Rovers stunned by 10-man Derry

Shamrock Rovers 1 Derry City 2

As for a stunned Shamrock Rovers, they were left to rue a first half penalty miss by Shane Robinson as they succumbed to their first defeat at their new home.

Derry City came into the game buoyed by their late, late showing against Cork City when two goals in 90 seconds turned last week’s match at the Brandywell on its head. By contrast, after the euphoria of their opening night in Tallaght — a 2-0 win against Sligo — Rovers had suffered the deflation of a 2-0 defeat by their arch-rivals Bohemians at Dalymount Park, although manager Michael O’Neill’s faith in his charges was reflected in an unchanged line-up for the fourth game in-a-row.

A cold, wet and windy night didn’t do much to warm the cockles of a full house or encourage the finest of touches on the field of play, but there was certainly no shortage of physical engagement from both sides in the early exchanges.

Derry were first to threaten, Liam Kearney’s cross from the left sufficiently dangerous to force Aidan Price into a stretching header that came perilously close to finding his own net.

Then, at the other end, Rovers striker Gary Twigg, a handful for the Derry defence from the off, was just inches away from connecting with Stephen Bradley’s near post ball before goalkeeper Gerard Doherty was able to smother the danger.

The Hoops were beginning to dominate and should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute when Dessie Baker won a penalty following a minimal contact tackle just inside the box by Derry captain Peter Hutton. But, to the dismay of the home crowd, Shane Robinson succeeded in sending the ‘keeper the wrong way only to see the ball do likewise, as his too casual effort rolled lamely past the outside of the post.

But there was to be no reprieve for Derry two minutes from the break when Clive Delaney, already on a yellow, hazarded a somewhat agricultural challenge on Shane Robinson as they contested a 50-50 ball — and, with referee Damien Hancock wasting not time in dipping into his pocket, the big defender duly received a second yellow and a sending off for his trouble.

Former Cork City man Liam Kearney was the attacker sacrificed as manager Stephen Kenny sent Mark McChrystal into the fray and Derry put plenty of bodies behind the ball in anticipation of a second half siege.

Said siege never really materialised but Rovers did finally get the breakthrough in the 66th minute with what was, by some margin, the best move of an otherwise low quality if hardly uneventful match. Full-back Ian Bermingham began it with a penetrating run from deep in his own half and, after Dessie Baker had exquisitely dummied Bermingham’s pass, Gary Twigg played the ball back into his path for Baker to fire low to the Derry net from just inside the box.

With the visitors forced to throw caution to the wind, Rovers spurned a couple of gilt-edged chances to make the game safe. And they were made to pay in the 74th minute when Derry substitute Simon Morrow hung up a high cross to the far post and the unmarked Thomas Stewart was able to beat Barry Murphy with a downward header to the corner of the net.

And then, for the second week in-a-row, Derry completed a remarkable comeback when, with just four minutes left on the clock, Ciaran Martin popped up to fire a fierce low drive past Barry Murphy and send the small band of visiting supporters — and the City bench — wild with delight.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, Madden, Webb, Price, Birmingham (Purcell 89, Bradley (Cameron 79), Robinson., Rice (O’ Connor), Cahill, Twigg, Baker

DERRY CITY: Doherty, O’ Brien, Hutton, Delaney, Gray, Stewart, Martyn, Higgins Molloy 55), Kearney (McChrystal 43), McGlynn, Farren (Morrow 64)

Referee: D Hancock