct it on target.

The visitors came to regret those misses as Derry City made it 2-0 on 64 minutes. Ciaran Coll sent Ryan Graydon clear down the right and he whipped a low cross right into the path of Jordan McEneff who swept home.

The game was drifting out into a comfortable Derry City win, but Cork City were almost given a gift by Ben Doherty who misread his goalkeeper’s position and headed the ball past his team mate towards an empty goal. Thankfully for Doherty, the goalkeeper was able to race back and claw the ball off the line.

Teams

DERRY CITY: Maher, Coll, S McEleney, Connolly, Doherty; P McEleney, Patching, McEneff (Kavanagh 74’); Graydon, McGonigle (Kavanagh 74’), O'Neill (Boyce 86’).

CORK CITY: Oluwayemi, Coleman, Gilchrist, Bolger, Keating, Coffey (Owolabi 80’), Bargary, Crowley, Honohan, Varian (Krezic 70’), Häkkinen,

REFEREE: Damien MacGraith.