10-man Derry City fall to defeat to Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght

Shamrock Rovers 2

Derry City 0

Rory Gaffney scored twice as Derry City fell to defeat at Tallaght. 

It is now just one point from the last three league games for Derry City, who saw their title hopes fade considerably with the gap now 11 points with just 10 league games remaining. 

City manager Tiernan Lynch will be especially disappointed with this result, particularly after a very solid first half from his team, and there is little doubt that the visitors should have gone into the half-time break at least one goal ahead.

Derry missed a glorious chance on 12 minutes when a sublime pass by Sadou Diallo released Michael Duffy, who ghosted in behind the Rovers back-line, but his right footed close-range shot, which had Ed McGinty beaten, came back off the post.

Moments later striker Afolabi Akinyemi saw his 20-yard strike well held by McGinty.

Just before the half-hour mark Duffy went close again, when he broke clear down the left before cutting inside past Roberto Lopes and Daniel Cleary, but his curling effort from just outside the box flashed just past the right-hand post.

Derry goalkeeper Brian Maher was called into action on 37 minutes as Danny Mandroiu's whipped free-kick on the edge of the box was well held by the Dubliner.

Derry were arguably the better team in the first half, but all that good work was undone in the early stages of the second half as Shamrock Rovers took a grip on the game. The home side took the lead just two minutes after the restart when Josh Honohan got in behind and crossed for Rory Gaffney to tap in from close range to make it 1-0.

The visitors were fortunate that Rovers didn’t add to their lead in the aftermath as substitute Conor Malley sent a curling effort of the top of Maher’s bar before Danny Mandriou set up Honohan, whose shot beat the City goalkeeper but flew right across the face of goal and wide.

Rovers got their second goal midway through the half thanks to a sensational finish from Gaffney. Dylan Watts picked out the run of the striker in behind, and he bore down on goal, before flicking the ball back onto his left foot, outfoxing defender Alex Bannon in the process, and sending a brilliant effort right across Maher and into the net to all but seal the win for the champions-elect.

A grim second half for the Candystripes continued to get worse as Bannon was then red-carded. The defender, already cautioned earlier in the second period, lunged in on Honohan, and referee Paul McLaughlin had no choice but to end his night early.

The game ended with that, with City’s more realistic ambitions now European qualification and the FAI Cup, with neither them or Bohemians able to really ay a glove on Rovers in the title race this season.

Teams

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty, Cleary (O’Sullivan 85’), Lopes, Grace; Honohan, Healy, Watts (Matthews 73’), McEneff, Grant; Mandroiu (McGovern 74’), Gaffney (Noonan 68’).

Derry City: Maher, Bannon, Connolly, Stott, O'Reilly, Winchester, Diallo (R Boyce 85’), Fleming; Duffy (Doherty 85’), Akinyemi (Mullen 63’), L Boyce (Whyte 63’).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).