Cork City 2 Bohemians 0
Defenders Conor McCarthy and Dan Casey got the goals as Cork City’s first home league win of the season lifted them to fourth place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table.
In a well-contested first half at Turner’s Cross, the hitherto unbeaten Bohemians had the early half-chances, falling to Danny Mandroiu and Danny Grant, but they couldn’t test Mark McNulty.
McCarthy then headed home Dáire O’Connor’s free-kick midway through the half to give the Rebel Army their first home goal.
Graham Cummins was unlucky not to make it 2-0 in injury-time, the flag up for offside as he headed home, but the lead was doubled early in the second period.
When James Tilley – a sub for the injured O’Connor – was fouled, he rolled the free-kick to former Bohs man Casey and his effort swerved in.
Thereafter, City defended well to ensure that the Gypsies couldn’t forge anything of note in an attacking sense, with Conor McCormack and Garry Buckley excellent in midfield for the hosts.
CORK CITY: McNulty; Horgan, McCarthy, Casey, Griffin; McCormack, Morrissey (Comerford, 90 mins); D O'Connor (Tilley, 43 mins), Buckley, Sheppard (K O'Connor, 90 mins); Cummins.
BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Pender, Cornwall, Finnerty, Leahy; Buckley (McCourt 76), Levingston; Grant (Wade-Slater, 58 mins), Mandroiu (Swan, 66 mins), Ward; Corcoran.
Referee: R Hennessy (Clare).
Attendance: 3,016
Derry City 0 Dundalk 2
Champions Dundalk built up a head of steam at the Brandywell to defeat Derry City with goals on either side of half-time.
And while Derry City were never outclassed on the night, it was the quality and experience of Vinny Perth’s men which saw them home thanks to a second goal minutes into the second half.
Dundalk’s patience was rewarded in 37th minute when breaking the deadlock. Michael Duffy skipped past the challenge of full back Conor McDermott and while his centre was headed clear by Ally Gilchrist, former Watford midfielder Seán Murray controlled the ball on his chest before volleying home.
Following the change of ends, Dundalk were deservedly awarded a penalty in the 47th minute. Seán Gannon played the ball forward and when Patrick Hoban raced in behind the home defence, he was clearly clattered by the advancing Peter Cherrie, who came off worst in the challenge, the referee pointing to the spot.
Unfortunately for Derry, Cherrie was forced off before the penalty, with youngster Nathan Gartside facing Hoban from the 12 yards, the Dundalk striker neatly tucking the ball home to double Dundalk’s lead.
And the champions really should have put this game to bed in the 54th minute. Duffy breaking from deep to play sub Dean Jarvis in but he recklessly ballooned the ball over the crossbar when he should have done better.
DERRY CITY: Cherrie (Gartside, 51 mins); McDermott, Cole, Toal, Coll (Delap, 55 mins); Harkin, Sloggett; Gilchrist, McNamee, Junior; Parkhouse.
DUNDALK: Rodgers; Gannon, Gartland, Hoare, Massey; McGrath, Cleary, Murray, Duffy (90 mins); Hoban 7, Kelly.
Referee: B Connolly (Dublin).
Waterford United 2 St Patrick’s Athletic 0
Aaron Drinan destroyed St Patrick’s weekend for Harry Kenny’s misfiring Saints.
Waterford’s on-loan striker from Ipswich Town scored in each half at a soaking RSC to secure their first home win of the season.
Kenny’s crew started well but wilted and were deservedly beaten. It mirrors the story of their season so far.
After claiming two wins and two draws from their opening four games, the Saints have lost their last two.
More concerning is their paltry haul of one goal in their last four games. Mikey Drennan is their only goalscorer this season.
Waterford gave them the blues, starting with Drinan’s opener on 18 minutes.
When the Saints failed to clear Kevin Lynch’s free-kick into the box, Drinan was first to react by heading through a thicket of defenders beyond Brendan Clarke.
His fellow Ireland Under-21 squad newcomer Zack Elbouzedi was inches from extending the lead on the stroke of the break. His volley from point-blank range clattered off Clarke’s near post.
Drinan eventually grabbed his and Waterford’s second on 63 minutes. JJ Lunney did the spadework by darting into the box and his lay-off was completed by another first-time finish.
WATERFORD: M Connor; R Feely, M Kouogun, D Delaney, K Lynch; K Chvedukas (G Poynton, 56 mins), JJ Lunney; Z Elbouzedi, B Héry (S Duggan, 46 mins), S Twine (I Akinade, 81 mins); A Drinan.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: B Clarke; S Madden, L Desmond, K Toner, I Bermingham; J Lennon, R McCabe; B Miele (D Markey, 73 mins), C Forrester (D Webster, 67 mins), D Clarke (G Shaw, 67 mins); M Drennan.
Referee: P McLaughlin (Monaghan).
Attendance: 2,013.
UCD 3 Finn Harps 0
Second-half goals from Timmy Molloy and Richie O’Farrell, who hit a brace, gave UCD a deserved first win of the season as they leapfrogged Finn Harps off the foot of the table.
Ciarán Gallagher rescued Harps at either end of a first half dominated by UCD.
The goalkeeper was first worked five minutes in, pushing O’Farrell’s drive out for a corner. O’Farrell then saw a feeble shot trickle wide off the outside of a post. The half finished as it began with Harps’ goal under siege.
Gallagher made his second save on 44 minutes, reacting well to bat Kevin Coffey’s deflected shot out for the first of three corners which Harps survived.
UCD captain Gary O’Neill shaved Gallagher’s crossbar with a free-kick five minutes after the restart before a goal deservedly arrived for College on 61 minutes.
O’Neill fed Yousef Mahdy in the area. And though the striker’s shot was touched away by a sprawling Gallagher, Molloy reacted to tap home the loose ball.
Harps were carved open again 10 minutes later. Once more O’Neill found the pass, this time for the run of O’Farrell who drilled his shot to the far corner of the net.
O’Farrell got his second on 83 minutes, collecting a return pass from Mahdy, before sweeping home the rebound after his initial shot was blocked.
UCD: Kearns; Tobin, Collins, Scales, Dignam; O'Neill; Coffey (Farrugia, 76 mins), Molloy, O'Farrell, McClelland; Mahdy (McDonald, 86 mins).
FINN HARPS: Gallagher; Borg (Place, 82 mins), Cowan, Todd; Kavanagh, Ascroft, Coyle (Boyle, 65 mins), McAleer, O'Reilly; Cretaro (McNamee, 72 mins); Boyd.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
