Derry City through as Sam Todd heads Candy Stripes to FAI Cup victory over Cork City

Cork City 0, Derry City 1

Deserve - as Clint Eastwood once reminded us - has nothing to do with it!

Second half substitute Sam Todd was the goalscoring hero as Derry City staged a smash and grab raid on Leeside to ensure progression to the quarter-finals of the Sports Direct FAI Cup.

The big defender, who was introduced early in the second half for Adam O'Reilly, rose superbly to meet Ben Doherty's in-swinging 71st minute corner and decided a pulsating cup tie in which Derry were second best for long periods.

It was a goal against the run of play after Cork, with Sean Maguire and Ruairi Keating causing trouble, had passed up a number of gilt edged openings. Yet while Tim Clancy's men had Derry on the backfoot for long spells, they failed to test Brian Maher in a second half in which Ruaidhri Higgin's tactical substitutions paid huge dividends.

O'Reilly was walking a disciplinary tightrope when was he was called ashore for Todd, himself working his way back into the team after his red card at Shelbourne, but the introduction of the former UCD defender was critical. Todd was excellent but his arrival also allowed Higgins to release Cameron Dummigan into his more natural midfield position and gave Derry a stronger footing in a midfield in which they were being over-run at times first half.

The subsequent introduction of Sadou Diallo strengthened that grip further and also pushed Will Patching into the type of advance role opposition defences hate to see him. Indeed it was Patching's shot that brought the corner from which Todd grabbed the glory. Derry managed the remainder of the game well on a day when all that mattered was progressing, even if they had rode their luck at times.

After an impeccably observed minute's silence for Derry's legendary treble winning manager Jim McLaughlin, the sides wasted no time in getting down to business in an opening half dominated by the home side.

Derry showed two changes from the team held at home by Dundalk, Higgins replacing Mark Connolly with Shane McEleney and rewarding Danny Mullen's goalscoring cameo with a start in place of Daniel Kelly.

And the Candy Stripes almost had a dream start when Charlie Lyons' wayward pass out from the back presented Paul McMullan with an opportunity to drive at the home defence. Lyons took evasive action, accepting a booking for his cynical foul but from the resultant free-kick McMullan again found himself in space, this time inside the penalty area, with Wade having to block the shot at his near post.

But that was basically it as far as Derry's first half contribution went and Cork were more than playing their part. With Maguire in for a first start since his high profile return, Tim Clancy's team had an attacking look with Ruairi Keating tucked in behind Maguire in a 4-2-3-1 formation which mirrored Derry's and took full advantage of the visitors' tendency to get caught on the ball or misplace passes.

Brandywell old boy Evan McLaughlin's 8th minute corner following a superb Maguire run presented the Leesiders with their first big chance but Keating could only blaze the breaking ball over from eight yards.

Four minutes later it was Maguire's turn to test the visitors' when impressive Dutch midfielder Malik Dijksteel latched on to a Keating flick and sent the Ireland international in on goal but he dragged his shot wide of Maher's far post.

The First Division leaders were in again on 25 minutes when Cork native O'Reilly was caught in possession by Maguire whose tackle gave Dijksteel the chance to slide Keating in, but Maher was quick off his line to save at the feet of the former St. Pat's striker before McLaughlin flashed a drive over from the rebound.

It was one way traffic as next a quick Greg Bolger free saw Darragh Crowley pick out Dijksteel inside the area but Maguire was unable to adequately wrap his foot round the Dutchman's clever pull back.

The pressure was building and Cork thought they had finally breached the Derry defence two minutes before the break when Maguire's superb through ball once again split the Candy Stripes for Cathal O'Sullivan to slide a lovely finish under Maher but the linesman's flag correctly came to Derry's rescue.

Derry were on the ropes and Cork had saved their best chance for last. Paul McMullan was this time guilty of surrendering possession on halfway and he was almost made to pay when O'Sullivan found Dijksteel whose inch perfect pass looked to have handed Keating the opening goal until Ciaran Coll's brilliant last gasp intervention scrambled the ball off the line.

Cork didn't want to hear the half-time whistle but Derry needed it as the stalemate was preserved into the break.

With little changing in the opening exchanges of the second half, Higgins decided to reshuffle his pack, introducing Todd and moving Dummigan into midfield while Coll, one of Derry's best performers on the night, shifted out to right-back.

The move gave Derry more of a foothold but it was still Cork asking the questions, especially on the hour mark when Dijksteel went down under Coll's challenge. Referee Marc Lynch wasn't interested and rightly waved the appeals away.

Despite Derry creating relatively little, Pat Hoban ominously flashed a far post header wide from a Ben Doherty corner 66 minutes and Cork didn't heed the warning.

Diallo was now on for Danny Mullen and Patching pushed forward and it was his curling effort which was deflect wide on 71 minutes. Doherty swung the corner in with Todd's excellent near post run buying him the space to plant a brilliant header past Cork keeper, Wade, and hand Derry a lead they scarcely deserved.

Cork poured forward seeking the equaliser but it was Derry who should have increased their lead with 10 minutes left when another Doherty corner was headed inches wide, this time by Shane McEleney.

Keating and Bolger both aw efforts go close but for all the home pressure Maher was relatively untroubled. It may not always have been pretty but pretty doesn't win trophies. Derry are in the last eight.

Cork City: Bradley Wade, Cian Coleman, Charlie Lyons, Greg Bolger, Malik Dijksteel (Cian Murphy, 75mins), Evan McLaughlin, Ruairi Keating, Sean Murray, Darragh Crowley, Cathal O'Sullivan, Sean Maguire.

Derry City: Brian Maher, Cameron Dummigan, Ben Doherty, Ciaran Coll, Shane McEleney, Adam O'Reilly (Sam Todd, 52mins), Will Patching, Michael Duffy, Paul McMullan (Daniel Kelly, 85mins), Danny Mullen (Sadou Diallo, 70mins), Pat Hoban.

Referee: Marc Lynch