Derry City showcased their determination to keep the heat on Belgium-bound Shamrock Rovers..
Their win over Sligo Rovers moved the Candystripes to within a point of the league leaders.
And while they have two games fewer to play than the three-in-a-row hunting Hoops, the message from the Brandywell was loud and clear last night:
Take your eye off the ball in the Premier Division and we are ready to pounce.
Derry weren’t going to be denied a fifth consecutive clean sheet by a toothless Bit O’Red - despite some late huffing and puffing by the visitors.
Ahead after just 15 minutes, thanks to a Will Patching free-kick, they were in control for much of the game and should have added to their tally.
Their slender advantage did lead to a few nervy moments in the closing stages, but the closest anyone came to beating Ireland Under-21 goalkeeper Brian Maher was when his own defender Mark Connolly almost turned a late cross into his own net.
With six games remaining, talk of a title race might be fanciful at this point, given that Shamrock Rovers could be seven points clear by the time they play their games in hand.
But second place could soon be in the bag, with five points now separating Derry and third-placed Dundalk.
City will also be pleased that last night’s run out wasn’t as taxing as it might have been ahead of Sunday, when their rivalry with Shamrock Rovers moves to the FAI Cup quarter-finals.
If fatigue comes into play next weekend, it will surely affect the Hoops more, as they are in Europa Conference League action in Gent tomorrow night.
Derry should have been ahead last night before Patching’s well-struck free-kick, but Ryan Graydon headed a Cameron McJannet centre into the ground and over the bar after just eight minutes.
The Brandywell crowd has been served up some spectacular goals of late and Patching’s 10th league strike of the season will sit alongside the best.
He assumed responsibility when Derry were awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal and curled the ball over the wall and into the top left-hand corner.
Sligo ‘keeper McNicholas went full stretch and got a hand to the ball, but he couldn’t keep Patching’s effort out.
He did get two fists behind a Cameron Dummigan drive from 30 yards on the half-hour, and he kept out a Michael Duffy drive shortly before half-time.
Jamie McGonigle and Duffy both fired over from good positions after the break, while McNicholas denied former Dundalk man Duffy and substitute James Akintunde.
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