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Derry City moved to fifth place in the Airtricity Premier Division when they signed their campaign at home with a dominant win over Shelbourne.
Shels has the same number of points (19) but is still eighth, eight ahead of Finn Harps but having played three more games.
Scotsman Joe Thomson, in his first league start in two months, fired Derry in front in the 20th minute from close range.
Adam Hammill hit the wood in each half with two spectacular shots, but Walter Figueira sealed the victory as he swooped in to deservedly double City’s lead in 62 minutes.
Walter Figueira doubled Derry’s lead just after the hour #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld https://t.co/GCuxfKa9au pic.twitter.com/wIERNPgz34
– Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) October 23, 2020
The home team was in control early on, and straight from kickoff, the City Hammill winger latched onto a long upward punt, cutting inward before launching his 30-yard strike from the top of the crossbar. .
It was an early disappointment for the Dubliners and Derry defender Cameron McJannett got another shot from Hammill’s corner kick in the sixth minute, but he directed his first shot wide from eight yards.
The Shels were camped in their own half and when McCormack found Figueira with his back to the goal, the Londoner got in the way of Thomson, who fired wide.
Derry finally broke Shels’s resolve in the 20th minute when Thomson grabbed onto a deflected pass from Jack Malone, held off O’Reilly’s challenge and from close range guided the ball into Jack Brady’s far corner.
The home team had full control of the proceedings and entered the break with a well-deserved advantage.
City substitute Stephen Mallon somehow missed point-blank after a superb cross from Malone as the Belfast man put his effort down the wrong side of the post under pressure from a defender at the hour mark.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 62nd minute after some lovely work down the right flank involving McCormack and Hammill.
Former Barnsley ace Hammill crossed to the nearest post and O’Reilly touched him on his own post, and Figueira reacted faster to the rebound when he scored his fourth goal of the season from two yards.
Peter Cherrie, who made his 50th league appearance with Derry, was called into action for the first time in the 83rd minute when he converted Jaze Kabia’s shot behind the near post.
Hammilll brilliantly retrieved the ball deep into Shelbourne’s half and exchanged passes with Figueira before crashing his shot off the post with two minutes to go.
City of Derry: P. Cherrie: C. Horgan, E. Toal, C. McJannett, C. Coll (S. Mallon ht); A. Hammill (A. Boyce 89), C. Clifford, C. McCormack, J. Malone; J. Thomson (C. Harkin 70), W. Figueira; Unused Subs – N. Gartside, G. Bruna, I. Meite, J. Dunwoody.
Shelbourne: J. Brady; A. Friel, O. Brennan, D. O’Reilly, A. O’Hanlon; M. Byrne (A. Dobbs 75), G. Deegan, D. Fernandes (J. Kabia ht), D. Rooney (S. Farrell 64); R. Brennan (S. Quinn 64), C. Kilduff; Unused Subs – C. McCabe, D. Byrne, B. McManus.
Referee – Michael Tomney.
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