Adam O'Reilly goal sees Derry City move fourth after victory over Galway United

Derry City 1, Galway United 0

Adam O'Reilly's first half goal proved enough to see Derry City go fourth in the Premier Division table after Friday's FAI Cup semi-final dress rehearsal against Galway United at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

O'Reilly punced on the stroke of half-time, guiding Michael Duffy's cross beyond the reach of Galway No. 1, Hugo Pires Da Cunha and make it five wins and two draws from eight games under interim manager Mark Connolly. And it was little more than The Candy Stripes deserved from a game in which the margin of victory should have been more emphatic.

The home side bossed possession throughout thanks to the influence of O'Reilly and Nick Twisk who won the midfield battle with Derry's productive left wing once again the source of the winning goal.

Just as pleasing for Monaghan native Connolly though will be a second clean sheet in three games after last week's hard earned 1-0 victory against Shelbourne, with Patrick McClean and Jamie Stott largely untroubled in an impressive defensive display that brought a first clean sheet against Galway in eight games.

And with Dundalk losing to Shelbourne on the same night, Derry leapfrogged the Lilywhites into the top four to keep alive hopes of European qualification.

After a busy schedule of three games in eight games, Brandywell boss Connolly opted for two changes from the side that started Monday's draw in Waterford, Tyler Smith and Ellis Chapman coming back in at the expense of James Clarke and Liam Boyce who dropped to the bench. John Caulfield meanwhile retained the same 11 that started the 3-1 victory at Sligo.

But it was the home side who bossed the early exchanges, Michael Duffy unlucky to see a fourth minute penalty appeal waved away after he appeared to have slipped away from Conor Barratt just inside the box.

O'Reilly, fresh from his 45 yard wonder strike at the RSC on Monday, then tried his luck from slightly closer after Twisk won possession in midfield; O'Reilly's 30 yard effort this time clearing the Galway bar by only inches. Tyler Smith was also agonisingly close to getting his foot to Chapman's inviting which flash across the Galway six yard box.

Galway's main threat tended to come from set-plays but Derry for the second time in seven days Derry were indebted to Cameron Dummigan for a brilliant last ditch tackle. The right back covered superbly when Kris Twardek bundled a pass through to Stephen Walsh who was in the clear and six yards from goal until Dummigan interceded.

Yet goalmouth incidents were the exception in an arm wrestle of a half which looked set for deadlock until Derry's left flank did what it has been doing all season and finally opened the game up.

Fleming was the architect this time, reversing a lovely ball to find Duffy's clever underlap. The City captain's cross deflected off Galway centre-half Wasiri Williams and fell perfectly for the arriving O'Reilly who slotted home his second goal in five days. It was the first time Derry had taken the lead against Galway in six matches and it was good enough to see them lead at the break.

The Candy Stripes continued to dominate the ball after the restart, Duffy seeing a 25 yard free-kick fizz over the Galway bar before Connolly's team came within millimetres from extending their lead on 53 minutes.

Smith did well to send Duffy scampering down the left but when the City talisman fired a sublime ball across goal with the outside of his foot which took out the entire Galway defence and keeper Da Cunha, neither the inrushing Smith nor O'Reilly could make contact with the empty goal gaping.

Four minutes later it was Darragh Burns’ turn to go close. Again Tiwsk was the man winning possession in the middle of the park and sending the winger away down the right. Burns’ initial shot was blocked but the rebound broke kindly, the winger then driving his near post shot only marginally wide with Da Cunha rooted to the spot.

Both sides made triple substitutions with 20 minutes left, and all six were made with an attacking intent as Franz Pierrot, Francely Lomboto and Dylan Connolly saw Galway for broke, a move that was met head on by Mark Connolly who introduced James Clarke, Liam Boyce and Kevin Dos Santos.

Yet despite the upheaval, Derry remained in control with the best chance of the final 20 minutes falling to Boyce inside the Galway penalty area only for the for Hearts frontman to dwell too long and see his shot blocked.

It mattered little. Derry had done enough and deserved their win. Next up? The small matter of a FAI Cup trip to Eamonn Deacy Park an and even bigger meeting with The Tribesmen. Roll on October 10th.

Derry City: Tom Norcott, Cameron Dummigan, Jamie Stott, Patrick McClean, Brandon Fleming; Nick Twisk, Adam O’Reilly, Ellis Chapman (James Clarke, 70); Darragh Burns (Kevin Dos Santos, 70), Tyler Smith (Liam Boyce, 70), Michael Duffy.

Galway United: Hugo Pires Da Cunha; Anthony O’Connor, Connor Barrett (Al-Amin Kazeem, 81), Jimmy Keohane, Stephen Walsh (Franz Pierrot, 70), Aaron Bolger, David Hurley (Dylan Connolly, 70), Kris Twardek (Francely Lomboto, 70), Gianfranco Facchinen, Wasiri Williams, Lee Devitt.

Referee: Mark Houlihan