Pressure is on Shiels as Pat’s hit five past City
KENNY Shiels watched his team lose heavily in what could be his last game in charge of Derry City.
The pressure is growing on the City boss after a string of atrocious results since the summer and his players did not show that they were playing for him as they downed tools at Richmond Park.
The half time score was harsh on Derry, who missed some great chances to go ahead — Eoin Toal the guilty party early on as he somehow headed over from three yards out from Jamie McDonagh’s pinpoint cross.
Gavin Peers then should have scored with a free header from Aaron McEneff’s corner before Toal turned the ball goalwards bringing a scrambling save from Brendan Clarke.
Derry paid for those missed chances when St Pat’s took the lead on the half hour, Conor Clifford given the space to shoot past Eric Grimes from 25 yards.
Derry could have levelled just minutes later when another corner caught the hosts sleeping and Dan Seaborne’s looping header beat Clarke, only for Jamie Lennon to clear the ball off the line.
Within moments it was 2-0 with James Doona sidestepping Grimes before rolling the ball into the net.
Pat’s made it 3-0 just before the break, as Lee Desmond headed across goal from Clifford’s cross for Kevin Toner to turn it in from close range.
In the second half, a lofted ball into the Derry area was too much for the defenders in green and Jake Keegan looped a header past Grimes to make it 4-0.
Less than 10 minutes later it was 5-0 as St. Pat’s again counter attacked with James Doona making it 5-0.
An embarrassing showing from Derry City who ended the season in 8th place, with 20 league defeats in 36 games. 2018 will go down as a shocker for this Kenny Shiels team.
ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Clarke, Bermingham, Toner, Desmond, Clifford, Byrne (Manley 77), Brennan (T Byrne 63), Doona, Madden, Lennon, Keegan (Clarke 81). DERRY CITY: Grimes, Cole (Delap 33), Toal, McDonagh, McHattie, Seaborne, Fisk (Splaine 61), McEneff, Peers, Shiels, Roy (McNamee 86).
Referee: Tomas Connolly.