Soccer: National League, Premier Division/ Derry City 2 St Patrick's Athletic 0: Derry City are on the brink of causing a major shock in Eircom League football having defeated St Patrick's at the Brandywell on Saturday night and set up what could prove a thrilling and dramatic climax to the 2005 season.

Having leapfrogged the leaders Cork City to go one point clear with just one game remaining, the Candystripes require just a point from their visit to Turner's Cross this Friday night to clinch the title.

And having at the start of the season been at odds of 33 to 1 to win the trophy, the Foylesiders are on a high at the moment.

But, says striker Gary Beckett, Derry will not travel to Cork intent on a draw.

"We're not made up to play like that," said the Enniskillen man after Saturday's win.

"We will approach that game in the same manner we've prepared for all the others this season and try to win."

Beckett, who returned to action as a second-half substitute against St Patrick's after a three-week lay-off, was happy to get a game under his belt.

"The injury is fine and while I'm still a bit tender, I'm hopeful to be ready for next week for a game every player wants to be involved in," he said.

For the Brandywell manager, Stephen Kenny, who has proven to be an inspirational figure in Derry since his arrival in the city in August, 2004, it was a vital result, though he felt his side had played better.

"I think we've played a lot better than that this season but this was all about the result and we got the goals at critical times in the match," he noted.

He agreed his charges took time to settle. Indeed, it was St Patrick's who appeared the more determined, particularly during the opening 20 minutes.

"To be fair to the players, there was a lot at stake but once we scored we settled, and from that point we always looked in control," added Kenny.

"Having led two-nil at the break, I felt we played some great football during the second half and while we tried hard to get a third goal, it didn't come."

Derry are enjoying a rich vein of form as the season draws to a close, and Kenny is understandably delighted with the effort put in by his players.

"We've now scored seven goals over our last three matches - two of which were away from home - and haven't conceded any. That says quite a lot about the team and, hopefully, we can continue that run against Cork City next week," he concluded.

Derry's goals against the Richmond Park side came from set-pieces and when they both arrived in the space of seven minutes, the game had been ended as a contest.

Skipper Peter Hutton celebrated his 400th league appearance when driving the first home following a Paddy McCourt corner in the 29th minute.

And Hutton's towering centre-half partner Clive Delaney, who had knocked the ball back for Hutton's score, delivered the second in the 36th minute.

On that occasion, Kevin Deery swung the ball in before Delaney's looping header avoided the clutches of the Pat's keeper, Brendan Clarke.

The visitors crashed a volley off the Derry crossbar during the early stages of the second half when Alan Reilly let fly with a volley, but that was as good as it got for John McDonnell's men.

DERRY CITY: Forde; McCallion, Hutton, Delaney, Hargan; McGlynn, Deery, Martyn, McCourt (Brennan, 60 mins); Farren (Murphy, 88 mins), O'Flynn (Beckett, 63 mins).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Clarke; Quigley, Prenderville, Maguire, Frost; Brennan, Perth (Maher, half-time), Foley, Reilly (O'Connor, 67 mins); Doyle (Larsen, half-time), Rowe.

Referee: Declan Hanney (Dublin).