A PIECE of Michael Duffy magic undid Shelbourne at Tolka Park as Derry City won for the first time in five outings to Dublin this season.
Winger Duffy’s glorious second-half winner was no more than Tiernan Lynch’s side deserved as they avenged their opening-night defeat to Damien Duff’s champions in Drumcondra.
Shelbourne can have few complaints as Derry leapfrog them up to fourth place in the table having controlled the pattern of the game for an hour, the home side only coming alive after falling behind. That said, in stifling conditions with the temperature registering 24 degrees at kick-off, Shels began brightly as they initially took the game to their visitors.
But it was Derry who were first to threaten, and on the double at that.
The first chance on eight minutes stemmed from sloppy Shels play as JJ Lunney’s pass was easily intercepted by Duffy. It led to a chance for Liam Boyce whose attempted chip over Conor Kearns had just too much on it as it sailed over the target.
A minute later, Shels were stretched at the back as Gavin Whyte put Boyce in behind down the right.
But Kearns did enough to narrow the angle with the striker’s dink bobbling across goal and wide.
Shels responded with a promising opening of their own from the game’s first corner on 11 minutes.
Harry Wood’s delivery was on the money for Seán Boyd who rose above everyone to plant his firm header inches over Brian Maher’s crossbar.
Passing well, with Sadou Diallo and Carl Winchester influential in the middle of the park, Derry began to control the game as Shels struggled to get on the ball, though they seemed content to sit off and play on the counter.
A break for Kearns needing attention allowed Duff the opportunity to give his players a talking-to on the sideline.
And the reset almost brought a reward on 36 minutes as Shels carved Derry open for the only time in a frustrating first half for the home side.
Wood’s cross was met by a Boyd header with Maher making a fine save in touching the ball out for a goal-kick off the lurking John Martin. Duff withdrew Martin and McInroy at half-time with Mipo Odubeko and Ellis Chapman introduced in the hope of enlivening his side.
It was more of the same, though, as Derry promptly regained the initiative with Kearns forced into a parry save from a Whyte drive after Shels gave the ball away cheaply.
A sliding doors moment then almost brought a Shelbourne goal at one end before Derry struck for a deserved lead at the other in the 54th minute.
First Evan Caffrey saw his chip headed away by Sam Todd with Maher stranded after colliding with Boyd.
Derry immediately broke with Winchester’s sweeping pass finding Duffy on the right. A clever stepover wrong-footed Kameron Ledwidge to allow the former Dundalk man to get the ball on to his left foot and find the far top corner with a sublime curling shot for his seventh goal of the season.
Shels owned much of the ball for the remainder of the game but Maher scarcely had a save to make as Derry had done what was needed to take home the points.
SUN STAR MAN
Michael Duffy (Derry City).
SHELBOURNE: Kearns 7; Bone 7, Barrett 7, Ledwidge 7; Caffrey 6, Lunney 6, McInroy 6 (Chapman h-t, 6), Norris 6 (Coote 63, 7); Wood 7 (O’Sullivan 77, 6), Martin 6 (Adubeko h-t, 6), Boyd 6 (Kelly 63, 6).
DERRY CITY: Maher 7; Cann 7, Connolly 7, Holt 7; R Boyce 6, Diallo 7 (McMullan 62, 6), Winchester 8 (Hoban 89, 6), Todd 7; Whyte 7 (Benson 62, 6), Duffy 8; L Boyce 7 (Mullen 62, 6).
REFEREE: N Doyle (Dublin) 6.
