Capital gains for Derry City as Liam Boyce clinches victory over St Pat's at Richmond Park

DERRY CITY made it a double in Dublin as Liam Boyce's first half header clinched another precious victory over a struggling St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park.

Tiernan Lynch insisted he had a few scores to settle after previous trips to the capital where they earned just a single point from four fixtures. However, after a 1-0 win against Shelbourne at Tolka Park on Friday night, the Candy Stripes followed that up with another impressive win and clean sheet against the Saints in Inchicore.

They remain two points behind second placed Bohemians while the Gypsies' victory over Shamrock Rovers means the Brandywell men close that gap on the leaders to 11 with two games in hand.

Ronan Boyce crossed for his namesake Liam on 29 minutes and his glancing header nestled into the net - a lead Derry defended resolutely for 67 minutes!

It was Boyce’s fifth goal of the season but his first in six matches as he chose the perfect time to rediscover his goalscoring form.

It was a far cry from the 2-0 loss to Stephen Kenny's side on their last visit to Inchicore when they conceded twice from the penalty spot after Carl Winchester had been controversially sent off.

It's a third successive defeat for St Pat's but having been winless from four trips to Dublin, it's now six points in the space of four productive days and battling performances from Lynch's troops who have the bit between their teeth heading into two home matches against Drogheda and Waterford.

Newly appointed Head of Recruitment Michael Mackin was a notable presence on the bench beside first team coach Patrick McEleney with the ex-Burton Albion chief analyst already making his moves in the transfer market with the imminent arrival of Scottish midfielder Adam Frizzell from Airdrie.

Adam O'Reilly was back from his one match suspension but started on the bench as Tiernan Lynch kept faith in the team that started that 1-0 win over Shelbourne on Friday night as the Brandywell men were hoping to record back-to-back wins since the first week in May.

St Pat's, who won just twice in their last 12 matches and were without a win in three, made two changes from the 3-1 loss to Galway United with Sean Hoare replacing Tom Grivosti and ex-Derry City midfielder Brandon Kavanagh preferred to Aidan Keena who started on the bench.

The Dubliners were bossing the ball in the opening stages with Derry unable to get out of their own half as Simon Power, Zach Elbezedi and Brandon Kavanagh were causing all sorts of problems with their deliveries from wide positions.

Two of that trio were involved in the first real chance of the match as Power shifted the ball onto his left foot and crossed unchallenged into the box where Kavanagh tried the spectacular with an overhead which went off target on 10 minutes.

Four minutes later Kavanagh crossed from a free kick on the right side and his dangerous delivery into a packed penalty was missed by everyone including Jamie Lennon who misjudged the flight of the ball at the back post. It was a let-off for the visitors.

Derry were warming to the occasion after 20 minutes but after a promising spell, Pat's countered and when Jason McClelland laid the ball into the path of Kavanagh, the midfielder fired his first time effort from 25 yards narrowly over the crossbar.

Against the run of play Derry hit the front on 29 minutes. Winchester slotted the ball through to Duffy in the middle of the park and the winger played an excellent weighted pass to set Ronan Boyce into space. The Ramelton man crossed towards the near post where his namesake Liam Boyce sent a glancing header into the net from close range.

Neither side created anything of note after that but Derry finished strongest and were certainly the happiest going in at the break.

Derry made a change at the break with Ronan Boyce replaced by O'Reilly who slotted in at right wing back.

St Pat's made a blistering start to the second half with a swift attack on the left side as McClelland crossed into the Derry six yard box and Mason Melia got in between Connolly and Kevin Holt but couldn't get enough on his close range effort which fell safely into the hands of Brian Maher.

At the other end O'Reilly crossed across the face of the Saints goalmouth but agonisingly just out of reach of Duffy who failed to get a connection at full stretch on 47 minutes.

There were concerns for Derry when skipper Connolly went down injured clutching his hamstring and was replaced by Shane Ferguson. Lynch made the opportunity to make two further subs as Paul McMullan replaced Whyte and Danny Mullen who came on for goalscorer Boyce on 61 minutes.

Elbouzedi did well to come inside from the right and find Kavanagh who sent a well struck effort from the edge of the area just wide of the post on 65 minutes after a lovely move from the home side.

Kenny went all out attack for the final 20 minutes in a desperate attempt to avoid a third consecutive defeat as Keena entered the fray at the expense of Sjoberg.

Duffy tried his luck with an ambitious free-kick from 30 yards and was unfortunate not to find the target as it sailed narrowly over with Joseph Anang beaten.

Keena tried an effort from 25 yards but Maher was equal to it with 10 minutes to go as Derry soaked up the pressure.

Holt bravely headed clear Mulreaney's blistering goalbound strike on 85 minutes. When Paul McMullan handled the ball outside the Derry penalty area McClelland stepped up to take a free-kick on 94 minutes but it was too close to Maher who came to claim and Derry claimed all three points.

St Pats: Anang: Hoare, Redmond, Sjoberg (Keena 71), Power; Elbouzedi, McClelland, Baggley (Forrester 68), Kavanagh (Mulreaney 78), Lennon, Melia (Leavy 77).

Derry City: Maher; R. Boyce (O'Reilly h-t), Connolly (Ferguson 61), Holt, Cann, Todd; Whyte (McMullan 61), Winchester, Diallo (Benson 73), Duffy; L. Boyce (Mullen 62).

Referee - (Mark Houlihan)