A second-half goal blitz ensured Derry City returned to winning ways with this empathic victory over bottom side Longford Town at the Brandywell on Friday night.
Leading 1-0 at the break thanks to Aaron McEneff’s penalty, goals after the interval from substitute Lukas Schubert, Barry McNamee and Rory Patterson ensured they got the 5-0 defeat to Dundalk out of their system. Ryan Coulter was called into action on nine minutes and he did well to keep out Conor McCormack’s 20 yard effort after Ronan Curtis’s inch-perfect pass created the chance.
Just after the half-hour mark Barry McNamee should have given City the lead but from close-range he fired over the bar. Derry were awarded a penalty on 40 minutes after Kevin O’Connor blocked Nathan Boyle’s cross with his hand inside the box and referee Robert Harvey pointed to the spot, from which McEneff made no mistake.
Minutes later Longford were reduced to 10 men, as O’Connor, who was cautioned for giving away the penalty, stupidly hacked down McEneff and was rightfully shown a second yellow card followed by a red. Derry doubled their advantage on 63 minutes when McCormack’s pass found substitute Lukas Schubert and with his first touch he controlled the ball inside the box before coolly slotting the ball home past Coulter.
City missed a great chance to add a third on 70 minutes when they were awarded a second penalty after Pat Flynn’s robust challenge on Schubert resulted in referee Robert Harvey pointing to the spot, but Patterson blazed over the resulting
spot-kick.
Derry did net a third moments later as Patterson’s lob from the edge of the box was superbly kept out by Coulter, but unfortunately for the ’keeper McNamee was on hand to turn home the loose ball. Patterson did get on the scoresheet on 83 minutes when he fired home from close range, after substitute Joshua Daniels had created the opening.
Meanwhile, in-form Finn Harps will be bidding to extend their unbeaten run to five games when they travel to Wicklow on Saturday to take on Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds (7.30pm). Depending on how results go over the weekend, the Donegal club could find themselves as high as joint fifth in the table – a position they could only have dreamt about at the start of the year.
Bray go into the game third from bottom, but since former Shamrock Rovers stalwart Harry Kenny took charge at the start of June they appear to have turned the corner after a bumpy first half of the season. Indeed, the Seagulls are unbeaten in their last four games, with one win – significantly over fellow relegation threatened Wexford Youths - and three draws.
MATCH STATS
Derry City: Doherty, McDermott, Vemmelund, Barry, Jarvis; McEneff, McCormack; Curtis (Daniels 81), McNamee (Allan 84), Boyle (Schubert 61); Patterson.
Longford Town: Coulter, Powell, Haverty, Hughes, Dillon (Gannon 68), O’Connor, Duffy (McGlynn H-T), Nkelu, Simon, Flynn, Dsane (O’Sullivan 77).
Referee: R Harvey (Dublin).
