Blues crash to defeat in a Duffy-inspired Derry comeback
Waterford FC's Jorgen Voilas wins this header with Derry’s Brandon Fleming.
Waterford FC had no answer to an inspired Michael Duffy display as the attacker scored an incredible hat-trick for Derry City after his side came from two goals down to beat the Blues in their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division clash at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday night last.
After Jorgan Voilas and Tommy Lonergan had Jon Daly’s side two goals to the good just six minutes into the second-half, it looked as if the Blues could be on for a victory, but Duffy notched a treble and set up the other as his side scored four times to claim their second win of the season.
Gavin Whyte got space for himself on the overlap down the left channel on three minutes before crossing to the near post for Josh Thomas, but his shot lacked power as Stephen McMullan made a comfortable save before the same player fired wide of the target on six minutes.
Cian Barrett nearly hit the home side on the counterattack four minutes later when the midfielder, who came into the side in place of Sam Glenfield, took a pass from Amond, but his low shot saw Derry keeper Ed Beach make a routine save.
Blues keeper McMullan denied the hosts the lead on 14 minutes when Michael Duffy’s left-wing cross was cleared by Benny Couto into the path of Carl Winchester, but his goalbound effort was blocked out by the shoulder of the netminder for a corner.
There was a big slice of luck as the Blues struck the front on 20 minutes. Tommy Lonergan’s ball forward saw defender Brandon Fleming and keeper Beach make a mess of their clearance with Fleming’s backward header intercepted by Jorgen Voilas, who couldn’t believe his luck in finishing to an empty net.
Waterford had two chances to increase their lead within four minutes of the goal. Padraig Amond cut into the area from the left two minutes later, but his left-footed shot was saved before keeper Ed Beach was also equal to the task to make a smart stop to deny Trae Coyle from distance with 24 minutes played.
Derry came into the game with a couple of chances of their own, with Thomas forcing McMullan into a save three minutes later, before the danger man, Michael Duffy, picked up out on the left a minute later, only to drag a shot from the top of the penalty area wide of the far post.
It took a strong save from Stephen McMullan to keep his side in the driving seat on 41 minutes when Fleming found space down the left before crossing for Gavin Whyte, but his stinging 20-yard drive was saved by the Blues netminder with John Mahon clearing the danger.
McMullan produced a stunning save to deny the hosts an equalising goal two minutes into first-half injury-time when Barry Cotter sent the ball back into the danger area after Michael Duffy’s free-kick, but Josh Thomas saw his effort tipped around the posts.
The Blues got off to a dream start five minutes into the second-half when they were awarded a penalty by referee Paul Norton. Tommy Lonergan was upended in the area by former Blues player Adam O’Reilly, and although keeper Ed Beach guessed right, Lonergan’s spot-kick found the net with the aid of the post.
Derry brought themselves back into the game on 58 minutes when some neat play down the right saw Whyte combine with Thomas down the right and crossing to the back post, Michael Duffy powered a close-range header past a helpless McMullan.
Stephen McMullan produced a cracking save when he superbly tipped a brilliant effort from goalscorer Duffy over the bar with 63 minutes on the clock before Conor Carty could have regained the lead for Waterford with just over ten minutes, but his left-footed strike struck the outside of the near post.
Derry broke the hearts of the Waterford faithful with two goals in second-half injury-time as they struck the lead for the first time on 91 minutes. The brilliant Duffy swung in a left-wing free-kick after a handball from a Blues player that found the head of Mipo Akinyemi, who powered a header to the roof of the net.
A fourth goal for the hosts in the dying seconds put a harsh complexion on the scoreboard as defender John Mahon was penalised for a handball in the area, and Duffy completed his hat-trick from the spot on what was a disastrous final half hour for Jon Daly’s side.
Beach; Cotter (Olayinka 71), Stott, P McClean, Fleming; Winchester (O’Reilly 40), J McClean (Bannon 71), Whyte (Rylah 71), Clarke (Mipo Akinyemi 54); Thomas, Duffy.
McMullan; Heeney, Mahon, Cann, Couto; Voilas (McMenamy 65), Barrett, Coyle (Carty 76), Noonan; Lonergan (Faria 79), Amond.
Paul Norton (Dublin).
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