Ryan Graydon goal seals Derry City victory against 10-man Bohemians

Bohemians 0

Derry City 1

Ryan Graydon's first half goal sent Derry City up into second place in the Premier Division after a narrow and hard-fought victory against Bohemians.

Ruaidhri Higgins’ side had to dig deep late on in this game as the home side, playing with 10 men since the 17th minute, pushed and pushed for an equaliser without reward. The result continued the Candystripes’ exceptional away record this season, with this victory sealing a sixth away win in eight games.

The Bohs crowd packed into Dalymount in expectation but after an entertaining start they watched the game turn against their team spectacularly in the space of three minutes. There were only 14 minutes on the clock when Grant Horton lost possession of the ball just outside his own penalty area. The Bohs defender lost control however and was immediately pickpocketed by Michael Duffy who raced through on goal. Horton, in his desperation brought Duffy crashing to the ground, and referee Paul McLaughlin produced a straight red card.

Derry took advantage immediately and took the lead on their next attack, and again Duffy was involved, firing the ball low across the face of goal where Ryan Graydon arrived to finish for his second goal of the season to make it 1-0.

Bohs were floored by that turn of events and they could have been 2-0 down when Shane McEleney met Ben Doherty’s corner with a bullet header but the ball flew just over James Talbot’s crossbar.

Derry City absolutely controlled the first half after that, and 20 the half hour came and went with Bohemians barely getting a touch on the ball.

It just became a question of killing off their opponents, and the Derry players continued to switch play from side to side, looking for openings, and making their opponents chase and chase. Several City corners came and went but the best chance for a second goal came for Ollie O’Neill, when Ben Doherty’s pull back came to him just inside the penalty area, but his effort deflected just wide.

Declan Devine made two substitutions to try and get his team back into the game at half time with James Clarke and Kris Twardek coming in for Ali Coote and Patrick Kirk, and it had the desired effect as the home side were much more of a threat in the second period.

Derry in contrast were not as productive with the ball, an Ruaidhri Higgins sent on Brandon Kavanagh  to bring more life into his attack . The substitute came closer than anyone for Derry when he cut inside and curled just over Talbot’s crossbar.

Bohs were really piling on the pressure as the game entered its closing stages, and after substitute Ronan Boyce gave away a free kick on the left wing, Brian Maher had to produce a vital interception to deny Twardek a tap in at the back post, the City goalkeeper punching the ball away.

That was nothing compared to Shae McEleney’s header away from under his own crossbar deep in added time at the end of the game, the City defender saving his team amidst intense pressure.

Team

BOHEMIANS: Talbot, Kirk (Twardek 45’), Nowak, Horton, Flores, Coote (Clarke 45’), Afolabi (McDaid 77’), Connolly (Williams 71’), Radkowski, Buckley, McDonnell.

DERRY CITY: Maher, Coll, S McEleney, McJannet, Doherty; Diallo (Dummigan 79’), O'Reilly, Patching (McEneff 71’) Duffy, Graydon (Boyce 79’), O'Neill (B Kavanagh 63’).

REFEREE: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).