Harps, Derry to battle it out

DERRY CITY 4

LIMERICK FC 0

(Derry won 4-0 on agg)

DERRY CITY set up a mouth-watering eircom League relegation/promotion play-off final with north-west neighbours Finn Harps when a stunning hat-trick by Mark Farren helped them push aside the challenge of Limerick FC 4-0 at the Bradywell.

Limerick's dangerman Stephen O'Flynn was quickly in action when, in the fourth minute, his angled drive was pushed away for a corner by City 'keeper Alan Gough.

Limerick 'keeper John Healy dived low to smother Sean Hargan's left wing cross in the eighth minute and a minute later Farren was just off target with a header.

Gary Beckett spurned a great chance to give the home side a 15th minute lead when, after he was put in the clear by Ciaran Martyn, the City striker fired the ball past the advancing Healy but wide.

Robert Hedderman twice came close to firing Derry into the lead in the 25th minute. His 40 yards left-foot piledriver was pushed over away for a corner and from the resulting Kevin Deery corner kick, Hedderman's close-range header rolled just outside Healy's left hand upright.

Derry took the lead in the last minute of the first half when Beckett's cross from the left was superbly drilled into the net by Mark Farren from just outside the six-yard box to give the 21-year-old his first ever goal for the Candystripes.

And the goal-hungry Farren doubled Derry's lead six minutes later. Sean Hargan's long pass down the left side found Farren who ran into the penalty area and coolly stroked the ball past the advancing Healy.

The Greencastle-based player completed his hat-trick in the 58th minute. Hargan charged down the left side and his powerfully struck left foot goalmouth cross was turned into the net by Farren.

Derry City: Gough; McCallion, Hargan, Hutton, McLaughlin, Doherty, Martyn, Hedderman, Beckett (Coyle, 80), Farren (Holt 80), Deery.

Limerick FC: Healy; O'Mahoney, Molan, Finucane, Purcell, Sweeney, Keating, Sugrue, O'Donoghue (McCarthy 53), O'Flynn and Heffernan.

Referee: David McKeon (Dublin).


Can't believe Holt didn't start! Looks like a strong Derry team on paper. Will Dykes still be manager if Derry win the playoffs?, seen a picture of him, he's put on some weight:D