Dominant Derry City dismiss Drogheda!

Derry City 3

Drogheda United 0

Derry City defeated Drogheda United for the first time this season with a dominant display at the Brandywell. 

It is now three successive wins and three successive clean sheets for Tiernan Lynch’s team since their return from the mid-season break, thanks to goals from Sam Todd, Ronan Boyce and Danny Mullen. 

An uninspiring start to the game suited Drogheda completely, with the home side struggling to get near Like Dennison’s goal, a snapshot from Gavin Whyte after a brilliant turn to create space the only highlight in the early stages.

A set-play was the only scare to Drogheda in the first half hour, when Michael Duffy’s free-kick was glanced on by Kevin Holt, but the ball flashed wide of goal.

A quiet game exploded into life after the half hour with Derry City taking a complete grip on the game with two goals in just three minutes.

The home side took the lead when a quick corner routine saw Duffy cross perfectly for Sam Todd to head in his first ever Brandywell goal from close range.

That was quickly followed by a second, as Drogheda fell apart. Liam Boyce dummied a pass into the run into the path of Duffy, who went through on goal but was denied by Dennison. The loose ball spun perfectly into the path of Ronan Boyce however, who tapped in his second goal of the season to make it 2-0.

Drogheda had a huge chance to pull a goal back immediately when Thomas Oluwa found space in the area, but hi well-hit effort was kept out by a strong hand from Brian Maher, who stood tall to save his team.

Derry City had the ball in the net for a third time right on half-time when Gavin Whyte played in Carl Winchester, who expertly sidestepped Dennison and slotted the ball in, only to be denied his first goal for the club by an offside flag.

Kevin Doherty made four changes in the early stages of the second half, the Drogheda manager clearly unhappy with his team after that dismal first half. The visitors did have a great chance to get back into the game just after the hour mark when a corner kick sat up perfectly for Conor Keeley, who volleyed past Maher but just wide of the target.

City added a third deep into added time when Duffy’s effort was saved by Dennison, but it ricocheted off Danny Mullen and into the net for the striker’s sixth of the season.  

Teams

Derry City: Maher, Cann, Connolly, Holt; R Boyce, Winchester (Benson 75’), Diallo (O’Reilly 63’), Whyte (McMullan 75’), Duffy, S Todd; L Boyce (Mullen 75’).

Drogheda United: Dennison, Kane (Cruise 55’), Quinn, Harper-Bailey, James-Taylor (Bosakani 88’), Oluwa (Kareem 60’), Farrell (Markey 55’), Brennan (Brady 55’), Heeney, Keeley, Lambe.

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin).