First-half goals by Sean McBride and Dylan Devine were enough to give Derry City this narrow derby win at Finn Park.
Finn Harps 1 Derry City 2
The visitors got off to the perfect start when Shane Blaney’s attempted clearance came off striker McBride and rebounded into the net in the third minute.
Harps responded well to this early setback and equalised in the eighth minute when Dylan McCroary and BJ Banda combined brilliantly with quick fire passes before McCroary slotted through for Alex Carolan to pass the ball past keeper Tom McDermott from 12 yards.
Banda had two chances in a three minute period to give Harps the lead, he shot just over when Gareth Doherty’s pass sent him clear and then was just too high again after taking a cross from Luke Nelis.
Derry regained the lead in the 35th minute and again Harps will feel it was a situation that could have been dealt with a bit better.
Adrian Delap’s persistence on the right resulted in a cross which Dylan Devine got his head to in between keeper McCarron and defender Ciaran Kelly close to goal,
Devine did well but perhaps he shouldn’t have been given the opportunity so close to goal.
A couple of minutes later McCroary, who’s brother Evan also started for Harps, put Gareth Doherty through with a good pass but McDermott saved well to his right and BJ Banda just failed to reach the rebound.
Harps should have been level in the first minute of the second-half, as Derry raced out from defence,
Tommy Lee McCarron’s long ball put Gareth Doherty in the clear as he timed his run perfectly to beat the offside but the Harps captain decided to shoot early and was just too high.
Derry then had a period of control, McBride and Connor Gormley both had shots which flew just wide and Evan Tweed dragged his shot wide from just outside the Harps penalty box.
In the 65th minute Mc Carron saved well from Gormley and then made an even better save from Shane McNamee after Delap had set him up.
Harps were finding chances hard to come by, Shane Blaney’s free-kick from 30 yards was just too high in the 80th minute and then four minutes later McCarron again came to Harps rescue when the impressive Rhys McDermott set up McNamee but the keeper denied him with a brilliant finger tip save.
Harps did get one final chance when Banda’s excellent cross found Gareth Doherty free at the back post but he headed just over and Harps chances of a draw were gone.
Finn Harps: Tommy Lee Mc Carron. Evan McCroary, Luke Nelis, Ciaran Kelly, Shane Blaney, Ryan Finn, Alex Carolan, Liam Walsh, BJ Banda, Gareth Doherty, Dylan McCroary. Subs: Zak Brolly, Michael Doherty and Mark McAteer for Evan McCroary, Dylan McCroary and Carolan (all 75).
Derry City: Tom McDermott, Rhys McDermott, Mattie Doherty, Lee McColgan, Sam Todd, Evan Tweed, Adrian Delap, Conor Gormley, Sean Mc Bride, Dylan Devine, Shane McNamee. Sub: Stephen Duffy for Devine (77).
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