Derry City vs Dundalk 2-1

Derry City beat Dundalk 2-1 at Brandywell Stadium, with James Clarke’s first-half opener and Michael Duffy’s goal on 71 minutes enough to settle it. Dundalk’s late reply came too late to change the result.

Clarke opened the scoring in the 12th minute, finishing for 1-0. The home side went in at the break ahead after that first-half goal, with Darragh Burns already booked on 43 minutes.

Derry doubled their lead on 71 minutes when Duffy scored from Burns’ assist to make it 2-0. Dundalk responded on 79 minutes through Shane Tracey, who had come on in the 69th minute, and his strike made it 2-1, but the visitors could not find an equaliser after their three changes on 69 minutes and two more on 56 minutes. Derry also made two substitutions on 74 minutes and two more on 87 minutes to see out the closing spell.

The numbers backed a narrow home win. Derry had 53% of possession and 500 passes to Dundalk’s 421, while also finishing with more shots, 16 to 12, and more shots on target, 8 to 5. Dundalk won 5 corners to Derry’s 2 and had 5 saves to Derry’s 3. Derry’s xG was 1.75 to Dundalk’s 0.82, with 11 fouls to 13 and 5 offsides to Dundalk’s none.

There were two bookings for each side. Derry’s went to Darragh Burns on 43 minutes and Ellis Chapman on 89 minutes. Dundalk’s cautions went to Keith Buckley on 53 minutes and Trevor Clarke on 59 minutes.