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Date Time League Season
5 May 2023 7:45 pm LOI Men's Premier Division 2023

Match Report

O’Reilly Edges Hard Fought Win For Derry

Adam O’Reilly’s first half goal proved to be the difference as Derry City came away from Weavers Park with a hard fought win.

The Cork midfielder’s first goal of the season came in the 12th minute. Drogs came close to drawing level with Freddie Draper hitting the crossbar with his lobbed effort and Brian Maher stopping Draper’s effort on the line.

The visitors started the game brightly and broke the deadlock after 12 minutes. O’Reilly picked up possession and found the back of the net with an excellent strike from the edge of the box.

Minutes later O’Reilly headed the ball just wide. For all their possession in the opening half hour the visitors didn’t create too many clear-cut chances. Drogs keeper Colin McCabe wasn’t forced into making any real save of note. 

Drogs were dealt a blow in the 21st minute when Elicha Ahui had to go off injured. Another name to add to manager Kevin Doherty’s injury list.

After being under the cosh for over 30 minutes Drogs began to come into the game. Dylan Grimes brought a fine save out of Brian Maher in the 32nd minute. Luke Heeney played a neat ball into Ryan Brennan in the 35th minute but his header was straight at Maher.

In the 43rd minute Brennan flicked the ball into the path of Draper he deftly lifted the ball over the head of Maher but his effort came off the crossbar and there was no one there to get the rebound.

Both sides enjoyed spells in the early exchanges of the second half. In the 63rd minute Michael Duffy’s corner fell to Sadou Diallo, he hit an excellent strike but it was well saved by McCabe.

Derry defender Ciaran Coll and netminder Maher were called into action as Drogs pressed for an equaliser. They were dealt another blow in the 75th minute when Conor Keeley went off injured. One minute Darragh Markey got down to the endline, he played the ball back to Draper but Maher stopped it from crossing the line.

Maher pulled off a fantastic save in stoppage time to deny Draper again. 

 

Drogheda Utd

1Colin McCabe Goalkeeper
2Elicha Ahui 21 Defender
5Conor Keeley Defender
6Emmanuel Adegboyega Defender 81'
7Darragh Markey Midfielder
8Gary Deegan Midfielder
9Freddie Draper Forward 45'
10Dylan Grimes 11 Midfielder
16Dayle Rooney Midfielder
19Ryan Brennan Midfielder
22Aaron McNally Defender
11Adam Foley 10 Forward
12Fiachra Pagel Goalkeeper
20Emre Topcu Midfielder
21Luke Heeney 2 Midfielder 96'
24Warren Davis Midfielder
29Michael Leddy Forward
35Andrew Wogan Goalkeeper

Derry City

1Brian Maher Goalkeeper
3Ciaran Coll Defender
7Michael Duffy 2 Midfielder
14Ben Doherty Midfielder
15Sadou Diallo Midfielder 54'
16Shane McEleney Defender 51'
17Cameron McJannet Defender
19Ryan Graydon Forward
22Jordan McEneff 8 Midfielder
28Adam O’Reilly Midfielder 12'
29Cian Kavanagh Forward
2Ronan Boyce 7 Defender
8Will Patching 22 Midfielder
9Jamie McGonigle Forward
20Brandon Kavanagh Midfielder
21Matthew Ward Midfielder
24Ollie O’Neill Forward
26Tadhg Ryan Goalkeeper
32Sean Patton Forward
38Liam Mullan Midfielder
  • 96'

    Luke Heeney is booked

  • 93'

    Maher again denies Draper

  • 93'

    Derry clear the ball for a Drogs corner

  • 90'

    Six minutes of additional time to be played

  • 89'

    Michael Duffy is off

  • 89'

    Ronan Boyce is on

  • 87'

    Free to Derry

  • 86'

    Derry pushing for a second goal

  • 82'

    Derry with a free and it hits the wall

  • 81'

    Emmanuel Adegboyega is booked

  • 76'

    Darragh Markey with a ball to Freddie Draper and how did Maher get back to save on the line

  • 75'

    Conor Keeley is off

  • 75'

    Warren Davis is on

  • 74'

    Cian Kavanagh is off

  • 74'

    Jamie McGonigle is on

  • 74'

    Ryan Graydon is off

  • 74'

    Ollie O'Neill is on

  • 74'

    Keeley is up but limping and walking slowly behind the goals.

  • 73'

    Kevin Doherty will not want anything wrong with Keeley. He is such an excellent defender

  • 72'

    Graydon is back up

  • 72'

    Keeley and Graydon down injured

  • 71'

    Coll puts in a ball but it's hacked away by Conor Keeley

  • 68'

    Maher has to punch the danger away

  • 68'

    Ciaran Coll has to put the ball out for a corner

  • 66'

    Draper just couldn't get a decent connection with the ball. Good ball in from Aaron McNally

  • 64'

    Jordan McEneff is off

  • 64'

    Will Patching is on for Derry

  • 64'

    Fantastic strike from Diallo and it's a good save from McCabe

  • 63'

    Derry win a corner

  • 62'

    Dylan Grimes is off

  • 62'

    Adam Foley is on

  • 60'

    Drogs with some good football

  • 54'

    Sadou Diallo is booked

  • 53'

    Ball in the Derry box and it won't fall to a Drogs player

  • 52'

    Great ball into the box by Ryan Brennan and it's cleared.

  • 51'

    Shane McEleney is booked. Looked like he won the ball

  • 50'

    Derry have to defend

  • 49'

    Derry have started this half brightly

  • 46'

    Derry have the ball in the Drogs box

  • 45'

    Half-time here and the visitors lead 1-0

  • 45'

    Freddie Draper is booked

  • 45'

    Luke Heeney with the cross in that gets a block from Ben Doherty

  • 43'

    Freddie Draper lifts the ball over Brian Maher and it hits the crossbar.

  • 39'

    The pitch is cutting up in certain places here

  • 37'

    Great defending from Emmanuel Adegboyega

  • 35'

    Luke Heeney with a great ball into Ryan Brennan but he heads straight at Maher

  • 34'

    Markey with a ball into the box but it's cleared by Derry. Good spell from Drogs

  • 32'

    Maher brings off a fine save to deny Grimes.

  • 28'

    It has been all Derry so far

  • 27'

    Jordan McEneff is down injured after a foul by Gary Deegan

  • 26'

    Cian Kavanagh can't get proper contact on his header in the box

  • 25'

    Drogs win back possession but fail to trouble Maher

  • 21'

    The injured Elicha Ahui goes off

  • 21'

    Luke Heeney is on

  • 20'

    Elicha Ahui is down injured. Kevin Doherty must wonder when his luck with injuries will change

  • 20'

    Rooney plays the ball back to Keeley, he launches the ball down the field but too much on it

  • 16'

    Adam O'Reilly's header is just wide

  • 14'

    Good play from Drogs

  • 13'

    After Drogs tried to clear the danger the ball broke to O'Reilly. That's his first goal of the season

  • 12'

    Adam O'Reilly with a stunning strike

  • 10'

    Good defending from Darragh Markey

  • 9'

    Conor Keeley heads it away

  • 8'

    Derry with the first corner of the evening

  • 7'

    Lovely cross from Darragh Markey but Ryan Brennan's head is well off target

  • 5'

    Ben Doherty with the free and it's way over the bar.

  • 5'

    Derry win a free on the edge of the box

  • 3'

    Ball bounces but not enough for Dayle Rooney to take a swipe at it

  • 3'

    The home side are on the attack.

  • Good news for Drogs is that captain Gary Deegan is back from suspension. Derry City are without Colm Whelan who picked up an injury on Monday night; they are awaiting the specialist's report

  • Drogs come into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Shelbourne, while Derry City lost 2-0 at home to Shamrock Rovers.

  • Drogheda inflicted a first league defeat on Derry City when they met earlier this season at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. Elicha Ahui with the game's only goal

  • Welcome to Final Whistle's coverage of Drogheda Utd v Derry City. Deniese O'Flaherty here to keep you updated.

Past Meetings

(Round 8)
0 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC 0-1 Drogheda United FC

(Round 28)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United 1-1 Derry City

(Round 20)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City v Drogheda United

(Round 11)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United v Derry City

(Round 6)
2 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City v Drogheda United

(Series 32)
1 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United v Derry City

(Series 23)
3 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City v Drogheda United

(1st Round)
1 - 1 (2-4 on pens)
FAI Cup
Weavers Park

Drogheda United v Derry City

(Series 14)
1 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United v Derry City

(Series 5)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City v Drogheda United

(2nd Round)
0 - 2
FAI Cup
Weavers Park

Drogheda United v Derry City

2 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC

0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United FC v Derry City FC

4 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC

2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC

1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United FC v Derry City FC

3
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC

1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United FC v Derry City FC

2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Derry City FC v Drogheda United FC

1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park

Drogheda United FC v Derry City FC

Ground

Weavers Park
United Park, Cross Lane, Fair Gate, The Borough District of Drogheda, County Louth, Leinster, A92DKR0, Ireland

Deniese is a freelance sports journalist/broadcaster. She has worked for several local and national media outlets. GAA and soccer are her great loves and she also follows rugby league and snooker. She's a big supporter of her local clubs St. Mary's GAA Granard and Longford Town. She also follows Celtic, Liverpool and Leeds Rhinos. She presented and produced a popular sports podcast last year where she interviewed Ray Houghton, Chris Kamara and John Hartson. Deniese is currently Head of Communications for Boccia Ireland