SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Derry City 5 Drogheda United 1
DERRY City easily saw off bottom side Drogheda United at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday evening to stay within two points of leaders Shelbourne, who won 2-0 at home against Galway.
Cameron Dummigan got the ball rolling with a long-range piledriver, and while Adam Foley levelled things for the visitors, City never looked back after Will Patching’s spot-kick on the half-hour mark had restored their lead. Daniel Kelly, Pat Hoban and Ciaran Coll netted in the second half to seal the points.
Another plus point for Derry boss Ruaidhrí Higgins was the fact that striker Colm Whelan came off the bench for the first time last May.
Drogheda boss Kevin Doherty will feel that, while his side did well to equalise, they were disappointing for long periods and striker Frantz Pierrot’s dismissal in the second half just summed up their disappointing night.
City missed a golden chance on four minutes when Hoban slid in Kelly down the right but the winger’s close-range shot was well kept out by United goalkeeper Andrew Wogan.
The home side did take the lead two minutes later in stunning fashion as Dummigan’s dipping 25-yard strike flew into Wogan’s top left corner.
To their credit, the visitors should have equalised moments later but Warren Davis’s close-range effort was blocked on the line by Kelly.
On 21 minutes, Kelly’s right-wing cross found Hoban at the back post but the striker’s clever shot from a tight angle was kept out by Wogan.
United equalised five minutes later as Evan Weir’s in-swinging corner from the right wasn’t cleared properly by the home side and ex-Finn Harps man Adam Foley was on hand to turn the ball home.
Just before the half-hour mark, Derry were awarded a penalty. Patching’s corner into the six-yard box was cleared but referee Robert Harvey pointed to the spot as Foley seemed to pull down Mark Connolly inside the box.
After United’s protests were waved away, Patching stepped up and planted the ball into the bottom left corner, sending Wogan the wrong way.
On 41 minutes, a neat header by Kelly found Paul McMullan, who cut in from the left but failed to trouble Wogan from the edge of the box.
City goalkeeper Brian Maher had to make a smart save right on the stroke of half-time to maintain Derry’s lead as Ryan Brennan’s snap-shot was well kept out by the Dubliner.
The home side doubled the lead when Kelly broke the offside trap on 57 minutes and, after getting the ball under control, the ex-Dundalk man made no mistake, blasting home his first goal for the club.
Soon after, Drogheda hit the woodwork as Weir’s centre found Pierrot, but the big striker’s glancing header, which had Maher worried, clipped the crossbar.
Drogheda were rightfully reduced to 10 men on 64 minutes as Pierrot was shown a second yellow card followed by a red after seeming to catch Connolly with a flailing arm.
City netted a fourth a minute later following a superb flowing move which started with Sadou Diallo’s crossfield pass finding Ben Doherty. His left-wing centre was nodded down by Kelly and Hoban blasted home from close range.
A tremendous piece of skill by Patching on 69 minutes ended with his crossfield ping finding Hoban just inside the box, but the striker’s first-time volley, which had Wogan beaten, flew just wide.
Derry scored a fifth on 88 minutes as substitute Coll rose well to head home, sealing City’s ninth win in 13 league games on Foyleside.
Derry City Maher, Dummigan (Boyce 85), Connolly, S McEleney (Todd 85), Doherty (Coll 85); Diallo, O’Reilly, Patching (Whelan 76); McMullan, Hoban (Mullen 70), Kelly.
Drogheda United Wogan, Weir (Haddock 86), Quinn, Keaney, Pierrot, Foley (Topcu 75), O’Brien, Brennan (Byrne 70), Heeney, Kane, Davis.
Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin)
