McNamee strike sets tone on dour Brandywell night for Derry

DERRY CITY’s first season back at the Brandywell ended in a tame defeat as Cork City warmed up for the FAI Cup final with a comfortable victory.

John Caulfield’s side barely got out of first gear as they strolled to a win courtesy of a goal from Barry McNamee, an own goal from Gerard Doherty and a late strike from substitute Shane DalyButz.

It did not take Cork long to break the deadlock and it came courtesy of something the Brandywell fans have seen time and time again – a sumptuous left-footed finish from Barry McNamee.

The goal owed everything to a surging run through midfield from Garry Buckley, the Cork man ran no fewer than 40 yards before finding McNamee who curled the ball past Gerard Doherty.

Any hope Derry City had of making a game of it in the second half ended before some players had even touched the ball as Kieran Sadlier’s corner was punched into his own net by Doherty after the Candystripes stopper got his bearings all wrong.

City nearly pulled one back on 57 minutes when Ben Fisk’s lay-off was hit first-time by McEneff, who forced a good save from Peter Cherrie.

The final say of the evening went to Cork substitute DalyButz who, on 87 minutes, scored within seconds of arriving on the pitch, his piledriver from the right catching out Doherty who was just off his line.

DERRY CITY – Doherty, Toal, Cole, McHattie, McDonagh, Hale, Low (Shiels, 48), McEneff (McNamee, 83), Fisk (Delap, 76), Hale, Roy. CORK CITY: Cherrie, Barry, Morrissey, Keohane, Cummins (Murphy, 80), Sadlier, Delaney, McCarthy, McNamee, Buckley (Daly-Butz, 85), Hurley (Griffin, 63).

REF – Damien McGraith.