PHOTO: Kieran Morrison
Derry City sent a message tonight to the rest of the league that they mean business as they overcame the double champions Shamrock Rovers 1-0 to lift the Presidents Cup on a chilly January night in Tallaght. Darragh Markey scored the only goal of a feisty game to claim the spoils for the Foylesiders.
It was a game that they dominated for large spells and the trip home will feel that much sweeter with a trophy in hand.
After two minutes on-loan Derry striker Josh Thomas broke free of the Rovers defense but his tame effort was easily saved by Alex Noonan. Derry dominated the opening stages without creating too many more clear-cut chances but constantly probed the Rovers defensive line.
It took Rovers a good 10 mins to bed into the game but after McGowan hooked a shot skyward in front of goal, it was quickly followed by Maher being forced to make a scrambling save from a deflected Mulraney shot. In the 21st minute Mulraney forced a routine save from Maher after the ball fell to him after being headed clear from a set-piece on the left hand side.
Stephen Bradley found himself in hot water with the referee after reacting with frustration to a James McClean tackle on Adam Matthews after half an hour but it was Jack Byrne who earned the first yellow card of the new season.
Derry took the lead in the 33rd minute with the ball breaking to Darragh Markey in the box from a corner. His shot after a cross from James McClean hit the net via the crossbar and Derry looked gold value for their lead. Winchester quickly became the first Derry name in the referees book soon after the goal. Mulraney became the latest name in the book for Rovers in the 40th minute.
Rovers rang the changes at the start of the second half making 4 of their 5 allotted changes at half time. Five minutes into the second half second half substitute Adam O’Reilly became the latest player in the book and thirty seconds later he almost made it two for Derry forcing fellow second half substitute McGinty into a fine save.
Slevin became the latest player in the book with a yellow card in the 57th minute breaking up a Shamrock Rovers counter attack. Thomas forced McGinty into a smart save in the 65th minute after a Lopes misjudged the flight oof the ball allowing Thomas to break clear.
Michael Duffy spurned a decent opportunity in the 73rd minute scuffing his shot wide of goal. This brought a bit more life to Rovers attack without really creating an opportunity of note before a Duffy break put the pressure back on Rovers.
Rovers had a penalty shout turned down in the 83rd minute and were looking for a penalty again in the 86th minute both of which were turned down by Cork Referee Kevin O’Sullivan.
Maher stopped a dangerous looking cross in the 90th minute as Rovers pressed for an equaliser. Duffy became the latest player into the book in injury time before Dos Santos spurned one last chance to widen the margin of victory. Soon after the final whistle blew as Derry soaked up the celebrations afterwards.
Teams: Shamrock Rovers, A Noonan, (McGinty 45) Matthews (Brennan 62), Lopes, Cleary, O’Sullivan, Mulraney, Malley (Grant 45,) Byrne (Watts 45), Ozhianvuna (Healy 45), Kovalevskis, Mc Govern
Derry City: Maher, Fleming, P McClean, Slevin, Bannon (Doherty 79), Winchester (O’Reilly 45), Duffy, Clarke (Dos Santos 79), Markey, J McClean, Thomas (Rylah 89)