Dummigan is Derry City’s homecoming hero as Drogheda defeated

Derry City 2, Drogheda 0

Cameron Dummigan proved Derry City's homecoming hero as the midfielder's second 'Goal of the Season' contender in two months made it a winning return to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Adam O'Reilly's excellent breakaway goal one minute into injury time - his eighth Derry City goal - put the seal on a crucial three points for Tiernan Lynch's men and a fifth home win from 12 league games.

The victory was little more than the Candy Stripes deserved. With Dummigan and O'Reilly imperious in the middle of the park, Derry were on control for long periods and limited a Drogheda side two places beneath them in eighth place to only one meaningful effort, that a first half shot from Thomas Oluwa which struck the bar.

Missing James Clarke, Derry City always looked like they had enough in the tank to get over the line for a win fans will be hoping represents a turning point now that the club is back at Brandywell and playing on a surface they can rightly claim to be the best in the league.

Lynch made one change from the team that started in Tallaght on Monday, James Olayinka coming in for Kevin Dos Santos who tweaked his hamstring in the 1-1 draw with Rovers.

Dos Santos was fit enough to take his place on a youthful looking home bench which included teenagers Terence Doherty, Callum Downey, Caolan O'Donnell, Liam Kelly and Oisin O'Brien, the latter duo only 15 years of age.

Three of those teens had already made their first team debuts this season such is the pressure on the Brandywell squad over the past three months but the return home and the superb new playing surface brought a renewed optimism, optimism which Derry had rewarded inside half an hour.

A non-descript opening period was interrupted on three minutes by an Olayinka run and Michael Duffy chance which was comfortably saved by Drogs' No. 1 Luke Dennison.

Derry should have hit the front on 25 minutes when Adam O'Reilly, operating as part of a three man midfield with Olayinka and Cameron Dummigan, drove down the left before reversing a lovely ball inside to find Fleming's underlapping run. The full-back got his head up and squared perfectly for the arriving Olayinka but the former Arsenal youth crashed his effort off the underside of the bar from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.

If that was a let-off for Drogheda, their reprieve proved short lived as Derry hit the front just three minutes later with a moment of pure class.

Drogheda obviously weren't paying attention to May's 'Goal of the Month' competition because when Michael Duffy's free-kick was deflected behind for a Derry they ignored Dummigan loitering outside the penalty. The corner was cleared but controlled perfectly by the Derry midfielder who looked up and curled home another gorgeous 'Gola of the Season' contender after his breathtaking strike at Dundalk last month.

Ironically the goal was Dummigan's first at the Brandywell since his June 2024 'Goal of the Month' winner against..... yep, you've guessed it, Drogheda!

Drogheda, who hadn't had an effort on goal to that point, almost levelled on 35 minutes when Jason Bucknor's pull-back found Thomas Oluwa on the edge of the area, the winger's beautiful bending shot striking the bar on its way behind.

Duffy saw another low effort well saved by Dennison while Liam Boyce had half hearted appeals for a penalty turned down following a challenge by Conor Keely but Derry were well worth their half-time lead.

Derry started the second half as they had finished the first, on the front foot with Duffy's whipping in a shot that found the top of the net with Dennison a spectator.

Drogheda introduced Ethan O'Brien and Jago Goddens in a bid to wrestle control from their hosts but Derry, with Dummigan a controlling influence, remained in the driving seat without being able to fashion a clear cut opportunity.

Duffy saw an effort superbly blocked by Keeley but otherwise neither keeper was seriously tested. Derry, who had goalkeeper Brian Maher back on the bench, suffered another injury blow on 81 minutes when Darragh Markey, who had replaced Jams McClean only minutes earlier, was forced off with what looked a recurrence of the Achilles injury he's been nursing over recent games.

Markey's replacement was Rob Slevin, another returning from a long injury lay-off, who came on to make his first appearance since facing Dundalk in April.

Derry remained in control but Drogheda threw caution to the wind in the final 10 minutes and it took a superb Conor Barr tackle on Mark Doyle inside the six yard box to stop the big forward converting an inviting cross.

Derry should have made the game safe when Barry Cotter broke into the Drogheda half but with Michael Duffy in support, the full-back's poor pass found Conor Kane, Drogheda's only covering defender.

It mattered little as one minute into injury time Duffy was breaking away and finding Adam O'Reilly who finished well beyond Dennison. Derry were home and home with a crucial three points.

Derry City: Eddie Beach, Barry Cotter, Connor Barr, Patrick McClean, Brandon Fleming; Cameron Dummigan, James Olayinka, Adam O'Reilly; James McClean (Darragh Markey, 68mins (Rob Slevin, 81mins)), Liam Boyce, Michael Duffy.

Drogheda United: Luke Dennison, Edwin Agbaje, Leo Burney (James Bolger, 71mins), Conor Keeley, Conor Kane; Jason Bucknor, Shane Farrell, Ryan Brennan (Ethan O'Brien, 59mins), Thomas Oluwa (Jago Godden, 64mins), Brandon Kavanagh (Fuhad Kareem, 71mins); Mark Doyle.

Referee: Alan Patchell (Dublin).