DUFFY THE SUPER SUB
MICHAEL Duffy came off the bench to grab a precious late winner for Derry at the Brandywell as the Candystripes closed to within a point of leaders Shelbourne.
It was hard going for much of the opening exchanges until Ruaidhri Higgins unleashed Duffy on 68 minutes.
The winger has been struggling with injury and missed Derry’s last two fixtures but he returned to hand his hometown club a huge boost ahead of next week’s double header against St Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers.
Derry had rode their luck in the first half, with former City striker James Akintunde crashing a header off the post before missing a gilt-edged chance from close range.
Brian Maher also produced two smart saves inside 60 seconds to deny Declan McDaid early in the second half but it was Duffy who made the telling contribution with four minutes to go.
Clinch
The ex-Dundalk man fired low past the keeper at the near post to clinch a first win in three attempts for Derry.
Higgins had named an unchanged side from the team held 1-1 by Shelbourne on Monday night.
Skipper Patrick McEleney and Duffy returned from their respective injuries to bolster a strong-looking Derry bench.
Alan Reynolds, returning to Brandywell with his new assistant Stephen O’Donnell, for the first time made five changes to the team which lost to Galway in their last outing.
McDaid, Dayle Rooney, James McManus, Martin Miller and Luke Matheson all came into the starting line-up.
Bohemians came so close to opening the scoring on 18 minutes when James McManus swung in a cross towards the back post where Akintunde rose above Ronan Boyce and his glancing header crashed off the post with Maher rooted to the spot.
Derry’s first shot on target arrived on 25 minutes as Hoban’s acrobatic scissor kick just inside the 18 yard box was gathered comfortably by Kacper Chorazka.
Akintunde, who scored 16 goals in 87 appearances for Derry, should’ve found the net on 28 minutes when Dayle Rooney found him in the six yard box with a pinpoint cross from the left but the strike somehow fired over the bar.
Maher was forced into making two decent saves inside 60 seconds on the hour mark from Declan McDaid who tried his luck from 25 yards before his second effort from just inside the box was parried clear by the Derry keeper.
Supersub Duffy finally broke the deadlock with four minutes remaining.
DERRY CITY: Maher 7 Boyce 7 (P. McEleney 6, 81), Connolly 6 (S. McEleney 6 h-t), McJannet 7, Coll 7 O’Reilly 7 (Todd 6, 91), Patching 7, McMullan 8:
Kelly 7 (Diallo 6, 68), Hoban 6, Doherty 6 (Duffy 8, 68). Subs Not Used: 0 Ryan, Harkin, Mullen, Patton. BOHEMIANS: Chorazka 6; Keita 7, Flores 6, McDaid 7 (Piszczek 6, 76), Rooney 7 (Grant 6 88), Akintunde 6, McManus 6, McDonnell 6 (Clarke 6, h-t), Miller 6 (Connolly 6, 59), Mills 6, Matheson 6 (Kukulowicz 6, 76). Subs Not Used: Talbot, Ismala, Byrne, Okosun. Referee: Robert Harvey.
Star man: Michael Duffy