Derry City recorded their first win in six games as they beat Cobh Ramblers at the Brandywell while Cobh continue to struggle on the road.
It was a deserved win for the home side, who owned the ball for lengthy spells but struggled in front of goal during the opening period.
Derry striker Mark Farren should have given his side the lead within 30 seconds of the kick-off when he carelessly hit a Niall McGinn pass wide of the target from close range.
Conor Sammon also had a chance to break the deadlock in the seventh minute, but he too blasted recklessly wide of the target.
Despite being under pressure, Cobh's lively striker John Kearney brought the best out of Derry 'keeper Gerard Doherty when he forced him into making a save in the 24th minute.
Derry's dominance was rewarded five minutes after half-time when Eddie McCallion's intelligent, low centre was guided to the net from close range by the advancing Mark Farren.
Cobh came close to netting an equaliser in the 65th minute when Michael Mulconry played a superb ball through to the well-placed Kearney, but Derry 'keeper Gerard Doherty pulled off a magnificent one-handed save to deny the Cobh striker.
Cobh's misery was compounded in the 67th minute when full-back John Meade was shown a straight red card following a last-man tackle on Farren who had broken clear from midfield.
To make matters even worse for the Cork side, Kearney headed an Alan Carey cross firmly into the net in the 70th minute but the attempt was ruled out for offside.
Derry continued to dominate near the finish with Owen Morrison having two clear-cut chances to kill the game, but McCarthy did well to deny the winger on both occasions.
Derry City: Doherty ; McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, Gray; McGinn (Higgins, 74 mins), Molloy, McGlynn, Morrison; Farren, Sammon (McHugh, 80)
Cobh Ramblers: J McCarthy; Carey, B McCarthy, Murray, Meade; Cambridge, Kearney, Mulconry; Cummins, O'Reilly .
Referee: T Connolly (Dublin).
