Derry City (3) - St Patrick's Athletic (0)

Derry City 3 - St Patrick's Athletic 0

Derry City empathically knocked out the Sports Direct FAI Cup holders St Patrick's Athletic, following a fantastic second half performance, at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Three second half goals from Danny Mullen (2) and Michael Duffy in the space of 14 minutes sealed the comfortable victory and Will Patching also missed from the spot, before the goalscoring had even started.

Ruaidhri Higgins' men showed great courage to bounce back from their Europa Conference League exit to part-time side Bruno Magpies on Thursday night, by putting on a tremendous second half display and in truth should have won by a bigger margin.

The visitors should have taken a seventh minute lead as Jake Mulraney got in behind the City back line to latch onto Brandon Kavanagh's clever cross, but with only Brian Maher to beat, the left winger failed to hit the target. Maher had to make a top notch save on 21 minutes as Mulraney's run and cross from the left found Chris Forrester at the back post, but the midfielder's first time volley was tipped away by the City shot-stopper.

A Patching corner from the left in the 37th minutes found Mark Connolly at the back post, but his downward header was cleared off the line by Anto Breslin. Derry missed a great chance to take a 48th minute lead from the penalty spot, after referee Robert Harvey pointed to the spot, after Carl Axel Sjoberg had upended Paul McMullan inside box, but Patching's resulting effort from 12 yards was well kept out by a diving Joseph Anang, the big keeper dived to his left to keep the effort out.

Patching went close minutes later when his dipping 25 yard strike, which had Anang struggling, landed on top of the net. Derry did break the deadlock in fortunate circumstances as Michael Duffy broke clear down the left and his cut-back to the near post was cleverly back-heeled home by Mullen at the near post.

With their tails up the home side pushed forward and should have netted a second minutes later as Mullen's cut-back found Adam O'Reilly and his powerful shot from 12 yards was bravely charged away by Tom Grivosti.

From Ben Doherty's resulting right wing corner on 58 minutes Mullen made no mistake rising high to powerfully head home his second of the game, past Anang from six yards. Soon after Duffy got in behind the Saints back-line down the left but his first time shot was kept out by Anang.

Duffy did get on the score-sheet on 67 minutes when O'Reilly fed him the ball inside the box, the winger took a touch before guiding the ball low into Anang's bottom left hand corner.

The Brandywell men went close to scoring a fourth on 83 minutes as substitute Pat Hoban broke through a few challenges, before seeing his close range shot pushed away by Anang.

© rte.ie

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Derry City 3 - St Patrick's Athletic 0

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