Dundalk 1

Derry City 2

Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park

DERRY CITY’S HOPES of European qualification are still alive after The Candystripes beat Dundalk 2-1 at Oriel Park on the final night of the SSE Airtricity League season.

Ruaidhri Higgins knew that a win – coupled with Bohemians dropping points at Sligo Rovers – would see his side finish the campaign in fourth, which would secure a place in the Europa Conference League should Bohs lose the FAI Cup final next weekend.

Bohs could only manage a 1-1 draw in that game, while goals from Derry at Oriel by Ciaron Harkin and Jamie McGonigle had cancelled out Sean Murray’s first-half opener.

Under new local ownership, the outcome was all but academic for sixth-place Dundalk, but Vinny Perth’s side started brightly and created several chances in the opening half.

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— Derry City FC (@derrycityfc) November 19, 2021

David McMillan’s shot was blocked out by Cameron McJannett before Darren Cole got in the way of Patrick Hoban’s subsequent attempt, with Murray volleying over as a result.

Sami Ben Amar then had a penalty appeal waved away; not long before Murray’s incisive pass put Hoban through on goal, but he was brilliantly denied by Cole’s last-ditch tackle.

A neat exchange between Hoban and Darragh Leahy saw the latter’s cross flicked agonisingly wide by McMillan from close range as the hosts continued to threaten.

On the half-hour mark, Murray floated a free-kick up and over the Derry wall, but Nathan Gartside impressively tipped the Dundalk man’s effort over the crossbar.

The Lilywhites opened the scoring on 34 minutes when Murray dispossessed Harkin and got the better of Cole before firing a shot past the Derry goalkeeper from outside the box.

Two minutes later, Raivis Jurkovskis had an attempt deflected inches wide of the mark with Gartside rooted, while McGonigle’s curling shot was pushed away by Peter Cherrie at the other end in what was Derry’s first clear effort on goal after 39 minutes of play.

LEAGUE TABLE | PREMIER DIVISION

Your final league table of the season 😅

There were plenty of twists and turns on the final day and throughout the season, what a league 👏

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— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) November 19, 2021

Despite a lack of goalscoring opportunities in the first half, The Candystripes equalised right on the stroke of half-time, as Harkin – after collecting a Joe Thomson pass – was given the freedom of Oriel before unleashing a shot from distance which flew home beyond Cherrie; via a wicked deflection off Dundalk’s player of the year, Andy Boyle.

Derry took the lead seven minutes after the restart, and it was Will Fitzgerald who provided the assist for McGonigle as he slotted home into the bottom corner despite the entire Dundalk back-four appealing to the officials for an offside flag that never arrived.

Dundalk came extremely close to levelling on 63 minutes, though, when after some industrious work by Sam Stanton on the left, McMillan flicked on for Murray, whose goal-bound attempt was somehow blocked off the line at the last by the superb Harkin.

The Lilywhites simply couldn’t fashion an equaliser after that, with Daniel Cleary’s rasping shot, which sailed wide, and Hoban’s header late on the closest they came.

Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Raivis Jurkovskis, Daniel Cleary, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy; Sami Ben Amar (Daniel Kelly 53), Cameron Dummigan (Mayowa Animasahun 90), Sam Stanton, Sean Murray (Mark Hanratty 90); David McMillan (Ryan O’Kane 68), Patrick Hoban.

Derry City: Nathan Gartside; Ronan Boyce, Darren Cole, Cameron McJannett, Ciaran Coll; Will Fitzgerald (Jack Malone 81), Ciaron Harkin, Joe Thomson, Danny Lafferty, James Akintunde; Jamie McGonigle (Bastien Hery 88).

Referee: Neil Doyle