Super-sub Kelly helps Derry City to first away win of campaign

Derry City 2

DERRY CITY CLAIMED their first away win of the season in their 600th away fixture since their inception when they proved too good for a disjointed Waterford FC at the RSC.

First-half substitute Daniel Kelly proved to be the difference between the two sides as he won a first-half penalty which was converted by Will Patching for his second goal of the season. Then Kelly’s shot that was saved by Sam Sargeant 15 minutes from time was blasted home by Pat Hoban.

After Derry won the meeting at the Brandywell earlier in the year, they didn’t have to get out of second gear really to dispatch of Keith Long’s charges. A quiet first-half changed on 35 minutes when Kelly replaced the injured Ben Doherty and, within minutes, he won a spot-kick when fouled by Robbie McCourt with Patching firing past Sargeant.

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Will Patching converts a penalty.

Hoban should have doubled the lead on 48 minutes, but he somehow headed over after Paul McMullan’s delivery before Rowan McDonald had a rare Waterford chance on 67 minutes, but his shot cleared the bar after Ben McCormack’s cross.

Derry doubled their lead eight minutes later thanks to some poor defending from the hosts. Darragh Leahy was caught in possession that saw Adam O’Reilly set up Kelly, who burst into the area, and after his shot was saved, Hoban fired home the close-range rebound.

Waterford had a chance to get themselves back into the game with 81 minutes on the clock when Connor Parsons turned provider for Padraig Amond on the right-side of the area, but his effort from ten yards came crashing back off the underside of the crossbar with Brian Maher beaten.

Waterford FC: Sargeant; Power, Leahy, Horton, McCourt (Radkowski 76); McDonald, McCormack (Pattisson 76), Macadam (McMenamy 90); Asamoah (Evans 63), Amond, Parsons.

Derry City: Maher; Boyce, Connolly, McJannet, Coll; Doherty (Kelly 35), O’Reilly, Patching, McMullan (Harkin 90); Mullen (Duffy 76), Hoban.

Ref: Alan Patchell (Dublin).

Attendance: 2264