Derry City leave it late as Adam O'Reilly secures victory at Galway United in injury time

Galway United 1, Derry City 2

Adam O'Reilly's injury time goal secured a first Premier Division victory in five games for 10-man Derry City who came from behind to grab a huge three points against Galway United on Friday night.

Tiernan Lynch's team, who fell behind to Jimmy Keohane's opener, were level before the break thanks to Dipo Akinyemi's second goal for the club but then lost Jamie Stott to an 84th minute red which appeared to have thwarted hopes of the win.

Yet with Galway pouring forward for a goal that would have move them further away from any relegation worries, Derry won the ball back and Michael Duffy – who else – carved them open with a sublime slip pass to O'Reilly. O'Reilly picked out the run of Akinyemi who got into the box, looked up and perfectly returned the favour for the second half substitute who had carried on his run to tap home a goal that could prove crucial for Derry's bid to secure European football for next season.

After the disappointment of Drogheda, this was a real show of character from a Derry side who have faced plenty of questions over recent weeks. Plenty didn't go their way; injuries and the Stott dismissal meant they lost all three starting centre halves during the game while Pat Hickey will still be scratching at how he didn't put Galway 2-1 up early in the second half from a three yard header.

But Derry deserved this. Mickey Duffy - who was again superb - has added leadership to his considerable box of tricks and looks on a different level, especially with his new found freedom to drift into a central role. He wasn't on the scoresheet but his fingerprints were all over this victory. As were Akinyemi's. Quiet for most of the match, he still finished with a goal and a assist by delivering in the key moments. Brandon Fleming also had another excellent game.

And considering Derry's last victory in Galway back in April - a thrilling 2-3 win - kickstarted a run of six straight league wins, Tiernan Lynch will be hoping this one has a similar galvanising effect.

Lynch made one change to the 11 that started last week's against Drogheda with Ronan Boyce, linked with a move to Coleraine in midweek, returning at the expense of O'Reilly. There was good news too on the Candy Stripes bench with a welcome return for Shaun Patton and Cameron Dummigan, the latter yet to make an appearance this season after an injury ravaged year.

And the visitors started well on the slick Eamon Deacy Park surface which must have seemed a world away from the slow 4G surface that the Brandywell has been over the last three or four weeks.

Mark Connolly sent one header over the bar under before former Glentoran midfielder Bobby Burns produced a brilliant defensive header to deny Boyce a back post tap in from an inviting left wing cross.

Yet despite Derry's start it was The Tribesmen who struck first with a 16th minute opener. The goal came against the run of play but there was no denying its quality as Ed McCarthy started a counter that flew up the Galway right before winding its way left via Pat Hickey and Stephen Walsh and finding itself at the feet of Burns.

Burns had time to get his head up and probably couldn't believe the space Keohane had found inside the Derry penalty area, Keohane taking Burns' pass and curling a delightful finish beyond Brian Maher from 15 yards.

Buoyed by the goal, Galway found another gear as Diallo was then caught in possession by David Hurley whose shot was deflected, forcing Maher into a superb one handed reaction save. The Derry No. 1 produced an even better save on Walsh's follow-up but the flag had already been raised.

Eventually Derry weathered the storm and would have been level 10 minutes before the break only for McCarthy's goal-line heroics which stopped not one, but two goalbound efforts inside seconds of each other

First up was Bannon who met Duffy's corner well only to see McCarthy perfectly positioned on the post. The defender's scrambled appearance was then met by Fleming who fired it back in goalwards only to see McCarthy at it again, clearing from under his own bar for a second time.

Undeterred Derry finally got the equaliser they deserved three minutes from half-time and it was that man Akinyemi, who scored City's last league goal against Bohemians on July 25th. Another City corner was only half cleared and recycled back to Diallo whose lovely driven cross was headed back across goal by Fleming for Akinyemi to tap home at the near post.

If parity was the least the visitors deserved at half-time they should have been behind again within three minutes of the restart when Hickey somehow missed an open goal from three yards.

Gavin Whyte was caught on the ball by the impressive Robert Slevin who drove to the by-line and sent over an excellent cross which took out both Brian Maher and Jamie Stott. Hickey had the goal at his mercy but sent his header over the bar in a moment which will haunt the big front man.

It was a major let off and Derry hopes another suffered a blow on 58 minutes when Connolly was forced off. With Hayden Cann having replaced Alex Bannon at the break, it meant Derry had lost two of their three starting centre halves.

Indeed two from three became three from three with five minutes left when Stott, booked in the opening half for a foul on Hickey, brought down substitute Dara McGuinness as he surged through on goal; referee Rob Hennessy having little option but to show the former Morecambe defender a second yellow and bring his evening to a premature end.

Boosted by the extra man, Galway threw men forward but it was Derry - and Adam O'Reilly - who had the final say for three points that could prove huge in City's race to secure European football.

Galway United: Brendan Clarke, Robert Slevin, Killian Brouder, Garry Buckley, Colm Horgan (Dara McGuinness, HT), Bobby Burns, David Hurley, Jimmy Keohane, Edward McCarthy (Aaron Bolger, 70mins), Pat Hickey, Stephen Walsh (Jeremy Sivi, 90mins).

Derry City: Brian Maher, Brandon Fleming, Jamie Stott, Mark Connolly (Sam Todd, 58mins), Alex Bannon (Hayden Cann, HT), Ronan Boyce, Sadou Diallo, Carl Winchester (Adam O'Reilly, 81mins), Gavin Whyte (Shaun Patton 71mins) Michael Duffy, Dipo Akinyemi.

Referee: Rob Hennessy