DERRY City’s poor form continued as Finn Harps secured a massive north-west derby win at a packed Maginn Park.
In truth, Ollie Horgan’s men in truth got the rub of the green just before the break, but after the interval they had more streetwise and caught City on the counter-attack to seal the points.
Kenny Shiels made two changes to the side which lost at Cork City last week, with Joshua Daniels and Scott Whiteside both coming into the starting line-up for Harry Monaghan and Nathan Boyle, who dropped to the bench.
As for Harps, they kept with the team which lost to champions Dundalk last weekend, with Ciaran Gallagher, Barry Molloy, Jonny Bonner and Paddy McCourt all starting against their old club.
Derry went close on 14 minutes as Mikhail Kennedy’s clever throughball caught out Ciaran Coll to release Ronan Curtis, but the striker side-footed wide with only Harps keeper Ciaran Gallagher to beat.
Harps suffered an injury set-back on 22 minutes as Jonny Bonner was replaced by BJ Banda.
City had great chance to take the lead on 39 minutes but, after springing the offside trap, Kennedy’s side-footed strike from an acute angle hit the side netting.
A minute later a fantastic long-range strike from Aaron McEneff was superbly tipped over by a full-stretch Gallagher.
The deadlock was broken right on the stroke of half-time as substitute Banda saw his 25 yard drive take a massive deflection off Scott Whiteside and loop over City ’keeper Gerard Doherty.
Harps went close to doubling their lead on 78 minutes as Banda did well to get away from Aaron Barry before seeing his right-footed strike from the edge of the box superbly saved by Doherty.
Soon after, Harps ended the game as a contest as they doubled their advantage when Banda’s initial shot was parried by Doherty amd substitute Michael Funston was on hand to divert the ball home.
Derry City: Doherty, McDermott, Whiteside, Barry, Jarvis; Schubert (Timlin 55), McEneff, Low, Daniels (Doherty 78); Kennedy (Boyle 55), Curtis.
Finn Harps: Gallagher, McNulty, Cantwell, Coll, Harkin; Boyle, Molloy (Mailey 90), McCourt (Funston 58), Bonner (Banda 22), McAleer; Houston.
Referee: R Matthews (Longford)
SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Bohemians 0 Cork City 2; Dundalk 1 Bray 3 Galway Utd 1 St Patrick’s Ath 1; Shamrock Rovers 1 Sligo 0
