DERRY CITY STRETCHED their advantage over Shamrock Rovers to four points as they consolidated fourth spot in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.
Man of the match Aaron McEneff netted an excellent brace of goals — his first a spectacular 20-yard strike after five minutes and a 93rd-minute penalty to make sure of the points.
Graham Burke’s stunning volley just inside the penalty area had got Rovers back on terms on 21 minutes. However, Barry McNamee then scored his sixth goal of the campaign on the stroke of half-time as he guided the ball into the corner of the net.
Rovers had a goal controversially ruled out in the second half for a foul on Derry ‘keeper Gerard Doherty, before Ronan Curtis was brought crashing down inside the box deep into second-half stoppage time. Up stepped McEneff to slot home from the spot as Derry stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches.
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Rovers had come so close to taking the lead on four minutes when Gary Shaw’s glancing header from Burke’s free-kick went just wide of the far post. Almost immediately Derry responded with a quick break involving Nathan Boyle and Lukas Schubert and when the ball broke to McEneff, he rifled his 20-yard strike into the net off the underside of the crossbar.
Austrian midfielder Schubert, who returned to the starting line-up after missing the previous two games due a family bereavement, then dragged a half-volley wide of goal four minutes later.
Rovers hit back on 21 minutes from a short free-kick and when Brandon Miele chipped into the box, Shaw headed into the path of Burke who volleyed beautifully into the corner of the net.
However, City finished on top and got their noses back in front on the stroke of half-time. Schubert found McNamee who arrived late in the box and guided the ball superbly past Tomer Chencinski from 12 yards.
Chencinski was called into action 60 seconds after the restart when Dean Jarvis headed McEneff’s corner towards the near post but the Rovers keeper gathered at the second attempt. And Rovers’ Canadian ‘keeper produced an excellent one-handed save to deny Ronan Curtis’ curling strike which seemed destined for the top corner on 56 minutes.
City broke quickly as Curtis took down a sublime 60-yard pass from Harry Monaghan and when the Ireland U21 international laid it off to McNamee, the Ramelton man blasted narrowly over.
The Hoops had the ball in the back of the net on 76 minutes when Miele’s lobbed cross into the box was headed in by Ronan Finn but referee Ben Connolly controversially ruled it out for a foul on the Derry ‘keeper.
As Rovers pressed forward Derry hit them on the break as Curtis drove towards goal before being brought down inside the penalty area by substitute Sean Heaney.
Deep into stoppage time, McEneff confidently sent the keeper the wrong way to ensure victory.
Derry City: G. Doherty; C. McDermott, A. Barry, D. Jarvis (B. Doherty, 87); L. Schubert (J. Daniels, 81), H. Monaghan, N. Low, A. McEneff, R. Curtis (M. Timlin, 93); B. McNamee; N. Boyle.
Shamrock Rovers: T. Chencinski; S. Madden, D. Webster, R. Lopes (S. Heaney, 68), L. Byrne; T. Clarke (D. Meenan, 62), McAllister, R, Finn, B. Miele; G. Burke (M. O’Connor, 81); Shaw.
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Derry City 3
Shamrock Rovers 1
Simon Collins reports from Maginn Park
DERRY CITY STRETCHED their advantage over Shamrock Rovers to four points as they consolidated fourth spot in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.
Man of the match Aaron McEneff netted an excellent brace of goals — his first a spectacular 20-yard strike after five minutes and a 93rd-minute penalty to make sure of the points.
Graham Burke’s stunning volley just inside the penalty area had got Rovers back on terms on 21 minutes. However, Barry McNamee then scored his sixth goal of the campaign on the stroke of half-time as he guided the ball into the corner of the net.
Rovers had a goal controversially ruled out in the second half for a foul on Derry ‘keeper Gerard Doherty, before Ronan Curtis was brought crashing down inside the box deep into second-half stoppage time. Up stepped McEneff to slot home from the spot as Derry stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Rovers had come so close to taking the lead on four minutes when Gary Shaw’s glancing header from Burke’s free-kick went just wide of the far post. Almost immediately Derry responded with a quick break involving Nathan Boyle and Lukas Schubert and when the ball broke to McEneff, he rifled his 20-yard strike into the net off the underside of the crossbar.
Austrian midfielder Schubert, who returned to the starting line-up after missing the previous two games due a family bereavement, then dragged a half-volley wide of goal four minutes later.
Rovers hit back on 21 minutes from a short free-kick and when Brandon Miele chipped into the box, Shaw headed into the path of Burke who volleyed beautifully into the corner of the net.
However, City finished on top and got their noses back in front on the stroke of half-time. Schubert found McNamee who arrived late in the box and guided the ball superbly past Tomer Chencinski from 12 yards.
Chencinski was called into action 60 seconds after the restart when Dean Jarvis headed McEneff’s corner towards the near post but the Rovers keeper gathered at the second attempt. And Rovers’ Canadian ‘keeper produced an excellent one-handed save to deny Ronan Curtis’ curling strike which seemed destined for the top corner on 56 minutes.
City broke quickly as Curtis took down a sublime 60-yard pass from Harry Monaghan and when the Ireland U21 international laid it off to McNamee, the Ramelton man blasted narrowly over.
The Hoops had the ball in the back of the net on 76 minutes when Miele’s lobbed cross into the box was headed in by Ronan Finn but referee Ben Connolly controversially ruled it out for a foul on the Derry ‘keeper.
As Rovers pressed forward Derry hit them on the break as Curtis drove towards goal before being brought down inside the penalty area by substitute Sean Heaney.
Deep into stoppage time, McEneff confidently sent the keeper the wrong way to ensure victory.
Derry City: G. Doherty; C. McDermott, A. Barry, D. Jarvis (B. Doherty, 87); L. Schubert (J. Daniels, 81), H. Monaghan, N. Low, A. McEneff, R. Curtis (M. Timlin, 93); B. McNamee; N. Boyle.
Shamrock Rovers: T. Chencinski; S. Madden, D. Webster, R. Lopes (S. Heaney, 68), L. Byrne; T. Clarke (D. Meenan, 62), McAllister, R, Finn, B. Miele; G. Burke (M. O’Connor, 81); Shaw.
Referee: B. Connolly.
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