Derry City 1 Shamrock Rovers 0 Peter Hutton must be beginning to believe football management is an easy game as his Derry City side stretched their unbeaten record to five games thanks to this victory at the Brandywell on Saturday night.

The result was a repeat of the last time the sides met at this venue earlier in the season - and Alan Murphy again scored the goal that made the difference.

Following a lifeless opening period, Murphy struck from the penalty spot on the hour to brightened the game, and the home side held on gamely to their lead.

The victory was welcomed by Hutton, who's now taken the side seven points clear of basement side Dublin City. "I felt we just about deserved it," he said.

"We didn't play all that well in the first half, but we got the ball down and played it around in the second and we caused them quite a few problems. It's a very welcome three points and moves us further away from the relegation zone."

As for Rovers, manager Liam Buckley expressed his concern at his side's lack of consistency. "We've never given two similar performances. We're in and out of games and we're lacking real consistency. Our fans will be wondering what's going on.

"No disrespect to Derry City, but I felt we definitely deserved something out of this game but we didn't get it. I felt we had enough chances, particularly late in the game, to have taken at least a point - but that's football."

The penalty was awarded when Gareth McGlynn's right-wing cross struck Keith O'Halloran on the hand, and Murphy made no mistake.

DERRY CITY: Kelly; Brennan, McLaughlin, Delaney, McCallion; McGlynn, Byrne (Beckett, 78 mins), Doherty, Martyn; Hargan, Murphy (Hutton, 86).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: N Mooney; Croly, Gough, Palmer, Doyle; Rutherford (Mooney, 64 mins), McDonnell Deans, 78), O'Halloran, Robinson; Molloy, Grant.

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).