Chris Shields signs off Dundalk career with a win over Derry City

Dundalk 2-1 Derry City

An elated Vinny Perth celebrated a second win on the bounce as Dundalk FC head coach, as his side defeated Derry City 2-1 to move up to sixth in the SSE Airtricity League.

Perth, who across two spells as Dundalk boss, has never lost a league game at Oriel, saw his side take a first-half lead through Daniel Kelly’s close-range finish, while Patrick Hoban made it 2-0 from the spot in the second half. However, Eoin Toal’s headed goal right on the hour-mark ensured Dundalk were to endure a nervy finish to proceedings.

Playing for the 349th and final time for Dundalk was Chris Shields, who captained the side before setting off to finalise his transfer to Irish League champions Linfield.

Dundalk made two changes from the previous Monday night’s 1-0 derby win at Drogheda United, as Sam Stanton and Sean Murray both came into the starting line-up.

Ruaidhri Higgins made one enforced change for Derry, with Joe Thomson replacing Will Patching, who is expected to return to Dundalk once his loan deal expires next week.

The hosts enjoyed plenty of possession in the early stages without ever really threatening, although Patrick McEleney fired a shot over the top inside five minutes.

Derry goalkeeper Nathan Gartside has earned much plaudits this season, and he kept out Hoban’s effort from a tight angle after he was played in by Michael Duffy.

The recent Northern Ireland call-up saved again not long after that when McEleney cleverly played Murray through on goal, but his shot was straight at the Derry stopper.

Gartside had a busy game and he again saved well when, from a prolonged Dundalk attack, the ball fell kindly to Hoban’s head, not long before he produced a remarkable save; tipping around the post after the Dundalk forward headed from a Duffy cross.

However, the hosts took a deserved lead on 37 minutes when Duffy’s drilled shot was palmed by Gartside, but only into the path of Kelly, who finished with relative ease.

Derry’s only shot on goal throughout the first half came a minute before the break when Thomson’s free was curled straight into the throat of Dundalk netminder Alessio Abibi.

Dundalk may have been the dominant side in the opening 45, but they were reminded just how precarious a 1-0 lead is shortly after the restart when Thomson’s cross was met at the back post by Daniel Lafferty, but the Derry full-back turned his effort off target.

Duffy forced another save out of Gartside, but from the resulting corner, substitute Darren Cole handled in the box from a Raivis Jurkovskis overhead-kick attempt, as Dundalk were awarded a 58th-minute penalty by referee Robert Harvey.

And, up stepped Hoban, who dispatched confidently into the bottom right-hand corner – despite Gartside guessing correctly – to give The Lilywhites a two-goal cushion. 

The Candystripes pulled one back just two minutes later, however, when skipper Toal powered home a header from Thomson’s corner to put Derry back into the contest.

Thomson came reasonably close to equalising, but his shot was the wrong side of Abibi’s post, while at the other end, substitute Han Jeong-Woo drilled a low shot inches wide.

Patrick Ferry came agonisingly close to equalising for Derry in the closing stages, but his volley rippled the side-netting, before he forced Abibi to make a save in stoppage-time.

Dundalk FC: Alessio Abibi; Raivis Jurkovskis, Chris Shields, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy (Cameron Dummigan 75); Sam Stanton, Patrick McEleney; Daniel Kelly (Han Jeong-Woo 63), Sean Murray (Greg Sloggett 63), Michael Duffy (Sonni Nattestad 89); Patrick Hoban (David McMillan 75)

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (gk), Ole Erik Midtskogen, Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, Val Adedokun

Derry City: Nathan Gartside; Ronan Boyce, Eoin Toal, Cameron McJannett, Daniel Lafferty; Jack Malone (Darren Cole HT), Ciaron Harkin (Patrick Ferry 81), Joe Thomson, Will Fitzgerald; David Parkhouse (Ciaran Coll HT), James Akintunde

Subs not used: Jack Lemoignan (gk), Mark McChrystal, Danny Lupano, Caolan McLaughlin, Brandon Barr, Michael Harris

Referee: Robert Harvey (Dublin)

Attendance: 100

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