Derry City 0 - St Patrick's Athletic 1Champions St Patrick's Athletic secured the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division points at Derry City thanks to a backs to the wall display at the Brandywell. Aaron Greene's second-half strike was enough for the Dubliners to win, but in truth it was Brendan Clarke's display in goals that meant Liam Buckley's side earned the victory. The Brandywell men suffered a set-back before the game after Shane McEleney picked up an injury in the warm-up and was replaced in the starting line-up with Sean Houston, while Christy Fagan also picked up a knee injury and was replaced by Mark Quigley. St Pat’s started on the front foot and they were unfortunate not to take the lead in the first minute when Keith Fahey’s well hit shot through a few players was superbly kept out by a full stretched Gerard Doherty. Derry had a half-chance on 40 minutes but Shaun Kelly’s shot on the turn inside the visitor’s penalty box flew over the bar. Just before the break Killian Brennan was inches away from scoring a wonder goal, but his 25 yard free-kick, which had Doherty well beaten, clipped the outside of the post. The visitors broke the deadlock on 47 minutes after a slick passing move which ended with Greene running at the heart of the City defence, before making no mistake drilling the ball home past Doherty. Derry responded well and they should have levelled things a minute later but Philip Lowry’s close-range strike, which looked all the way a goal, was blocked by a diving Sean Hoare. The post came to Buckley’s side’s rescue when Stephen Dooley’s fantastic drive, which had Clarke beaten, came back off the post. The home side missed another golden chance on 74 minutes when Houston burst into the Saints’ box, but with only Clarke to beat, the midfielder’s shot was kept out by the net-minder. Clarke again was called into action when at full stretch he did well to keep out Patrick McEleney’s thunderous 20 yard drive before coolly tipping over Barry McNamee’s well struck free-kick five minutes before time. © rte.ie
