Derry City 3-0 Dundalk

Liam Kearney celebrated his return to action following a fractured leg, with Derry City's third goal at the Brandywell on Friday night.

And the pint sized Corkman certainly celebrated his superb header after an absence of three months. He may well have received a yellow card for removing his shirt, but that will have mattered little.

And it was a deserved victory for the Candystripes who bounced back from their shock home defeat by Galway in midweek.

As was the case on Tuesday, Derry got off to the best possible start when scsoring after just three minutes, but on this occasion Stephen Kenny's men refused to rest on their laurels.

Barry Molloy produced a superb through ball to find Thomas Stewart and he side-stepped the advancing keeper Peter Cherrie, before guiding the ball into the empty net from 12 yards.

Dundalk threatened from set-pieces afterwards with Michael McGowan testing Derry keeper, Gerard Doherty before the home side doubled their lead in the 29th minute.

And Molloy was involved again having dispossessed Paul McAreavey, the midfielder set up Tam McManus and the Scot produced a superb finish from 20 yards.

Dundalk’s woes were compounded in the 43rd minute when striker, Alex Williams, was first booked for a challenge on David Scullion. However, whatever the player said to referee, Tomas Connolly, an immediate red card was produced.

Indeed, during injury time at the end of the first half Derry had two efforts strike the woodwork.

Gareth McGlynn headed a Scullion cross off the crossbar while one minute later Ciaran Martyn saw his header crash off the upright with Cherrie beaten.

Following the change of ends McAreavey went close with a free-kick in the 51st minute while at the other end Martyn headed wide of the target when he should have done better in the 74th minute.

Four minutes later the home side was presented with an opportunity to end the match as a contests, Derry’s Liam Kearney upended inside the area by Michael Daly, the referee pointing to the spot.

However, Mark Farren, who had entered the fray two minutes earlier as a substitute, failed to convert when Cherrie pulled off a top drawer stop.

But Kearney celebrated his return with that killer third goal three minutes from time, the substitute arrowing his header beyond Cherrie after Scullion had provided the cross.

Derry City: Doherty; McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, McClean (Kearney, 56); McGlynn, Molloy, Martyn, Scullion; McManus (Farren, 76), Stewart (Nash, 89).

Dundalk: Cherrie; Coburn (Mansaram, h-t, Murphy, 92), Heary, Burns, McKinley (Smith, 92); Kelly, Daly, McAreavey, McGowan; Rowe, Williams.

Referee – Mr. T. Connolly (Dublin).

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