League of Ireland Premier Division: Derry City 2 (Fleming 26, Diallo 87) Shamrock Rovers 1 (Gaffney 90+9)
For a third straight League of Ireland title decider, Shamrock Rovers have had to put the celebrations on ice.
“We look like we all done a marathon today,” said a disgruntled Rovers fan halfway through his eight-hour round trip.
Derry City were full value for all three points at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium as goals from Brandon Fleming and Sadou Diallo secured second place in the Premier Division.
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Rovers failed to fire until Rory Gaffney’s injury-time consolation.
The result leaves Tiernan Lynch’s men with an outside chance of snatching the title on the last weekend of the season. Really, it is next to impossible that the Candystripes will reel in the Hoops’ eight-goal advantage. Derry also require a total collapse from Stephen Bradley’s champions-in-waiting.
Stuck in autopilot, Rovers know that a fifth title in six seasons can be secured with a point at home to Galway United on Wednesday or a draw when Sligo Rovers conclude the campaign in Tallaght next Saturday.
The subplot of this game was all about the helicopter timetables on a windy October afternoon. At least Bradley arrived at the Brandywell in time to see Derry’s opener.
The glass half-empty perspective would frame Fleming’s first goal for Derry as a miscued cross but the English winger glanced up before punishing Ed McGinty for being off his goal line. It was a terrible delivery or brilliant finish. Either way, Rovers entered half-time on course to record a fifth straight loss in league and European matches throughout a miserable run of October results.
Speaking of runs, Bradley and his assistant coach Glenn Cronin arrived 10 minutes after the kick-off having both clocked 3:57:37 in the Dublin marathon, before racing to a helicopter pad in north county Dublin. The 20-minute flight was slightly delayed so Rovers sporting director Stephen McPhail had to fill in on the sideline for a while..
As Bradley arrived a ripple of applause around the ground appeared to recognise how his run earned over €50,000 for the cancer charity Oscar’s Kids. Derry fans in the north stand had other things on their mind, and unveiled a banner in reference to the not guilty verdict in the Solider F/Bloody Sunday trial. It read: “There is no British justice.”
Derry were not in the mood to concede a league title to a Dublin club on their artificial turf for a second straight season, after Shelbourne got the job done here in November 2024. Even the loss of Mark Connolly to injury couldn’t unsettle their back five as Sam Todd arrived to mark Michael Noonan.
Rovers teenage striker required treatment following a heavy challenge before he was replaced by Gaffney. Noonan is due to link up with the Republic of Ireland under-17s for the World Cup in Qatar ahead of their opening match against Panama in Doha on November 5th.
Gaffney’s arrival was pre-planned but Daniel Cleary being called to replace former Derry midfielder Aaron McEneff was the result of Lee Grace’s sending off for two yellow cards in quick succession.
Fleming deserves the credit for drawing three fouls from Grace in four minutes as he tormented the Rovers centre-half down the left. All three incidents happened on the edge of the Rovers box. McGinty did well to deny Michael Duffy a killer second goal from one of the resulting free-kicks.
It was striking how out of sorts the visitors appeared. Credit needs to go to Lynch for tactically nullifying key Rovers players. Sadou Diallo climbed into Matt Healy’s boots, Graham Burke had no space to create behind Noonan or Gaffney and Josh Honohan barely had a kick.
The result was confirmed with three minutes left when Duffy stormed off the right and picked out the unmarked Diallo who blast to the top corner.
Derry City: Maher; Boyce, Connolly (Todd 29), Stott, Dummingan, Boyce; O’Reilly, Winchester; Benson (Diallo 46), Whyte (Frizzell 69), Duffy.
Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Honohan, Grace, Lopes, O’Sullivan, Nugent (Malley 79); Watts (McGovern 79), Healy, McEneff (Cleary 66); Burke, Noonan (Gaffney 66).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
