League Report: St Patrick's Athletic 0 - 1 Derry City

Barry McNamee's second-half goal was enough to see off St. Pat’s and record Derry City’s third league win on the road at Richmond Park.

The game started off with neither team putting their own stamp on it and it didn’t help that the referee was very whistle happy, which didn't allow any real flow to develop.

The first half-chance fell to Derry City’s Rory Patterson, when he found himself in some space on the edge of the box.

His shot took a big deflection and looped into the air causing Brendan Clarke to scamper across his line only to see the shot go wide for a corner. Ryan McBride got on to the resulting corner but couldn’t direct his header on target.

St. Pat’s first sight at goal came when Billy Dennehy won a free kick 25 yards from goal. The angle favoured the left foot of Dennehy, but his shot lacked any conviction and went straight into the wall.

Derry started knocking the ball around with more confidence as the half went on but without creating any clear cut opportunities.

Keith Ward went close with an acrobatic overhead kick that went a yard or so over the bar, although he might have been better laying it back to Patterson who was in yards of space just inside the area.

The best chances for the home side came in the closing few minutes of the half. Firstly, a lovely dink over the Derry defence by Mark Timlin played in Conan Byrne who controlled it with his right before having a snapshot volley with his left. Unfortunately for the winger he saw his shot go just wide.

Moments later David Cawley saw his low shot from the edge of the area saved well by Gerard Doherty after good pressure from Ian Bermingham won the ball high up the pitch.

The Saints started off the second half on the front foot but showed little sign of creating anything, Derry were therefore the first to test either of the keepers. Keith Ward laid off Patterson who drilled a low shot on goal that Clarke could only parry to Barry McNamee but he blazed over from a tight angle with the follow up.

The Candystripes started playing a bit more on the counter attack. This resulted in McNamee starting to find himself in pockets of space and causing trouble for Pats. One of these times he ran clear and only had to play a through ball to Patterson to be in on goal but it was well cut out by Sean Hoare.

The deadlock was broken just after the hour mark. St. Pats midfielder Graham Kelly was disposed just inside the Derry half. Some good play by McNamee and Ronan Curtis down the left allowed McNamee to drive forward and play a lovely one two with Patterson on the edge of the box before calmly slotting home to get the decider on the night.

Not to long after the goal the ball broke nicely for Patterson, he beat Darren Dennehy outside the area leaving himself only Clarke in the goal to beat. Clarke got down well to save it but Patterson really should have doubled his side’s advantage.

St. Pats disappointingly were struggling to create any chances and really missing their frontman Christy Fagan through injury. They nearly got a lifeline 10 minutes from time Ger O'Brien got down the right and was taken down by Ronan Curtis, Referee Tomas Connolly blew his whistle and it looked like he was about to award the spot kick but his better placed assistant advised that the foul occurred just outside the area.

A resolute Derry side weren't allowing Pats to create any worthwhile opportunities, and the closest they came to an equaliser was when a curling Jamie McGrath efforts went just wide of the post that Gerard Doherty was unlikely to get to.

It was a disappointing outcome for Liam Buckley’s men as the result is their third 1-0 defeat on the trot, but Kenny Shiels and the travelling Derry support travel back up north very pleased as the Candystripe’s keep the pressure on Dundalk at the top of the Premier Division table

St Patrick’s Athletic: Brendan Clarke; Ger O’Brien, Darren Dennehy, Sean Hoare, Ian Bermingham; David Billy Dennehy (Dinny Corcoran 78), David Cawley (Shane McEleney 86), Graham Kelly, Conan Byrne (Dylan McGlade 66); Mark Timlin, Jamie McGrath.

Subs Not Used: Patrick Jennings, Michael Barker, Sam Verdon, Lee Desmond.

Booked: Graham Kelly (65).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Niclas Vemmelund, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry, Patrick McClean; Keith Ward, Aaron McEneff, Conor McCormack, Barry McNamee, Ronan Curtis (Nathan Boyle 88); Rory Patterson.

Subs Not Used: Mark McElinney, Josh Daniels, Jordan Allen, Gareth McGlynn, Patrick McClean, Ryan Doherty.

Booked: Aaron McEneff (89).

Referee: Tomas Connolly.

Attendance: 1,178.

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Barry McNamee (Derry City).

You can see Darragh Connolly and Peter Fitzpatrick's pics from the game here.