Limerick 0
Derry City 1
Andrew Cunneen reports from Markets Field
DERRY CITY ENDED a five-game losing streak in the league with victory over lowly Limerick at the Markets Field.
Ronan Hale got the only goal of the game, and in truth, provided the only real moment of quality across the 90 minutes.
With Derry City having lost five on the bounce, Limerick having lost four of their last five league clashes and neither side having anything to play for this season, this game had very little billing to live up to.
Team news didn’t enthuse the minuscule crowd either as the hosts named a starting XI without an established striker.
Despite being very much out of form in the league, Derry started on the front foot.
Granted, it should have been expected from a fixture that has seen an aggregate score of 33-6 over the last 15 meetings between the sides.
Ronan Hale stung the palms of Limerick stopper Tommy Holland twice in the opening 20 minutes, but Holland, who has performed above expectations in filling in for the departed Brendan Clarke, was equal to both efforts.
But it would be a case of third time lucky for the former Birmingham City striker.
After Limerick put together their first meaningful attack of the game, City were afforded too much space in midfield as Nicky Low ran in behind.
He took a touch before playing Hale in down the left channel, the young marksman taking aim across goal to find the bottom corner. His eighth goal of the league campaign was richly deserved.
Limerick will now look towards a relegation/promotion play-off, but their form heading into that tie is very much a concern as they aim to avoid the drop for the second time in four seasons.
LIMERICK FC: Tommy Holland; Shaun Kelly, Kilian Cantwell, Colman Kennedy, Shane Tracy; Darren Murphy, Cian Coleman (Danny Morrissey, 85); Karl O’Sullivan (Billy Dennehy, 79), Shane Duggan, Will Fitzgerald; Barry Maguire.
DERRY CITY: Ger Doherty; Jamie McDonagh, Eoin Toal, Darren Cole, Danny Seaborne; Nicky Low (Aidy Delap, 78), Aaron McEneff, Aaron Splaine; Ben Fisk, Ronan Hale, Dean Shiels.
Referee: G Kelly (Cork).
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