Failings up front cost Mervue Utd in clash with league leaders

Mervue United 1Derry City 2

Keith Kelly

MERVUE United were dealt a harsh lesson by First Division leaders Derry City in Terryland Park on Friday night, with veteran striker Mark Farren scoring twice to snatch a somewhat undeserved win for the Brandywell side.

Mervue had plenty of possession and looked the better side for long stretches, but Tom French’s side lacked a cutting edge up front and that ultimately cost them the points. It was difficult to see how Derry came into the game as league leaders as they struggled to settle into the game against a side second from bottom in the table, but Farren showed his class and proved to be the difference at the finish.

French made five changes to the side beaten by Waterford United in their last league game, with Tommy Walsh, Mike Tierney, Evan Connolly, Pat Huban and Dan Cunningham all coming in, and the changes certainly had the desired effect early on as the home side took the game to Derry.

Tierney flashed a shot wide in the ninth minute, and Huban was put clear by a Walsh header three minutes later, but the ball took an age to come down for him, allowing Shane McEleney time to recover and nick the ball away from the striker.

Derry had endured a long trek down to Bray on Monday night for a FAI Cup replay which they lost, and the additional game seemed to have taken its toll as the Candystripes struggled to put any meaningful passages of play together.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.