A majestic Derry City sauntered to an easy victory in Terryland Park as they destroyed a desperate Galway United with a scintillating opening half-hour of football where they netted four times.
It was Galway who precipitated the rout when on four minutes erratic goalkeeper Alvin Rouse made a mess of a tame Gareth McGlynn effort to give the visitors an ideal start.
Despite offering glimpses of promising football after this setback Galway were undone again on twenty minutes when fine work from Niall McGinn on the right set up Mark Farren to glance the ball home with his right foot from the six yard box.
Whatever semblance of a contest that might have remained was effectively shattered in a sixty second spell that only served to emphasize Derry's class.
McGinn scored on 29 minutes after stealing free on the right and Galway had barely digested the indignity of shipping three at home before Thomas Stewart made it four when he finished off an emphatic finish.
Derry visably relaxed after that fourth goal while a bemused home team failed to make any major impression on scoreboard, pitch or fans alike.
Near misses for player-manager Jeff Kenna and Derek Glynn ensued in the second but it proved immaterial as Derry coasted to as comfortable an away victory as one could hope for.
Galway United: Rouse; Kenna (Conneely, 79), Fitzgerald (McBrien, 61), Lester, McCulloch; O’Shea, Foley, Murphy, Fenn; Faherty (Molloy, 84), Glynn.
Derry City: Doherty; Deery, Delaney (Molloy, 77), Hutton (McCallion, 32) McCrystal; McGinn, McGlynn, Higgins, Martyn, Stewart; Farren (McHugh, 81).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork)
