Derry City moved right back into the relegation dog-fight following this disappointing 2-0 defeat to fellow struggler’s Drogheda United in tonight's SSE Airtricity League clash at the Brandywell.
The Brandywell men certainly didn’t look like a side who had won their previous two games and Drogheda were able to secure their second win in 12 games.
The visitors had half a chance after 10 minutes when Keith Treacy brokein behind Dean Jarvis, but the former Ireland international saw his left-footed strike from the right hand side of the box hit the side-netting.
A minute later Patrick McEleney showed some neat skill but his 20-yard drive failed to test United keeper Micheal Schlingermann.
Derry stopper Gerard Doherty was called into action in the 17th minute when he did well to hold onto Ger Pender’s low drive from the edge of the box.
Another flowing move by City in the 27th minute ended with Stephen Dooley feeding McEleney, but his attempted chip from the right hand side of the box was straight into Schlingermann’s hands.
Just after the half-hour mark Ciaran O’Connor should have opened his Brandywell account, but after Dooley had created the chance, the striker skipped away from Robert O’Reilly inside the box but blasted over from 10 yards.
Schlingermann made a fantastic save after 37 minutes when he somehow kept out O’Connor’s close-range header, after Aaron McEneff’s teasing centre had picked the striker out.
The visitors took the lead in the 43rd minute after a mis-placed pass only found Adam Whelan and his superb right-wing cross was powerfully headed home by an unmarked Sean Thornton from close range.
Mark Timlin created another opening for the home side in the 52nd minute but Dooley’s attempt was cleared off the line by Joe Gorman.
Moments later Gorman was in the thick of the action down the other end of the pitch when the left-back broke the offside trap, but his 20-yard strike flashed just past Doherty’s left-hand post.
Derry thought they had levelled things in the 72nd minute but Barry McNamee’s curling free-kick hit the side-netting.
Drogheda netted a second after 77 minutes when Jason Marks made no mistake from close range after Adam Whelan’s cut-back found the midfielder who fired home past Doherty.
Derry City: Doherty, Cornwall, Barry, Jarvis; Dooley, McEneff (McLaughlin 68), McCormack, McNamee, Timlin; McEleney, O’Connor (Quigley 75).
Drogheda United: Schlingermann, Gorman, Byrne, Daly, Thornton, Pender (Mulvenna 66), Whelan (Bayly 81), O’Reilly, Treacy (Brennan 56), Buckley, Marks.
Referee: Mr Ben Connolly (Dublin).
