Airtricity League Premier Division: Derry City 2 Bray Wanderers 0
DERRY City secured their first home win in four as they eased past Bray Wanderers yesterday.
First half goals from Joshua Daniels and Nathan Boyle secured the points, which sees the Candystripes move into third spot in the table.
Kenny Shiels made two changes to the side which defeated Drogheda United in the FAI Cup in midweek, with Keith Ward and skipper Ryan McBride both coming into the starting line-up. Striker Rory Patterson missed out completely, while youngster Conor McDermott dropped to the bench.
Dylan Connolly broke the offside trap on four minutes but just as he ventured into the City box, a back-tracking McBride got back to make a crucial challenge to deny the winger.
City did take the lead on seven minutes when Nathan Boyle’s stunning strike from the right hand side the box, rattled the post and the alert Joshua Daniels was on hand to sidefoot home the rebound.
Derry netted a second on 21 minutes when Boyle raced onto Aaron Barry’s pass and although Wanderers keeper Peter Cherrie raced off his line and got a touch on the ball, the striker was quickest to react and blasted home the loose ball from the edge of the box.
On 38 minutes, more good play by City ended with Dean Jarvis’s cut-back finding Lukas Schubert, but the winger blasted over from 12 yards.
Right on the stroke of half-time Schubert fed Keith Ward on the edge of the box, but he dragged his shot just past Cherrie’s right hand post.
On the hour mark, a tremendous flowing move by City down the right ended with Schubert’s pass finding Niclas Vemmelund, who turned superbly inside the box, but his shot flashed wide.
Soon after a Ryan Brennan corner found Connolly, but his close range goalbound header was kept out by City keeper Gerard Doherty.
Wanderers missed an even better chance on 74 minutes when Connolly’s left wing centre found Robbie Creevy, but his close range header failed to hit the target.
In stoppage time Aaron McEneff went close to adding a third, but his strike came back off the post and Cherrie picked up the loose ball.
