Friars has Derry on air

Cork City 0 Derry City 1

Gough was the individual hero of a game that provided rich second-half entertainment for an expectant 7,500 spectators, but overall the contest was a disappointment.

The opening half was totally forgettable and the standard of football was unremarkable in a game that was ruled by fear and limited in its scope by an emphasis on 'track and field' football.

The game reached the level one expects from such an important occasion only for a period of the second half when Cork succeeded in shaking themselves free of the tight shackles imposed by a disciplined and organised Derry to raise the tempo.

They invested their play with a degree of urgency that had been sadly lacking earlier to finally impose their will on the game and exert a sufficient degree of pressure on the Derry defence to force them into error. It was significant, however, that it was the passion in Cork's play for this brief period that caused difficulty for Derry and it climaxed with that penalty decision in the 73rd minute.

In truth Cork looked hard done by an earlier decision from referee Hugh Byrne (Dublin) to deny them a penalty decision when John O'Flynn tumbled under a tackle from Kevin Deery. This looked a more definite penalty than the one the referee awarded when again O'Flynn was impeded by the young defender as he drove for goal.

It was a critical moment and ultimately a decisive one. O'Flynn, unerring in his finishing all season, failed to find the strike he needed to beat the athletic Alan Gough. The goalkeeper's diving save deflated Cork's buoyant spirit and fired Derry to expand their game to match their growing optimism.

Their dominant defence refused to allow Cork any further latitude, with centre-backs Eddie McCallion and Paddy McLaughlin outstanding. Eamonn Doherty was always a constructive force for them in the middle of the field and with Sean Friars repeatedly troubling the Cork defence there was always a latent danger in their attacking play.

The goal that won it for them in the 79th minute came from a moment's opportunism, however, for Cork's defence was lax in dealing with a free from half-way from McLaughlin. Cork had two attempts to clear the ball before Friars hooked a shot past goalkeeper Michael Devine at the second attempt.

So it was over and Derry achieved a win that spoke generously of their courage and their commitment. They refused to be awed by the atmosphere generated by the vocal home support and showed a mature appreciation of what was needed when Cork succeeded in raising the temperature of the game. They deserved their win.

Cork were especially affected by the tension of the occasion in the first half and ultimately it was to cost them their proud record at home after eight consecutive wins in all competitions. Their tension was palpable and their strikers suffered from a lack of service with the ball in the air so often.

Derry were positive in this regard, their strength in midfield giving them an early advantage which almost produced a lead goal within seven minutes. Sean Friars disguised his pass from midfield cleverly to send Gary Beckett sprinting through the inside-right channel and goalkeeper Michael Devine did well to turn his shot from 10 yards outside.

The ability of midfielder Ciaran Matryn to get behind Cork's central midfielders, Conor O'Grady and Alan Reynolds, was a worry to Cork.

But Alan Bennett won a lot of vital ball in the air and Declan Daly

ensured that Coyle's role was a peripheral one.

So Cork absorbed Derry's early pressure and gradually rid themselves of their nerves without ever finding a rhythm in their play.

They were obsessed as ever with the ball over the top and their football was fragmented as a result. It was not

until the second half that they succeeded in exerting any sustained pressure on the Derry defence and it was not enough.

CORK CITY (4-4-2): Devine; Carey, Bennett, Daly, Horgan; O'Halloran,Reynolds, O'Grady (Mulligan 80), Woods (Colin T O'Brien 51); O'Callaghan, O'Flynn.

DERRY CITY: Gough; Deery, McLaughlin, McCallion, Hargan; David Kelly, Doherty, Martyn, Friars; Beckett (McCready 75), Coyle (Hughes 80).

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).