Hurley and Pierrot fire Galway United to win over Derry City

Derry City 1

Two moments of brilliance saw Galway United claim a first win in five games over Derry City to leapfrog their opponents in the Premier Division table as they jumped two places to to sixth ahead of Monday evening's trip to Drogheda United (5pm).

The Tribesmen need to turn Eamonn Deacy Park into a fortress, and this was their third win in five home games, making it 10 points from a possible 15 at the Dyke Road venue this season.

They did so thanks to goals from David Hurley and Frantz Pierrot, the first a piece of stunning skill; the second the finish of a clinical striker, as United claimed the win in front of their biggest crowd of the season.

The teamsheets sprung an early surprise, with the league's top-scorer, Michael Duffy, missing from the visitors' match-day squad, as were the McClean brothers, James and Patrick.

That would have given a boost to the home side, who had kept just one clean sheet all season, but the Ulster side weren't exactly watertight at the back themselves, having also kept just one clean sheet, and that was how it was to remain for both sides at the end of 90 minutes.

The visitors started on the front foot, with Brandon Fleming having the first sight of goal just 30 seconds in when he peeled in off the left wing, but he dragged his shot across Evan Watts' goal and harmlessly wide.

The swirling wind was blowing in favour of United in the first-half as they attacked the goal at the car-park end of the ground, and Rob Slevin, who joined the Candystripes from United ahead of the start of the season, was caught out by a ball over the top that caught on that wind.

Kris Twardek did brilliantly to get himself between ball and man to claim possession on the right and send a deep cross to the back post, but the unmarked Jimmy Keohane couldn't keep his effort down.

The early stages were marked by a lot of aerial action, with neither side really taking control of the game, until 15 minutes in when United broke the deadlock.

Stott nicked a ball into the box off the toe of Stephen Walsh, but it fell for Hurley, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by Alex Bannon, which fell for Lee Devitt, who was fouled 30 yards out.

Hurley lined up the free-kick, but hit a tame left-footed effort into the wall. He more than made up for it, though, latching onto the rebound to send a right-footed shot arrowing into the bottom left corner of Ed Beach's goal for his first goal of the season.

It was a stunning finish, but Keohane couldn't exact further punishment three minutes later when his effort was blocked by that man Stott again.

Derry were reeling, but they finally had an effort on target when a Darragh Markey corner from the left was met by the head of Stott, who was starting to pop-up everywhere, but it was a tame effort that Connor Barratt happily hacked clear a yard short of the line.

The visitors began to regain their composure, with Dipo causing the United back-line all sorts of problems, and he combined well with James Clarke in the United penalty area on the half-hour mark before trying to pick out Markey with a cross, but Watts read it and got down to push the ball away from the danger area.

Fleming then sent a tame effort into hands of Watts, before United went close to doubling their lead, but Walsh scuffed an effort wide from 15 yards.

He then led the United appeals for a penalty in the 34th minute, when Barratt's shot was blocked by Stott for a corner. The Derry captain chanced a quick look at the referee before suspiciously staying on the ground holding his face, but all Doyle awarded was a United corner,

Then came Derry's best chance of the half, a header from a Markey corner from the left hitting the butt of the post. On first glance it looked like Dipo had got the touch, but replays suggested the ball might have come off Walsh.

United held on until half-time, and had to withstand huge Derry pressure in the early stages of the second-half. Watts was a relieved man to see Dipo's free kick from the edge of the 'd' sail over both the defensive wall and the crossbar a minute after the restart; before the goalkeeper got down well to deny Clarke.

United could barely get a touch, though Derry were struggling to get a sight of Watts' goal, but that would change in the 63rd minute after an awful mix up in defence by United which was fully punished.

Slevin launched a long thrown down the left flank, but the home side appeared to have dealt with it when Barratt eased Clarke off the ball, the Derry man falling to the floor.

Barratt tried to let the ball run but Fleming chased him down, and the United man then played his attempted clearance off the Derry winger. The ball broke for Clarke, who had just picked himself up off the deck, and he dribbled into the box off the wing before shooting between the legs of Killian Brouder and past the despairing dive of Watts.

The goal was coming, but it seemed to spark United into life as the game took on a more physical feel to it. United had lined-up two subs just before Clarke scored, and they went ahead with them before the restart.

Ed McCarthy was one of the new faces, and he really should have made his mark on the game five minutes later when he was played clean through by Walsh.

He had the time to take a couple of touches to compose himself as Beach came off his line, and the young goalkeeper did well to spread himself and deny the United substitute, who couldn't angle a shot around him.

Derry were the next to blow a glorious chance, Clarke brilliantly controlling a Slevin free-kick on his chest before hooking the ball into the path of Dipo, but the centre-forward fired wide from close range.

It was end-to-end at this stage, Walsh getting a United attack underway, smashing Slevin with a crunching but fair tackle to win possession. The ball was worked to Twardek, who carried it into the box before squaring for Devitt, but his effort was blocked.

Having seen his side show signs of life, John Caulfield decided to go for it, making two attack-minded substitutions when throwing-on Francely Lomboto and Frantz Pierrot in the 80th minute, and that move paid off in the best possible fashion two minutes later when the latter bagged the winner.

Pierrot through he should have had a penalty when seemingly held in the box as Brouder launched a long throw into the penalty area, but once again Doyle waved away the appeals. The United man was not, however, to be denied his defining say in the game.

A minute after that non-penalty, Mattie Wolfe – who had been introduced in the 64th minute along with McCarthy – picked up possession 10 yards outside his own penalty area. He set off towards the goal at the clubhouse end of the ground, United enjoying a 4-on-3 advantage, and opted to play it wide right to Pierrot.

The Haitian international took a couple of touches before opting for the shot from a tight angle, and the pace on his effort saw it whip past the outstretched Beach to fly inside the far post, and United comfortably saw the game out to make a winning return from the international window.

Galway United: Watts; Parker (Williams 88), Facchinieri, Brouder, Devitt; Barratt (Wolfe 64), Bolger; Twardek (Lomboto 80), Hurley, Keohane (McCarthy 64); Walsh (Pierrot 80).

Derry City: Beach; Bannon, Stott, Slevin; Cotter (Barr 82), O'Reilly, Olayinka, Fleming; Clarke, Dipo (Thomas 82), Markey (Winchester 59).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).