St Pat's go top and Waterford win again – what we learned from Friday's League of Ireland action
St Pat's
produced a commanding first half and a resilient second on Friday night as they recovered from last-minute Dalymount despair to go top of the league.
Galway United
created a host of chances after half-time but could not find a way past Joseph Anang. In truth, his impressive display was aided by an unusually profligate performance from the league's top scorer, Moses Dyer. The Tribesmen held a man advantage for the last 20 minutes after Axel Sjoeberg picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, but they failed to capitalise.
Half an hour in, despite surrendering most of the possession, Dyer should have put Galway in front. Jeannot Esua did well to gather Cian Byrne's ball near the touchline, cutting it back through a packed six-yard box for the New Zealander, who just couldn't make enough contact to beat Anang.
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Moments later, Galway were punished. Kian Leavy galloped forward well, bouncing a one-two off the returning Aidan Keena and firing low. Clarke should have done better as the ball skidded in off his feet, but it was just rewards for the home side's pressure and Leavy's ambition.
Stephen Walsh was immediately withdrawn for Sean Kerrigan as John Caulfield tweaked Galway's shape, but the change did little to stem the tide. Zach Elbouzedi's effort from distance deflected kindly off Rob Slevin, slicing into the corner and giving Clarke no chance.
Pat's may question why they fell flat in the second half, but Stephen Kenny will be delighted with a victory that moves them above both Galway and Drogheda at the top of the tree.
Derry make statement with comfortable win over Shelbourne
Shelbourne
's shaky defence has been a topic of discomfort for Damien Duff this season, undermining a side that won the title from a very solid, tough-to-beat foundation.
Two more sloppy goals settled matters at the Brandywell on Friday night. Michael Duffy has been in terrific form for
Derry
, and he must have been surprised at the space he was afforded from a deep, in-swinging corner kick after a quarter of an hour. Untracked, the winger met the ball sweetly on the volley, finding the corner for his sixth of the season.
If the first goal was bad, the second was dismal from a Shelbourne perspective. Jonathan Lunney played a poor, scooped ball back to Sam Bone, who made a meal of his touch. It allowed Liam Boyce to pounce and finish deftly beyond Kearns – his campaign has finally started to pick up steam.
Harry Wood came off the bench to score a league-winning goal the last time these sides met in Derry, but his introduction did little to threaten a resolute home defence. It's four games without a win for the champions and a statement victory for the Candystripes – their first league win over Shels since 2023 – as they move to within two points of first place.
Sligo show fight at the Showgrounds
Sligo
's agm was held earlier this week, and manager John Russell emerged with credit in the bank, praised for keeping his side competitive with the odds stacked against them.
If they are to survive this year, they'll need plenty of heart and perseverance – the sort they showed in spades at the Showgrounds on Friday night. In an exceptionally tight league, the Bit O'Red are in danger of falling behind the pack, but this was an impressive comeback and a potential platform to build on.
Strangely, Sligo are joint top scorers in the League of Ireland, but they are leaking far too many goals. Conor Keeley got the first on Friday night. Underutilised at St Pat's last season, the defender is proving to be a highly effective weapon in this Drogheda side. Danger looms when Keeley and the rest of his backline trot forward for set-pieces, and he should never have been allowed the freedom to tap in Andrew Quinn's knockdown.
Just after the hour, Warren Davis played a hopeful ball into the box, somehow wrongfooting Sligo captain John Mahon and directing Thomas Oluwa through on goal to make it 2-0. It was the sort of defending the home side can't afford, and they looked certain to be heading for another damaging defeat.
Tenacity comes in different forms though, and the rally that followed owed to the endeavour of Will Fitzgerald. The winger did brilliantly to tee up Owen Elding, who continued exceptional breakout season with a simple finish at the back post.
Francely Lomboto had a big impact off the bench, and he found joy in a similar pocket to Fitzgerald. Skipping past Keeley, Lomboto fizzed a low ball across the area and led the celebrations as it deflected in off the unfortunate James Bolger. Both sides pushed for a winner, but a draw was ultimately a fair result.
Back to reality for Bohemians as managerless Waterford secure big Dalymount win
Having defied the odds so often over the last couple of weeks, it was always likely that
Bohemians
' good form would falter in a game they were expected to win.
Waterford
look to be moving closer to appointing a replacement for Keith Long, but Matt Lawlor will earn plenty of plaudits for the job he has done in the interim. It's back-to-back wins for the Blues who have put some daylight between themselves and bottom-place Sligo.
Their first on the night was a cracker. Just before the half-time whistle blew, the ball sat up nicely for former Arsenal youth product James Olayinka. He unleashed a venomous strike from 25 yards into Kacper Chorazka's bottom corner before diving headfirst into the ground in celebration.
Bohs had been the better side in the first half, and they arrived with intent for the second period. Quickly, they were level. Jordi Flores hit the woodwork with a header at the back post, and the rebound seemed to come off Darragh Leahy as it bundled into the Waterford net.
Not to be discouraged, Waterford regrouped and retook the lead through Tommy Lonergan, who kept his composure with a neat finish after a defensive mix-up between Chorazka and Sean Grehan. Bohs pushed for yet another late comeback, but the game proved a step too far.
Depleted Cork City hold Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers
dominated proceedings at Turner's Cross but couldn't punish
Cork City
, who stayed in the game long enough to nick a precious point.
Rory Gaffney showed good instincts early, reacting to John O'Sullivan's strike as it bounced up off Tein Troost's post and volleying smoothly into the centre of the goal. Gaffney should have had a second minutes later, as a wayward Freddie Anderson clearance fell to him eight yards out – this time he could only fire over.
It was Anderson that levelled things an hour later. The defender, and son of European Cup winner Viv Anderson, found the ball at his feet after a poorly worked Cork free kick. He smashed it into the corner and, despite an impressive cameo from the highly regarded 16-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna, City held on for a vital draw.
Chance to take advantage of double header
It shouldn't make much difference, but the scheduling of a double header tends to afford teams an opportunity for momentum.
Derry City and St Pat's meet each other on Monday after both earned impressive wins on Friday night. It is a chance to take six points from three days, and to inject real rhythm in a league that is so often devoid of any extended winning runs. Shelbourne, Galway United and Shamrock Rovers will all be eyeing up winnable home fixtures after a fast turnaround.
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