St Patrick's Athletic arrived on Foyleside needing a win to stay in the Premier Division title race and left without one. Kevin Dos Santos headed the only goal of the game just after the hour, and Derry City held on through a frantic finish to win 1-0 at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
A flat first half, then one good cross
Not much happened before the break. Tyler Smith dragged an early effort into the side netting for the hosts, Jamie Stott nearly gifted the visitors a goal with a short backpass that Tom Norcott had to stretch to clear with Aidan Keena closing in, and Darragh Burns worked a counter-attack with Smith in the 26th minute only to shoot straight at Joseph Anang. At the other end Jamie Lennon tried his luck acrobatically and Barry Baggley tested Norcott from range without troubling him.
Pat's looked better after the restart, with Anthony Olusanya skimming the bar and Joe Redmond unable to keep a header down from a decent position. Then Derry scored. Conor Barr, on as a substitute, drove down the right and floated in a cross that Dos Santos guided low past Anang and into the far corner.
McClean's last twenty minutes
What followed belonged to Patrick McClean. Ryan Edmondson was sent clear almost immediately after the goal and McClean produced a last-ditch tackle to stop him. Ryan Sheridan went close, a deflected Zach Elbouzedi shot nearly looped in, and in stoppage time McClean headed a ball off his own line. He has been playing like this for weeks now.
Norcott had the final say, saving well from Romal Palmer in the closing seconds. Palmer then had the last kick of the match from close range and put it wide, which is the kind of miss that will stay with a player through a long winter.
Where it leaves both clubs
Mark Connolly's side move up to fifth with two games left, and they did it without Michael Duffy, who picked up a knock in Friday's defeat at Drogheda. Cameron Dummigan and Conor Barr both started on the bench given the quick turnaround, which made Barr's contribution from the sideline neater still.
For St Pat's the arithmetic is effectively finished. They could have been playing for top spot had they not collapsed against Shelbourne on Friday night, and only a win here would have kept them properly in contention. They got neither.
Match facts: Derry City 1-0 St Patrick's Athletic, League of Ireland Premier Division, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. Goal: Dos Santos, second half, assisted by substitute Conor Barr. Derry move up to fifth with two games remaining; St Patrick's Athletic's title challenge is over. Derry were without Michael Duffy through injury.
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