St Patrick's Athletic 0-3 Derry City
Tuesday, 7 April 2009St Patrick's Athletic gave away free Cadbury's Creme Eggs to supporters who attended this game and their defence was also in a very giving mood on a miserable night for the home side at a very wet Richmond Park.
Thomas Stewart opened the scoring on nine minutes before Gareth McGlynn and Ciaran Martyn put the visitors three up by the 39th minute.
The Derry onslaught began on nine minutes when, with the Pat's defence at sixes and sevens, Stewart stabbed home past Gary Rogers from close range following good team work from Sammy Morrow and Martyn with Pat's defender Jason Gavin also getting a touch before it hit the net.
As heavy driving rain began to fall, the Saintss tried a fight back of sorts and saw a lot of the ball, though Mark Quigley should have done a lot better with his free kick on 24 that sailed high over the bar at the Kilmainham end.
Pat's, however, looked out of sorts as the half progressed and Derry then took full control of the game with two more goals within a four-minute spell.
Firstly, McGlynn shot home having been set up by Barry Molloy on 33 minutes with a neat pass from the right.
Then a Ger O'Brien cross from the right by line was met wonderfully by Martyn who rose masterfully and headed past Rogers.
Pat's boss Jeff Kenna injected life into his side for the second period by introducing the creative Alan Cawley for Darragh Ryan.
Stephen Kenny was also forced to make a change to his Derry side with former Saint Clive Delaney being introduced for Peter Hutton, who was taken to hospital with a groin laceration.
It could have been four on 66 when Morrow connected with Steven Gray ball from the wing but he squared his ball across the face of goal. Gray was then sent off on 69 for a second bookable offence.
Pat's ploughed on against the ten men but couldn't make use of the numerical advantage though the last kick of the game was a blistering effort from Cawley that brought a fine save from Ger Doherty.
St Patrick's Athletic: Rogers, Lynch, Gavin, Harris, Moran (Haran 59), Ryan (Cawley h/t), Partridge, Byrne, Lester, Fitzpatrick, Quigley.
Derry City: Doherty, Hutton (Delaney h/t), McChrystal, Gray, Martyn, Morrow (McClean 75), Stewart (Farren 84), Kearney, O'Brien, McGlynn, Molloy.
Referee: A Buttimer.
