Bray Wanderers 3 Derry City 2
Super-sub Tim Clancy came back to haunt Derry for the second time this season as Bray climbed above them into third place.
Having bagged an injury time winner at Maginn Park last March, the defender came off the bench to clinch the 81st minute winner at the Carlisle Grounds.
Aaron Greene delivered the corner which led to a back-post scramble with Clancy forcing the ball over the line as the Wicklow side ended the visitors 10-game unbeaten run in the Premier Division.
Wanderers hit the front just six minutes in when Daragh Noone nudged in Kevin Lynch’s cross with his back-side from eight-yards.
But City equalised in the 22nd minute. From Nicky Low’s precise through ball, Ronan Curtis curled low past Peter Cherrie.
Yet the home side regained the lead three minutes before the break when Ryan Brennan headed in Gary McCabe’s free-kick.
Just 85 seconds after the interval Derry made it 2-2 when Nathan Boyle angled in a low 20-yard drive.
BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Douglas, Kenna, Foran (Clancy 57), Lynch (Marks 67); Salmon, Noone; Brennan (Moore 80), McCabe, Greene; Flood.
DERRY CITY: Ger Doherty; McDermott, Barry, Monaghan (Ben Doherty 87), Jarvis; McEneff, Low; Daniels (Timlin 83), McNamee, Curtis; Boyle.
Referee: Robert Hennessy (Clare).
St Patricks Athletic 1 Bohemians 3
Bohemians blitzed St Patrick’s Athletic with a second half comeback to win a riveting Dublin derby at Richmond Park.
The big win avenged a 4-0 rout for St Pat’s back in March to ease Bohemians’ relegation worries and leave the Inchicore side deep in the mire at second bottom in the table.
St Pat’s dominated the first half, fully deserving their lead on 40 minutes lead.
Substitute Alex O’Hanlon came in off the left flank, showed clever feet to make the space, before beating Shane Supple to the far corner of the visiting keeper’s net with a low right-foot drive for a lovely first goal for the club.
Much better after the break, Bohemians punished poor defending to equalise six minutes in.
St Pat’s keeper Conor O’Malley and captain Ian Bermingham seemed to get their wires crossed to allow Oscar Brennan to ghost in and shoot to the far corner of the net.
Dinny Corcoran then put Bohemians ahead on 69 minutes. Keith Ward threaded a ball through for the run of the big striker who showed superb composure to rifle to the net for his ninth goal of the season.
The influential Ward then set up Georgie Poynton for Bohemians’ third goal on 86 minutes.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: O'Malley; Kelly, Feely, Desmond, Bermingham; Verdon (Keena, 76), Lunney; C. Byrne, Markey (Bayly, 85), K. Byrne (A. O'Hanlon, 21); Fagan.
BOHEMIANS: Supple; Pender, Cornwall (O'Hora, 76), Byrne, Morris; Sule (Gannon, 67); Poynton, Brennan, Ward, Simon (Kavanagh, h-t); Corcoran.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
Finn Harps 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
Shamrock Rovers jumped over Derry City into fourth spot following a narrow win over Finn Harps in Ballybofey.
But Rovers will need to improve on this display if they are to trouble the sides above them.
Both teams went into this game following the summer break without four suspended players with Rovers seeking to keep up their push for Europe and Harps eager for points in their battle against the drop.
After a tame opening that saw Simon Madden firing over the target, Harps’ first chance of note was a Packie Mailey header that was saved by Tomer Chencinski on 17 minutes.
On 27 minutes Eddie Dsane, making only his third league start for Harps, was involved in the best move of the half as he burst forward and created an opening for Sean Houston with a clever flick on the edge of the box but the latter’s delicate chip over Chencinski also dropped over the bar.
Harps enjoyed a decent spell after that but were stung by the visitors just before the break. Brandon Miele went close with a deflected shot before Rovers scored on 43 minutes as Michael O’Connor rose to meet a Simon Madden cross with a glancing header that spun beyond the reach of Ciaran Gallagher.
Substitute Sam Bone almost grabbed a second for Rovers on 76 minutes.
Despite the best efforts of Paddy McCourt to inspire Harps, Rovers just held on.
FINN HARPS: Gallagher; Coll. Mailey, Cantwell, Harkin; Molloy; McCourt (Banda, 82 mins), Houston, Bonner; O'Connor (Millien, 75 mins), Dsane.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Chencinski; Madden, Lopes, Devine, Byrne; Meenan, Finn, Connolly, Miele; Shaw, O'Connor (Bone, 77 mins).
Referee: Mr. R. Harvey (Dublin).
