Benson and Burns set Saints’ touch paper alight
St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Derry City
Robbie Benson of St Patrick's Athletic celebrates after scoring his side's first goal against Derry City at Richmond Park. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Robbie Benson broke 10-man Derry City’s resolve as St Patrick’s Athletic moved three points clear at the top of the Premier Division table.
Substitute Darragh Burns, just 18, added a delightful second goal with his first strike for the club. Unbeaten in their opening four games, it equals St Patrick’s best start to a season in 11 years.
Despite a promising start, it b ecame an uphill task for Derry once defender Danny Lupano was sent off just past the half hour. Declan Devine’s side remain bottom of the table without a point after three games with champions Shamrock Rovers the visitors to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Tuesday.
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Displaying a good shape and work-rate, Derry’s bright opening ought to have seen them ahead on 20 minutes. But the game then turned decisively in St Pat’s favour on 32 minutes.
Lupano, booked earlier for a foul on Matty Smith, tugged on the winger’s shirt as he got in behind him. Ref Ben Connolly had no option but to show a second yellow and Lupano was off.
It was one-way traffic from restart, Bermingham blazing a volley over from Smith’s cross. And the incessant pressure finally broke Derry on the hour. Bermingham’s low cross found Coughlan in the area. The striker showed good feet to get turned with Benson arriving to apply the finish from close range when sweeping the ball past Gartside.
The points were sealed on 70 minutes with a route-one approach that was finished with subtle quality. Sam Bone’s long ball found Burns down the inside right channel. And the Northern Ireland youth international showed delightful composure to feint onto his weaker right foot and shoot low into the far corner for a terrific first goal .
St Patrick’s Athletic: Jaros; Bone, Desmond, Bermingham; Mountney, Forrester (Lewis, 80), Lennon, Benson; King (McClelland, 80), Coughlan (Melvin-Lambert, 85), Smith
(Burns, 66).
Derry City: Gartside; Lupano, Toal, McJannet; Patching, Malone, Thompson (Fitzgerald, 73), Harkin (Glynn, 81), Lafferty; Parkhouse (Boyce, 73), Akintunde (Barr, 62).
Ref: B Connolly (Dublin).
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