Following weeks of speculation, Derry City manager Gavin Dykes has resigned his position after a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Drogheda. Dykes left the Brandywell for the final time after shaking hands with his players in the dressing room.
The Candystripes have failed to find the net in six games and their latest defeat leaves them just two points off the bottom of the eircom Premier Division. It was ironic that Dykes's reign ended against Drogheda, having started his time in the Derry hotseat against Paul Doolin's side in September of last year.
Alan Reilly returned to the Drogheda side and fired them in front after just 16 minutes when he blasted the ball home from Mark Quinless’ cross.
Drogheda should have been ahead as early as the first minute but Derry keeper Patrick Jennings saved a penalty from Andy Myler. Desperate for a goal, Derry almost levelled on 30 minutes, but Alan Murphy’s free-kick took a deflection to come back off the crossbar.
Drogheda sealed their win on 70 minutes when Declan O’Brien availed of a mistake by Clive Delaney to score and seal the fate of manager Dykes.
Meanwhile, at Flancare Park, a late goal from Eric Lavine was enough to give Longford Town a 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers.
Lavine came off the bench on 83 minutes and scored the winner with his first touch. Dessie Baker whipped over a cross and Lavine, on the field just a minute, headed past Noel Mooney.
That was it for Rovers who had lost Shane Robinson three minutes earlier when he was shown a straight red card for an off the ball clash with Darragh Sheridan.
Town might have been 2-0 up at the break with a brace of chances inside a minute. John Martin volleyed over from an Alan Kirby cross before Noel Mooney made a stunning stop from Kirby’s shot from close range.
Filed by Rob Wright
