Derry delay Shamrock Rovers’ title party with emphatic Brandywell win
Sadou Diallo of Derry City celebrates after he scored his side's second goal against Shamrock Rovers. Pic: ©INPHO/Andrew Paton
DERRY CITY clinched European qualification with an emphatic victory at Brandywell Stadium over 10 man Shamrock Rovers as the Dubliners' wait for their 22nd league title goes on.
It was Derry's first league win over the Hoops since August 2023 and it served to avoid a team from Dublin celebrating winning the title on Foyleside for the second successive season after Shelbourne's crowning moment at the venue last November.
Stephen Bradley and his assistant Glenn Cronin arrived via helicopter into Judges Road on the outskirts of the city before being taxied to Brandywell after completing the Dublin Marathon.
His players still must go that extra mile to clinch a fifth title in six seasons as they look to Wednesday night's visit of Galway United to Tallaght Stadium following a third successive league defeat.
Derry consolidated second spot with their third win on the spin and moved to within three points of the champions elect as they signed off their home campaign with a significant victory.
Tiernan Lynch's side have finished strongly with eight unbeaten but this performance was the standout with goals in either half from Brandon Fleming and substitute Sadou Diallo doing the damage.
Lee Grace was shown a second yellow card after a succession of fouls on Fleming on the hour mark as Rovers lost their cool and while Rory Gaffney came off the bench to pull one back in the eighth minute of stoppage time Derry had done enough to delay those title celebrations.
The league's top guns Rovers dominated the ball in the early stages and came closest to breaking the deadlock on seven minutes when Carl Winchester's misplaced pass sent Graham Burke in behind the Derry defence. The striker's blistering strike from the edge of the penalty area was turned behind by an exceptional save from Brian Maher.
Sixty seconds later Rovers boss Bradley and his assistant Glenn Cronin arrived at the ground through the gates of the Lone Moor Road end fresh from their Dublin Marathon heroics and made their entrance through the Mark Farren Stand tunnel to replace Stephen McPhail who had been deputising on the touchline.
The Rovers management team were holding their heads in their hands on 25 minutes when Fleming, making his 12th appearance for Derry, put a dampener on their title party hopes with a freakish goal.
The former Hull City left back took on Darragh Nugent on the outside and his cross into the box sailed fortuitously over the head of the helpless Ed McGinty and into the back of the net as Rovers fell behind for the third successive league match.
Derry suffered a blow just short of the half hour mark when skipper Mark Connolly's afternoon came to a premature end through injury and Sam Todd came on as his replacement.
The Dubliners dominated the ball for the rest of the half but couldn't find a breakthrough.
Brandywell boss Lynch made another change at the half-time interval with Diallo replacing Robbie Benson as the home side attempted to gain a foothold in the midfield and the Candystripes came racing out of the blocks.
Rovers almost capitalised when the ball was fizzed across the Derry six yard box on 50 minutes as Ronan Boyce dangerously let the ball roll past him and on his blindside Josh Honohan nipped in but his shot from close range was charged down by the Ramelton man who recovered from his initial error.
It was all Derry after that let-off and Grace was walking a tightrope as goalscorer Fleming was tormenting him on the left wing and he was shown a yellow card on 58 minutes when he brought the full-back crashing to the ground on the edge of the box. From the resultant free-kick Michael Duffy picked out Sadou Diallo who was in acres of space just inside the 18 yard box but his strike sailed safely into the hands of McGinty.
Fleming was brought down again by Grace in a similar area on the edge of the Rovers box on 61 minutes and was fortunate to escape another booking. This time Duffy fired in a curling effort which was beaten out by McGinty on 61 minutes.
In a moment of madness Grace was penalised for a third time for another reckless tackle on Fleming on the edge of the Rovers penalty area and this time referee Paul McLaughlin made no hesitation in brandishing a second yellow as the visitors went down to 10 men.
Derry deservedly added a second with three minutes to go when talisman Duffy raced past Roberto Lopes before pulling it back to Diallo who fired emphatically into the roof of the net.
There was a slight delay as several flares were thrown onto the pitch by Derry fans in the North Stand behind the goal and the fourth official signalled eight minutes of additional time.
Rovers halved the deficit in the final minute of stoppage time when John Govern crossed into the box and fellow sub Gaffney fired into the net from 10 yards.
There was no time for an equaliser as Derry did enough but it's a marathon not a sprint for Rovers who have two more games to clinch the title.
Maher, R Boyce, Connolly (Todd 29), Stott, Fleming; Dummigan, Winchester; Whyte (Frizzell 69), Benson (Diallo h-t); Duffy.
McGinty, Nugent (Malley 82), Grace, Lopes, O’Sullivan, Honohan; Watts (McGovern 82), Healy, McEneff (Gaffney 66); Burke, Noonan (Cleary 66).
Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).
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