Tottenham's sophisticated Frenchman, David Ginola, upstaged Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy at the Brandywell last night in the special benefit game for the victims of the Omagh bombing.
Ginola, who lined out for the Derry City selection, thrilled the capacity attendance of 10,000 with his silky skills and incisive passing movements.
McCarthy's men, who included Packie Bonner, Steve Staunton and John Aldridge, raced into a 20 nil lead by the 27th minute, thanks to goals from Barry O'Connor and Aldridge.
However, Ginola brought the Derry attendance to life with the cheekiest of penalty kicks to reduce the arrears in the 31st minute. Four minutes later, his deep cross from the left saw Darren Kelly score the easiest of goals from close range.
The home side moved into the driving seat in the 63rd minute when Liam Coyle presented substitute Floyd Gilmore with an easy tap-in chance.
Gilmore made it 4-2 in the 74th minute when scoring his second goal, from 18 yards. And in the 77th minute, Ginola deftly placed the ball from a corner for Omagh Town's Micky Donnelly fittingly to head home from close range.
Derry City Sel: Given; McCallion, Hargan, Gauld, Curran, Ginola, D Kelly, Hegarty, Coyle, Beckett, McHugh. Subs used: Hutton, Gilmore, M Kelly, Doherty, Platt, Gallagher, McCaul, Donnelly.
Mick McCarthy XI: Bonner; Vaudequin, Staunton, Ditton, Dykes, McCarthy, O'Connor, McStay, Aldridge, Speak, Tresson, Subs used: Byrne, Ryan, Beggs, Casson, Horgan, Palmer, Parkes, De Gregorio, Dodds.
Referee: J McDermott (Dublin)
Goals from Irish international Alan Moore and Mark Summerbell gave Middlesbrough a pedestrian 2-0 win over Shelbourne in a dour friendly that rarely caught the imagination of a crowd of some 2,000 at Dalymount Park last night.
Middlesbrough, with former Irish captain Andy Townsend, exEngland star Paul Gascoigne and Colombian striker Hamilton Ricard in their side, strolled through the first half and were indeed fortunate not to have found themselves several goals behind at the break.
Shelbourne's Tony Sheridan forced a tip-over save from Marlon Beresford while Ricky O'Flaherty, on his debut, just failed to connect with a low cross from Dean Fitzgerald.
Moore, who has failed to make Mick McCarthy's squad for recent internationals, provided an injection of excitement with the opening goal on 62 minutes when tapping home from close range after Clayton Blackmore had headed Dean Gordon's cross to him.
Three minutes later Blackmore again provided the telling ball with a cross for Summberbell to finish at the back post.
Shelbourne: Gough; Costello, McCarthy, Neville, Smith; Heary, Fitzgerald, Doyle, Fenlon, Sheridan; O'Flaherty. Subs: D Baker for Sheridan (at half-time), S Geoghegan for Fenlon (56 mins), Gifford and D Geoghegan for Costello and Neville (both 65 mins), Kelly for O'Flaherty (73 mins.).
Middlesbrough: Beresford; Cooper, Vickers, Pallister; Fleming, Townsend, Gascoigne, Mustoe, Gordon; Moore, Ricard. Subs: Summerbell for Mustoe (half-time), Blackmore for Pallister (57 mins.), Campbell for Ricard (73 mins).
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
