Will Patching’s brace saw Derry City continue their away day joy under Ruaidhri Higgins.

Patching’s double earned Derry a derby win to lift them above Finn Harps, the Englishman netting either side of an Ethan Boyle goal for the hosts.

Patching fired Derry in front with an eighth-minute penalty, cooly finding the bottom corner. 

Harps, though, drew level eight minutes later when Ethan Boyle nodded in after Shane McEleney and Kosovar Sadiki got flicks onto a Barry McNamee corner.

Owolabi was denied by Nathan Gartside late in the first half and, as the interval loomed, Patching restored Derry’s lead, curling home a cracking free kick after he was fouled outside the area by Mark Coyle. 

Harps had a big chance to equalise just four minutes into the second half, but Adam Foley – who netted a last-gasp winner for Harps at the Brandywell earlier in the season – saw his shot deflect wide off Eoin Toal, the Derry captain.

Patching was in the mood for a treble, but another free kick was beaten away by the Harps goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley.

Finn Harps - McGinley; Boyle, McEleney, Sadiki, Dunleavy (T McNamee 82); Coyle (Barry 58), Seymore; O’Sullivan (Boyd 78), B.McNamee, Foley (Rainey 82); Owolabi.

Derry City - Gartside; Boyce, Toal, McJannet, Lafferty; Malone (Cole 74), Ciaron Harkin, Patching; Fitzgerald, Parkhouse (Coll 84), Akintunde.

Ref – N Doyle.