Derry City stun the champions to go top of the Premier Division!

Shamrock Rovers 1

Derry City 2

Derry City won at Tallaght for the first time in 10 attempts as they went to the top of the Premier Division this season.

Goals from Ben Doherty and Jamie McGonigle, plus a superb defensive display earned the Candystripes their first win at Tallaght since August 2017, a real statement from Ruaidhri Higgins mean, who are five points clear of Rovers after just three games played.

Derry stunned Tallaght by taking the lead on 18 minutes. Rovers’ first corner of the game turned into a magnificent counter-attack with Patching collecting the ball on half-way and playing a pinpoint pass to send Doherty racing away from Dylan Watts. Doherty bore down on goal and produced the perfect finish, sending the ball across Alan Mannus and into the net to score only his second goal for the club.

The Rovers response was emphatic as they levelled the game before the half hour mark. Sadou Diallo gave the ball away in midfield and Gary O’Neill led Rovers forward, finding Markus Poom who played Johnny Kenny in, and the striker made no mistake, lashing the ball high into the net past Brian Maher to make it 1-1.

An incredibly intense first half ended with City having to improve in the face of constant Rovers pressure, but with enough evidence to show that they were capable of getting at the champions in the second half.

Derry City needed the half time break, but they started the second half by stunning Rovers for a second time with a goal of the highest quality less than 10 minutes in. Will Patching, having a quiet game by his standards, sent Ryan Graydon in behind the Rovers defence and the winger picked out Jamie McGonigle in the area, and the striker slotted the ball past Mannus to give City a 2-1 lead.

A change to the system by Ruaidhri Higgins gave the Derry City midfield more structure and as a result, the visitors began to get a hold of the game for the first time. They even cane close to doubled their lead when Patrick McEleney went for goal from 30 yards, forcing Mannus into a very good save, with no-one in red in white following up for the rebound.

Rovers ran out of ideas in the closing stages, with City to a man defending resolutely to pick up a huge win.

Teams

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus, Gannon, O'Neill, Clarke; Kavangh (Hoare 80’), Watts (Burt 80’), Poom, Byrne, Burke (Power 74’), Farrugia; Kenny (Gaffney 74’).

DERRY CITY: Maher, Coll, Connolly, S McEleney, Doherty; Diallo (McEneff 76’), P McEleney, Patching; O'Neill (B Kavanagh 81’), McGonigle (Boyce 81’), Graydon (C Kavanagh 86’).

REFEREE: Neil Doyle (Dublin).