Jamie McGonigle back in the goals as Derry City beat Cork City

Derry City 2

Cork City 0

Ruaidhri Higgins celebrated his 50th win as Derry City manager thanks to goals from Jamie McGonigle and Tiernan McGinty against Cork City. 

Derry City were in desperate need of a good result at the Brandywell, and McGonigle's first goal in 13 appearances, followed by McGinty's debut goal, cut the gap on Shamrock Rovers to just four points ahead of the trip to Tallaght on Monday. 

City survived some very dodgy moments in a poor first half however.

Cork substitute Cian Murphy, who replaced the injured Tunde Owolabi, should have scored within seconds of entering the game when Mark Connolly attempted to guide a header back to his goalkeeper but only succeeded in sending the forward through on goal, but Murphy prodded wide with just Maher to beat.

The substitute came even closer just a few minutes later however when he smashed a shot past Maher onto the post before Kevin Custovic curled a brilliant effort just past the upright seconds later.

The frustration of the crowd was evident and Derry responded with a decent spell of pressure of their own, their best chance coming when Kavanagh slipped McGonigle in behind, but the striker shot wide of the target from an angle.

Cork City were the happier of the teams as the game entered added time at the end of the first half, but that all changed when the Candystripes took the lead, with McGonigle heading home from Kavanagh’s pinpoint cross.

Cork City should have levelled just three minutes into the second half but another terrible finish saved Derry’s blushes. Shane McEleney failed to intercept a long ball forward and Aaron Bolger went straight through on goal from half way. The midfielder raced away towards Brian Maher, but he never looked in control of the ball, and in the end he sent a feeble, bobbling shot past the City goalkeeper and wide of a gaping goal, much to the relief of the home fans. 

The game ended with a memorable moment for 17-year-old McGinty, who side-footed home from Ben Doherty’s pass for a debut goal.

Teams

DERRY CITY: Maher, Boyle, Connolly (Coll 77’), S McEleney, McJannet, O’Reilly, McEneff (McGinty 84’), Diallo, Graydon (Doherty 64’), B Kavanagh, McGonigle.

CORK CITY: Corcoran, Walker, Coleman, Healy, Gilchrist, Honohan, O’Donovan, Custovic (Bargary 85’), Bolger (Coffey 74’) Owolabi (Murphy 21’), Keating (Krezic 74’). 

REFEREE: David Dunne.