Dundalk leave it late to stun Brandywell

Derry City 0-1 Dundalk

@jp_fahy

In a game of few chances it was Tiernan Mulvenna’s stoppage time winner that secured the points for Dundalk in Stephen Kenny’s return to the Brandywell.

 

The game was rather dull with both teams cancelling each other out especially in midfield but the first real chance of the game fell to Rory Patterson when he charged down Peter Cherrie’s clearance, the league’s top scorer had the option of shooting or squaring for the in-rushing McNamee but from a tight angle he could only shoot at the legs of Cherrie.

 

Dundalk had chances of their own but Kurtis Byrne could only shoot wide from Patrick Hoban’s cross.

 

Derry started the second half brightly and it was Michael Duffy whom looked like was going to break the deadlock; first of all he saw his header cleared off the line before moments later he rattled the ball after leaving Dillion for dead inside the box.

As full-time approached both teams pushed for it and it was the visitors who looked more dangerous on the break with Towell at the heart of most of it; with 10 minutes left he broke from the edge of his own box from a Derry corner right to the edge of the Derry box but dragged his shot wide.

On 89 minutes Kenny played the trump card by removing Meehan for Mulvenna and with literally his first touch after a nice little through ball from Osborne he poked it past the on-rushing Doherty to send the travelling support in to delight.

Dundalk now sit three points behind Derry and six behind leader’s St. Pats; with their three main competitor’s all involved in European action could Dundalk be the dark horses in this year’s title race?

Derry City: Doherty, Madden, Greacen, McBride, S McEleney; Deery (Rafter 39), Molloy, B McNamee; P McEleney (Kavanagh 30), Patterson, Duffy.

Dundalk: Cherrie, Boyle, Meehan (Mulvenna 89), Massey, Osborne; Dillon, Shields (McDonnell 46), Sullivan, Towell, Byrne, Hoban (Faherty 80).

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin)