Monaghan United 0 - 1 Derry City

• Peter Hughes
• Sat, May 08 2010


In a game which failed to show either side at their best, Derry City did just enough to extend their winning run in the Airtricity League First Division to eight games when they toughed it out against a game Monaghan United side at Gortakeegan.

James McClean was credited by referee John McLoughlin with the 39th minute goal that proved decisive, although it appeared to many observers that Patrick McEleney’s shot had crossed the line before McClean followed up to make sure.

It was a scrappy way to decide a scrappy affair, although Derry started in a fashion which suggested a much more comfortable margin of victory against a jittery Monaghan side who seemed discomforted by the loss through injury in the 11th minute of their keystone in central defence, Brian Gartland.

A shot on the run from McEleney brought Gabriel Sava into early action, and then fluent passing carved space in the box for McClean only for the Derry midfielder’s volley to be blocked away by a brave intervention from Conor McMahon. United shook off their early nerves and carved out a number of decent chances for themselves. Barry Clancy, teed up by Philip Hughes, struck a curling shot about a yard over Gerard Doherty’s crossbar.

Clancy then robbed Mark Scoltock of possession and initiated a fine passing movement which ended with a half-volley from Alan Byrne missing its bottom corner target only narrowly.

An upping of the pace by the Candy Stripes brought their 39th minute breakthrough. David McDaid burst through from the right flank and beat Sava with a powerful shot. Aidan Collins got the ball off the line, McEleney drove the loose ball back in and then McClean followed up to make sure.

McClean came close to extending his side’s lead with a fine run and shot as City ended the half very much in command.

Derry almost caught the Mons cold on the resumption, McEleney bursting through the defence onto Barry Molloy’s through pass but the advancing Sava making a fine instinctive save.

Monaghan could have had an equaliser in the 55th minute when Sean Brennan stole into the box to connect with Cathal O’Connor’s cross, but the header was just high of the target. And Derry had a real scare when, from Monaghan’s first corner of the game, Alan Byrne’s header took a wicked deflection and only Molloy’s goal-line clearance kept it out.

Derry had a 67th minute penalty claim turned down when McClean went down in the box under a robust Conor McMahon shoulder challenge. Sava was alert to Scoltock’s header as the Candy Stripes, enlivened by the introduction of Mark Farren, pressed hard for a second.

Monaghan gambled all on snatching an equaliser late on, and poured men forward to little purpose against a composed Derry defence. Doherty had to make a timely intervention when Karl Bermingham’s deep cross threatened to create a scoring chance for Bermingham, but it was the visitors who continued to be the more dangerous. Farren, breaking through in the 88th minute, might have wrapped things up for the Candy Stripes but he tried – and mis-executed – an audacious chip of the advancing Sava when a more conventional finish would have done the trick.

United almost made Derry pay dear for that miss in the final minute. Byrne again won the aerial battle in the box but his header, bound for the top corner, was beaten away by the alert Doherty.

Monaghan United: Sava; McMahon, Flynn, Gartland (Collins 11), Costigan (Donnelly 84); O’Connor, Tierney, Byrne, Clancy; Brennan, Hughes (Bermingham 68).
Subs not used: McCrossan, McKevitt.

Derry City: Doherty; McCallion, McCrystal, Scoltock, Friars; Molloy, Deery, P McEleney (Farren 60), McClean; McDaid, Cassidy (Sweeney 57)
Subs not used: S McEleney, Clark, Ferry.

Referee: John McLoughlin (Athlone)