Derry City ended their return to the Brandywell with a dreadful display as Cork City made it a worthwhile journey with a 3-0 win on the road.
Kenny Shiels’ side suffered their 18th league defeat of the season, as they produced one of their worst displays at home this campaign.
Cork had a super chance to take the lead on 12 minutes as Barry McNamee’s clever pass found Graham Cummins, but with Derry keeper Gerard Doherty off his line, the striker’s looping header failed to hit the target.
The deadlock was broken two minutes later as the visitors hit Derry on the counter-attack as Garry Buckley amazingly cut right through the Derry midfield before running some 40 yards and finding McNamee, who showed his class firing home low into Doherty’s bottom right hand corner.
To their credit after that early set-back Derry pushed forward looking for an equaliser with both Ben Fisk and Ally Roy going close. Firstly the Candian winger blasted just wide and the Scots striker drew a good save off Peter Cherrie.
Derry’s season was summed up early in the second half as Kieran Sadler’s left wing corner was punched into his own net by Doherty.
Just before the hour mark a Fisk lay-off found Aaron McEneff, but the midfielder’s 20 yard strike was saved at the second attempt by Peter Cherrie.
Cork added a third on 87 minutes in stunning fashion as substitute Shane Daly-Butz, with his first touch, saw his curling effort from the right hand side of the pitch fly over a despairing Doherty.
Derry City: Doherty, McDonagh, Toal, Cole, McHattie; Low (Shiels HT), McEneff (McNamee 883), Rory Hale; Roy, Ronan Hale, Fisk (Delap 76).
Cork City: Cherrie, McCarthy, Delaney, Barry, Hurley (Griffin 63); Morrissey, Buckley (Daly-Butz 85), Keohane; McNamee, Cummins (Murphy 80), Sadlier.
Referee: Damien MacGraith (Dublin).
