DERRY CITY REIGNITED their title charge as they narrowed the gap on leaders Shelbourne to two points after a comprehensive victory over Waterford at Brandywell. Three goals in the space of 19 first-half minutes took the wind out of the sails of a Waterford side who had won five of their previous six matches. Michael Duffy netted his fifth of the season to get the ball rolling for the Candystripes who ended a three match winless run.
The winger fired emphatically past Sam Sargeant on 11 minutes after Ben Doherty played it neatly into his path just inside the Waterford 18 yard box. Mark Connolly doubled that advantage ten minutes later with a glancing header from Will Patching’s delivery. The league’s two top scorers Padraig Amond and Pat Hoban were on display but it was the latter who continued his hot streak against the Blues on the half hour mark.
The Galwegian was played through on goal by Paul McMullan and his first time strike from 18 yards nestled into the bottom corner to take his season’s tally to ten. Hoban has netted five past Waterford in the team’s three meetings so far this season. It was a much needed victory for Ruaidhri Higgins’ troops but the mood on Foyleside was dampened by a suspected broken arm sustained by skipper Patrick McEleney who was stretchered off after falling heavily after a challenge in the second half.
Three days after a scoreless draw against Dundalk at Oriel Park, Higgins made two changes with McEleney making his first start since 2.