Clinical Bohemians pile pressure on Peter Hutton

Bohemians 4 Derry City 2: He may have got a vote of confidence from the club chairman earlier in the week, but the pressure on Derry City manager Peter Hutton mounts as their run without a league win stretched to 12 games at Dalymount Park last night.

A bizarre game saw Derry enjoy plenty of possession, hit the woodwork three times, but ultimately lose having conceded four goals in a madcap 10 minutes spell in the first half. The one consolation on the night was Sligo Rovers losing at home to St Patrick’s which keeps Derry out of the relegation play-off place on goal difference.

The opening strike came from the home side’s first corner of the game on 11th minutes.

Paddy Kavanagh’s deep delivery was nodded back across goal by Dave Mulcahy for Derek Prendergast to volley home.

Derry were further behind when Ismahil Akinade threaded a delightful ball through for Keith Buckley to the net past Ger Doherty.

It got worse for Derry within four minutes as they were caught flatfooted at the back once more to concede again.

Kavanagh put Akinade through down the middle and the big striker sidefooted under Doherty to the net.

Within minutes Bohs had a fourth. Akinade was involved again as he crossed the ball in from the right. Doherty‘s loose punch dropped for Mulcahy, however, who stepped over the ball to set up skipper Roberto Lopes to shoot.

And though the scuffed shot looked like going wide, midfielder Robbie Creevy was well positioned just yards out to touch it home with an improvised back flick.

Despite their 10-minute defensive horror show, Derry gradually settled and might have got a couple of goals back by half-time as Cillian Morrison twice came within inches of scoring.

First the striker’s 27th minute volley hit the top of Delany’s crossbar. Nine minutes later, Morrison did well to curl a low right-foot shot that cannoned back off the butt of Delany’s left-hand post.

Derry did get a goal back three minutes into the second half. Bohemians’ midfielder Robbie Creevy lost possession with Stephen Dooley setting up Mark Timlin who drilled a low drive to the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Incredibly, Derry then hit the woodwork a third time when skipper Ryan McBride’s header shaved the bar from Patrick McEleney’s corner.

Derry maintained the pressure and Timlin got a second goal back on 76 minutes, shooting low to the corner of the net.

Bohemians:

Delany; Lopes, Prendergast, Mulcahy, Best; Kavanagh, Dillon (Wearen, 58), Creevy, Moore (Evans, 70); Buckley; Akinade (J, Byrne 45+3).

Derry City:

Doherty; Cornwall, McBride, Barry, Jarvis; Dooley (Curtis, 80), S. McEleney, McNamee, Timlin; P. McEleney; Morrison (Quigley, 80).

Referee:

Ray Matthews (Westmeath).