Derry City claim the first silverware of the season as James McClean impresses in midfield setting up Darragh Markey to score the games only goal.
Shamrock Rovers 0
Derry City 1
The first domestic trophy of the season was up for grabs today in Tallaght Stadium with notable offseason signings James McClean and Jake Mulraney starting for their respective clubs for the annual showpiece fixture.
Shamrock Rovers looked to set the tempo in the early exchanges with Jack Byrne dropping deep to dictate play, but it was Derry City who had the games first shot in the 2nd minute when on loan signing Josh Thomas broke through on goal forcing Alex Noonan into an early save.
Derry City started the brighter with multiple corner kicks causing chaos in the Hoops defence with Brandon Fleming and Patrick McClean coming close from James McClean and Michael Duffy deliveries respectively.
in the 13th minute Rovers came closest to breaking the deadlock when Ireland U17 International Max Kovalevskis squared to Jake Mulraney inside the Derry box, his shot was blocked by Patrick McClean. Minutes later Mulraney had another glorious chance to open his Rovers account calling Brian Maher into action saving a deflected effort.
Mulraney would test Maher for a third time in quick succession in the candystripes goal from a Jack Byrne free kick. The first yellow card of the game was shown to Byrne in the 23rd minute for a tackle on the returning James McClean, a warm way to welcome back the Irish Centurion. His manager Stephen Bradley subsequently earned a yellow card for complaints on the intensity of the Boynesider’s tackling.
The evergreen James McClean would however leave his mark in the 33rd minute, the Derry native skipped by Kovalevskis before squaring the ball to Darragh Markey who whistled his shot clean off the crossbar and in to beat Alex Noonan in the Hoops goal. The story of the pre match leadup to the final was how quickly debutants would kick the ground running, quite fitting that two new signings combined for the games opening goal.
Shamrock Rovers started the second half with a quadruple change in their ranks with PFAI Team of the Year midfielder Matt Healy coming on in place of Connor Malley. Adam O’Reilly came on at halftime for Derry for Carl Winchester in midfield.
Derry’s dominance would continue with the first big chance of the second half falling to Derry City substitute Adam O’Reilly who raced one on one against Rovers shot-stopper Ed McGinty who came up trumps in the battle of the second half substitutes.
In the 56th minute Arsenal bound man Victor Ozhianvuna forced Rob Slevin into a crunching tackle earning the games sixth yellow card of the evening dispelling the claim that both clubs are treating this years Presidents Cup as a pre season friendly.
Ed McGinty would be called into action to save another one on one, this time from Josh Thomas after Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto Lopes failed to deal with a long ball, skewing his header backwards and into the path of Thomas.
New signing Adam Brennan sparked creativity and drive in Rovers left flank and in the 70th minute flashed a cross to John McGovern who couldn’t keep his header down. Michael Duffy’s pace in transition caused Rovers problems on the counter attack all night and he nearly found that games second goal with an acrobatic volley spinning just wide.
In the final ten minutes Derry called upon exciting Portuguese winger Kevin Dos Santos to make his debut in place of former Shamrock Rovers academy player James Clarke.
With Shamrock Rovers pressing for an equaliser, John McGovern spun, and swiviled a shot towards goal blocked by Derry centre half Rob Slevin. McGovern and the fans behind the goal protest for handball but referee Kevin O’Sullivan waves play on. Brian Maher in the 86th minute would produce his first save of the second half from a Matt Healy strike.
Maher would produce another fine stop in injury time claiming a Mulraney fizzed cross. City’s Dos Santos had a guilt edged chance to wrap the game up in the 93rd minute, with McGinty saving his effort initially before the Portuguese import missed an open goal on the rebound
Derry City held out in the end from a late Shamrock Rovers surge to claim the first domestic silverware available this season.
Man of the Match: James McClean
Derry City’s midfield was key to stifling the double champions and James McClean was at the heart of that playing in an unorthodox position for the ex Irish International. McClean’s energy and commitment off the ball proved to be too much for Rovers in the end. The games winning goal was supplied expertly to Darragh Markey, summing up McClean’s performance in the end.
Shamrock Rovers(3-4-1-1) Alex Noonan, Adam Mathews, Roberto Lopes, Daniel Cleary, Cory O’Sullivan, Connor Malley, Jack Byrne, Victor Ozhianvuna, Max Kovalevskis, Jake Mulraney, John McGovern: Subs Dylan Watts for Jack Byrne (46′), Matt Healy for Connor Malley (46′), Danny Grant for Max Kovalevskis (46′), Ed McGinty for Alex Noonan (46′), Adam Brennan for Adam Matthews (62′)
Derry City(4-2-3-1) Brian Maher, Brandon Fleming, Patrick McClean, Robert Slevin, Alex Bannon, Carl Winchester, Darragh Markey, James McClean, James Clarke, Michael Duffy, Joshua Thomas: Subs Adam O’Reilly for Carl Winchester (46′), Kevin Dos Santos for James Clarke (79′), Ben Doherty for Alex Bannon (80′), Henry Rylah for Joshua Thomas (88′)
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan
Attendance: 4,711