Derry earn valuable points

Derry City 2 Shelbourne 0

Well taken goals from Ciaran Martyn and Paddy McCourt earned Derry the most telling win of the eircom League season to blow the title race wide open before over 4,000 at the Brandywell.

The win moves Stephen Kenny's Candystripes to within three points of leaders Shels with a game in hand.

Derry took the game to Shels, forcing eight corners to one in a one-sided, if scrappy, fist half.

Greg O'Halloran cleared off the Shels' line from Ciaran Martyn on 21 minutes after a flowing move involving Gary Beckett and Mark Farren carved the visitors open.

Farren then returned the compliment to Beckett a minute before the interval with the striker drilling a shot that was inches over Steve Williams' crossbar.

But Derry took a fir m grip on the game from the time they got their deserved lead on 52 minutes.

Martyn latched onto Sean Hargan's low cross and blasted to the net at the second attempt after Williams had done well to parry his first shot.

McCourt then sealed the points on 64 minutes when scampering away onto Beckett's sublime through ball to shoot past Williams.

Shels had their chances to get back into it late on but Davide Forde saved well from Glen Crowe while Eddie McCallion cleared off the line from Stuart Byrne in stoppage time.