Gavin Whyte's first Derry City goal proves the winner against 10 man Galway

GAVIN Whyte's first Derry City goal deep into stoppage time proved to be the winner against 10 man Galway United at a rain-soaked Eamonn Deacy Park on a night of real drama on the west coast.

After a demoralising 3-1 home defeat to Drogheda United last week no one would have predicted Derry would bounce back with an emphatic win against a stubborn Galway side who went into the match five points better off than the visitors.

Derry went into the game as the league's joint lowest scorers but scored three at a venue they had failed to win since 2015.

It was their first win at Eamonn Deacy Park in seven attempts and it moved them to within five points of the league leaders after 10 games.

It was a night of firsts for the Brandywell men as Danny Mullen registered his first goal of the season - his 14th in a Derry shirt but his first in 13 matches as he headed in from close range on 16 minutes after Evan Watts had parried clear Michael Duffy's stinging strike.

It wouldn't be a Derry City game without its share of controversy and it arrived just before half-time on this occasion. Mullen was in an offside position when the ball was played forward but when Whyte ran from deep to get onto the end of it and found himself clean through on goal, match referee Declan Toland blew the whistle as his assistant waved his flag to signal offside.

The Derry bench were furious and moments later Rob Slevin found the run of Pat Hickey with a long punt into the box and the striker finished emphatically for the equaliser.

As the teams made their way down the tunnel at the interval City boss Tiernan Lynch was shown a straight red card for the second time this season for his reaction to that controversial offside decision with Galway assistant Ollie Horgan receiving a booking for his part in the melee.

Derry started the second half with real intent and deservedly got their noses back in front with a brilliant finish from Robbie Benson who opened his account for the club since his close season move with a curling strike from the edge of the penalty area.

It was all going Derry's way as Cian Byrne was shown a second yellow card for pulling back Duffy but they didn't have it their own way for the remainder of the match despite that numerical advantage.

Substitute Paul McMullan broke from inside his own half four minutes into stoppage time and laid it into the path of Whyte who finished brilliantly to give Derry breathing space - his first goal since returning to Ireland from Portsmouth.

Killian Brouder's close range finish from a corner on 97 minutes proved too little too late for the Tribesmen but Derry were worthy of the three points and their fourth win of the season to ensure a Good Friday at a notoriously difficult venue.

Lynch had reshuffled his pack for the 10th consecutive match, making three changes for the trip to the west coast. Liam Boyce and Adam O'Reilly served their respective one match suspensions as Whyte and Dom Thomas returned to the starting line-up. Sam Todd was preferred to Hayden Cann who dropped to the bench as Lynch reverted back to four at the back.

With injuries and suspensions taking their toll, Lynch named just seven of a possible nine on the bench as Ben Doherty joined Pat Hoban, Sadou Diallo and Cameron Dummigan on the treatment table.

Galway meanwhile made one change from their big win in Sligo with David Hurley demoted and Moses Dyer - who scored in the 1-1 draw against Derry at Brandywell - back after suspension.

Derry started to kick into gear with Duffy exploiting the space behind Galway fullback Esua. The visitors were moving the ball about well and from a corner kick the impressive Thomas squared the ball to Duffy on the edge of the penalty area and the winger's ferocious curling strike was parried by Watts. Mullen reacted quickest ahead of Hickey and Greg Cunningham as the Scotsman headed into the net from close range to open his account for the season.

Maher made a brilliant one-handed save to keep intact that slender lead on 34 minutes when Slevin crossed into the box and Cunningham rose above Todd to head goalwards only to be denied acrobatically by the City keeper.

There was controversy just before the break. The ball was played in behind the Galway defence and while Mullen who was in an offside position, checked his run, Whyte made a run from deep and was clean through on goal before the assistant flagged for offside. It was a harsh decision.

Moments later Galway's Slevin punted the ball upfield and Hickey got himself in between Connolly and Holt before rifling the ball into the roof of the net from 10 yards for the equaliser. It was a brilliant finish but Derry boss Lynch and his backroom team were incensed his side, who had momentarily switched off, were denied a huge goalscoring opportunity seconds before they were hit with that sucker punch three minutes before the interval.

Lynch was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials as he made his way down the tunnel at the break - the second time in the opening 10 games the Belfast man has been shown a red card!

Derry started the second half with intent and doubled the lead two minutes into the second half when Thomas side-stepped his man on teh edge of the penalty area before finding Benson in space and the Meath man beautifully curled the ball into the far corner to give Watts no chance.

It was the former Dundalk midfielder's first goal since making his close season move from Oriel Park.

Galway were reduced to 10 men two minutes later as Byrne was shown a second yellow card for pulling back Duffy on the left wing. It left the visitors firmly in the driving seat.

The Candystripes almost capitalised on a quick break when Thomas played a perfectly weighted pass to send Duffy in behind but the Galliagh man's low strike was saved well at his near post by Watts. The rebound fell to Duffy but his follow-up shot was again blocked by the Galway defence as the Tribesmen survived.

Galway weren't finished yet and from Keohane's inswinging free-kick it was flicked on by Dyer and then Hickey into the path of Slevin who went to ground theatrically under pressure from Todd inside the penalty but the referee wasn't impressed and the Galway defender got away unpunished.

Carl Winchester fouled sub Kerrigan just inside the Derry half in stoppage time. Galway took it quickly and Kerrigan crossed into the box and Winchester headed it backwards to Brouder whose strike from 20 yards was blocked by Holt and the Galway defender sent his rebound wide of the target.

Derry broke deep into stoppage time through sub McMullan who timed his pass to perfection, sending Whyte through and the ex-Portsmouth man who completed his first 90 minutes for the club finished expertly for his first goal for the club.

The drama wasn't over then as Brouder fired into the net from close range following a corner kick with 97 minutes on the clock but Derry had done enough, Whyte's goal proving to be a precious one as they look ahead to Easter Tuesday's visit of Sligo Rovers with confidence.

Galway United: Watts: Esua, Byrne, Slevin (Kerrigan 86), Brouder, Burns (Hurley 74); Cunningham; Borden, Keohane (Tollett 84); Hickey, Dyer (Walsh 75).

Derry City: Maher: Boyce (Cann 76), Connolly, Holt, Todd; Thomas (McMullan 85), Winchester, Benson, Duffy; Whyte; Mullen (Patton 68).

Referee - Declan Toland