Derry City 0
UCD 1
Derry City’s preparations for the FAI Cup Final took another blow as they fell to a second consecutive defeat at the Brandywell.
After last week’s defeat to Limerick, Peter Hutton demanded more from his players, but again the Candy Stripes struggled, and fell to a defeat against UCD team that had failed to win since July, a run of 13 games.
Derry had the chances to get something from the game, particularly midfielder Sean Houston, who passed up several opportunities, but in the end, a first half goal from defender Mark Langtry proved decisive.
Peter Hutton named a strong starting eleven on Friday night and despite the inclement weather conditions, the hosts started strongly, with Patrick McEleney shooting over from a good position just two minutes in before Mark Timlin brought a good save from UCD goalkeeper Conor O’Donnell.
The best moment of the first half came when Derry City counter attacked from a UCD corner and Philip Lowry skipped past the last remaining UCD defender before rolling the ball agonisingly wide of the post.
Two minutes later UCD stunned the Brandywell by taking the lead when the ball was cleared from the Derry penalty area where it ran kindly for full back Mark Langtry, who sent a rasping shot past Doherty and into the Derry net.
Derry struggled to get back into the game but they should have equalised on the stroke of half time when Dean Jarvis’ crops found Sean Houston unmarked six yards from goal, but the midfielder was denied when his header was brilliantly saved by O’Donnell.
Derry laboured in their attempts to grab an equaliser in the second half, but it should have came on 65 minutes when another fine ball from McEleney put Houston through on goal. The midfielder again had O’Donnell to beat but he got caught in two minds between passing and shooting and in the end his tame effort was easily hacked away by the UCD defence.
Each and every opportunity was coming to Houston, and after a UCD break broke down, Derry charged forward and again the midfielder found the ball at his feet, but his curling effort from 20 yards just rolled past O’Donnell’s post.
Robbie Benson had the chance to wrap the win up in added time when he raced clear from the halfway line, but was denied by a brilliant stop from Gerard Doherty, who got a vital hand to the ball.
Nevertheless, it didn’t matter as UCD held on for a huge win in their fight for survival.
Teams
Derry: Gerard Doherty, Sean Kelly, Dean Jarvis, Barry Molloy, Shane McEleney, Barry McNamee (Sean Houston 45’), Patrick McEleney (Michael Duffy 76’), Rory Patterson (Ryan Curran 66’), Philip Lowry, Mark Timlin, Stephen Dooley.
UCD: Conor O’Donnell, Gareth Matthews, Mark Langtry (Daniel Toban 60’), Ian Ryan, Gary Burke, Robbie Creevy (Colin Crowe 78’), Robert Benson, Chris Mulhall, Timmy Molloy, Hugh Douglas, Conor Cannon (James Kavanagh 69’).
Referee: Tomas Connolly.
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