Michael Duffy bags winner as Derry secure victory over Dundalk

Michael Duffy’s second-half goal earned victory against his old club Dundalk in an entertaining game at the Brandywell.

The City captain, absent for the win over St Patrick’s Athletic on Monday, was back at the heart of things for a resurgent Candystripes who have now won eight from 11 games under Mark Connolly.

With Brian Maher back in goal for the first time since August, the home side got off to the perfect start with the opening goal after just 13 minutes. Dundalk defender Egor Vassenin cleared Ellis Chapman’s shot on the line, but he could only send the ball back into the path of James Clarke, who fired home his seventh goal of the season.

The second goal eventually arrived on 72 minutes and it was another scintillating attack from Derry which unlocked the Dundalk defence. Burns latched onto a through ball and rather than shoot, he flicked the ball behind him into the feet of Duffy, who got a yard before placing it expertly past Minogue for his 17th of the season, making it his highest-ever scoring season in a Derry City shirt.

Dundalk pulled a goal back within minutes to really make a game of it in the closing stages, substitute Shane Tracey sending a brilliant effort beyond Maher from 20 yards to make it 2-1.

Derry youngster Terence Doherty almost ended the night on a special note as he very nearly embarrassed Minogue from the hallway line, but with the Dundalk goalkeeper way out of his goal, the striker was just off target.