Derry City 3 Limerick 0
Two goals during the opening 10 minutes against Limerick at Maginn Park saw Derry City record their third win on the spin.
Now five points clear of fourth placed Shamrock Rovers, Derry have set the scene prior to next Friday night’s visit to Tallaght Stadium.
The Candystripes broke the deadlock during their first assault on the Limerick goal, an under-weighted backpass after just 30 seconds proving the difference.
Lukas Schubert lofted the ball forward in the opening attack before a back-pass from Joe Crowe was intercepted by Barry McNamee and the Derry playmaker squeezed the ball home from an acute angle.
In the ninth minute the home side doubled their advantage. Conor McDermott drilled the ball low into the danger area and while Rory Patterson did get his shot on target, Schubert appeared to switch the direction of the ball giving keeper Brendan Clarke no chance from close range.
Limerick failed to recover from that early setback as Derry dominated possession during that opening period.
Clarke did well to deny both Ronan Curtis and Aaron McEneff before Limerick’s first serious effort on the home goal arrived in the 31st minute with Ger Doherty saving a shot from Stephen Kenny.
Totally dominant after the break, Derry passed Limerick off the park as the visitors appeared to run out of ideas in the front line.
The introduction of twin substitutes Stephen O’Flynn and Bastian Hery in the 58th minute failed to spark life in the Limerick strikeforce, as Derry seemed content to retain possession of the ball, with Patterson lashing a shot high over the crossbar when he really should have done better.
And the game was finally ended as a contest in the 84th minute when young substitute, Ben Doherty, gave Derry a 3-0 lead with his first senior goal in the 84th minute.
Aaron McEneff delivered a deep cross into the penalty area and when Limerick full-back, Dean Clarke,fluffed his lines in an attempt to clear, the teenager pounced to drive the ball high into the net.
DERRY CITY: G. Doherty; McDermott, Cole, Barry, Jarvis; Low (Holden, 87), McEneff; Schubert (Boyle, 80), McNamee, Curtis (B. Doherty, 80); Patterson.
LIMERICK: B. Clarke; D. Clarke, Whitehead, Crowe, O'Connor; Cameron (Hery, 58), Kenny (Walsh-O'Loughlin, 90), Lynch, Duggan, Ogbene; Tosi (O'Flynn, 58).
Referee: Mr. D. McGrath (Mayo).
