Derry City 2-0 St Patrick's Athletic (original) (raw)

Derry City secured their first points in this season's Setanta Cup and recorded a second victory over St Patrick's Athletic in the space of four days following what was another full-blooded performance.

While Derry made five changes from the team which started on Friday night at Richmond, Pat's made two, Paddy McCourt was summoned from the bench after just eight minutes following an injury to Owen Morrison and he made an immediate impact.

In the 15th minute McCourt's magnificent pass sent Ciaran Martyn scampering clear but after leaving the keeper in his wake, he opted for power and his shot smashed off the crossbar.

But St Pat's also had a superb chance in the 29th minute when Gary O'Neill played Alan Kirby in and while he beat Derry keeper, Gerard Doherty in a race for the ball, Delaney had got back to chest it clear from the goal-line.

Minutes later at the other end, the visitors surived when, following a scramble on the goal-line, referee Adrian McCourt ordered a free-kick to Pat's as Martyn appeared to handle the ball on the line.

But the Derry midfielder, who always looked prominent in the opening period, made no mistake in the 37th minute when breaking the deadlock.

And it was a superb move which fashioned the opening goal. A crossfield from Derry debutant, Aaron Callaghan, was neatly prodded into McGlynn's path by Niall McGinn's first touch and Inishowen man's teasing cross found Martyn who headed firmly home from 12 yards leaving Clarke flat-footed.

Two minutes before the break, Eddie McCallion forced Clarke into a save, the Pat's keeper doing well to parry the Derry defender's volley wide of his post.

But Derry doubled their lead to end this match as a contest two minutes into the second half, a goal which clearly knocked the stuffing out of Johnny McDonnell's side.

McGinn broke on the right and when cut the ball back into the path of McCourt, his shot appeared to be parried by the Pat's keeper but the ball seemed to rebound off the body of the stunned Stephen Brennan and find its way to the net.

Pat's did try hard to reduce the deficit during the latter stages but Mark Quigley's ferocious start was magnificently parried wide of the upright by Derry keeper, Gerard Doherty, diving at full stretch.

The visitors continued to huff and puff as the Candystripes opted to retain possession and it was the home lot who really should have netted a third goal during the latter stages when Conor Sammon was denied by an instinctive save by Clarke, the keeper diverting the ball high over his crossbar.

With Linfield winning 3-1 against Glentoran in Belfast, Derry move up into second place in Group B with every chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.