Airtricity League Premier Division: Derry City 3 Bray Wanderers 1
DERRY CITY’S Conor McCormack was a happy man following their impressive 3-1 win over Bray Wanderers.The talented midfielder felt the recent sharp training sessions meant the Candystripes were always going to be out of the traps early.
“Training the last two weeks has been really nice a sharp and we have worked on an awful lot of shape and what Bray were going to bring and we knew if we stuck to our game plan that we could go and beat them,” he said.
“I think we should have been 4-0 up in the opening 20 minutes but if you don’t take our chances and then they get a goal, which Bray did, they were right back in, but thankfully Patrick (McEleney) scored a wonder goal for us.”
City, who came out of the blocks quickly had two half chances in the early stages finally took the lead on four minutes. Barry McNamee won possession high up the pitch before feeding Mark Timlin and the striker made no mistake blasting home from 25 yards. Paul Hegarty’s side doubled their lead six minutes later after Dean Jarvis headed home his second goal of the season, after Stephen Dooley’s left wing corner had picked him out.
Bray, continued to play some neat football and they went close to pulling one back on 30 minutes but David Cassidy’s drive from 20 yards was turned around the post by a diving Gerard Doherty.
Cherrie was called into action on 38 minutes this time he did very well to deny Ciaran O’Connor, after the strike had broke the offside trap, but his shot from kept out by the Wanderers goalkeeper.
Out of nothing Wanderers pulled a goal back on 54 minutes after a terrible pass by Ben McLaughlin only found Graham Kelly and he made no mistake side footing home from just inside the box.
Derry restored their two goal advantage on 63 minutes in super fashion when Patrick McEleney’s curling strike from 25 yards gave Cherrie no chance.
No sooner had Derry scored a third but Wanderers were inches away from scoring a second, but substitute David Scully hit the post when well placed inside the box.
Derry City: Doherty, McLaughlin, Cornwall, Sharkey, Jarvis; Dooley (McEneff 64), McCormack, McNamee, McEleney (Curtis 90); Timlin, O’Connor (Quigley 58).
Bray Wanderers: Cherrie, Baker, McNally, Cassidy, McEvoy, Hanlon (Onwubiko 78), Cooney, Sullivan, Lyons (Scully 65), Douglas, Kelly (Fitzpatrick 65).
Referee: Mr Paul Tuite (Dublin)
Dundalk were last night crowned Airtricity Premier League champions for the second year running after their 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.
The result was enough to take the title after Cork City were held by Drogheda.
Stephen Kenny’s side were far from their best, and they went behind when Danny North scored just after the interval.
The Lilywhites, however, were able to grab that crucial equaliser when Richie Towell converted a late penalty after Pat Cregg had fouled Darren Meenan.
The side have won the title with three games to spare, and will now concentrate on the FAI Cup final on November 8 against Cork City.