Michael Duffy the Derry City hero again as champions beaten at Tolka Park

Shelbourne 0

Derry City 1

Michael Duffy's first goal in seven games earned Derry City a rare win at Tolka Park.  

City's top scorer produced a sensational effort to separate the teams in an absorbing game, to seal Tiernan Lynch's first win in Dublin.  

The visitors could have scored twice in the opening 10 minutes with Liam Boyce at the heart of each opportunity. There seemed no danger when Michael Duffy dispossessed Jonathan Lunney near the halfway line, but Boyce spotted Conor Kearns well off his goal line and went for it from 40 yards, with his effort beating the Shels goalkeeper but just flying wide of the open goal.

Less than 60 seconds later, Boyce beat Kearns again, after being put through on goal by Gavin Whyte. The striker raced through and brilliantly dinked the ball over the goalkeeper, but while the idea was right, the finish was lacking and the ball bobbled across the face of goal and wide. It was a chance Boyce should have taken.

Shelbourne responded to those scares by coming close themselves at the other end, when Harry Wood’s corner was met with a powerful header from Sean Boyd, but his effort just flew over with Brain Maher beaten.

It was a fairly entertaining game between two sides desperate for the points and Shelbourne should have taken the lead in the final 10 minutes of the half, with John Martin left in disbelief that he didn’t put the ball on the net. Again Wood was at the heart of the danger for the hosts, with his cross again finding the head of Barrett, who guided a header at goal, with Martin attempting to guide it beyond Maher from close range, but the City goalkeeper did just enough to push the ball back onto the Shels man, with the ball deflecting wide for a goal kick.

Derry City started the second half very positively and Kearns was called into action within two minutes of the restart as he dived full stretch to push away a fierce effort from distance from Gavin Whyte.

A defining 60 seconds in the game soon followed as a near miss at one end was followed by a goal at the other. Brian Maher got off the hook when he came out of his penalty area and lost out to Sean Boyd, with Evan Caffery’s lobbed effort headed off the line by Kevin Holt. The Candystripes swiftly went down the other end with Michael Duffy popping up on the right, before he cut inside and curled a beautiful effort beyond Kearns and into the top corner to seal a valuable win. 

Teams

Shelbourne: Kearns, Ledwidge, Lunney, Barrett, McInroy (Chapman HT’), Bone, Caffrey, Norris (Coote 63’), Wood (O’Sullivan 77’), Martin (Odubeko HT’), Boyd (Kelly 63’).

Derry City: Maher, R Boyce, Connolly, Holt, Todd, Cann, Winchester (Hoban 89’), Diallo (Benson 62’), Whyte (McMullan 62’), Duffy, L Boyce (Mullen 62’).

Referee: Neil Doyle.