Derry City progress to FAI Cup final after Dalymount win over Bohemians

Derry City march to the FAI Cup final as they put Bohemians to the sword on Friday night.

Michael Duffy's love affair with this season’s FAI Cup continued as he smashed a brilliant brace to keep Derry City’s double dream alive.

The flying winger had already scored in the second round win over St Pat’s and the quarter-final victory over Shelbourne.

And he clearly likes leaving his mark on Bohemians too, having bagged the league winner against the Gypsies at the Brandywell in May.

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Duffy was too hot to handle again, and scored a sensational free-kick from distance late in the first-half, before adding a second from open play with 18 minutes remaining.

His double salvo sends the 2022 FAI Cup winners back to the November 10 showpiece at Aviva Stadium, where Drogheda United or Wexford will join them.

This victory should also stand to Derry by refocusing minds in their pursuit of the league title, having slipped up in Drogheda a week ago.

Half of their league rivals were quietly cheering them on here as fourth place in the Premier Division will secure European football only if Derry win the cup.

For Bohs, their season died a death with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and assistant John O’Shea looking on at Dalymount Park.

They were chasing a third FAI Cup final appearance in four years, with the hope of finally winning it for the first time since 2008.

But they never got close. Fed-up fans streamed out of the ground long before full-time and those who hung around booed the shrill of the final whistle.

All that awaits Bohs now is a battle to avoid being sucked into the relegation playoff, with Drogheda breathing down their necks.

Bohs had actually started well and were asking questions of Derry before going under to that Duffy thunderbolt, but the lack of a quality striker didn’t help.

Alex Greive played as the false nine, but if he wasn’t coming out the wrong side of physical duels with Mark Connolly and Andre Wisdom, he was popping up in midfield.

He looked to knit the play and sometimes the Gypsies got good purchase on that approach when spraying the ball wide.

Danny Grant and Dayle Rooney both peppered the Derry box with crosses, and Rooney’s thumping shot from distance had Brian Maher on his toes.

Ross Tierney was the livewire that Bohs fans would expect, but while the hosts got forward during that opening half, Maher really had nothing to do.

Sensing that Bohs were lacking a killer instinct up top, Derry grew in confidence and knew the game was there for the taking..

They reeled off a number of shots from Hoban, Duffy and Adam O’Reilly before making that decisive breakthrough.

They also had a penalty appeal waved away when Patrick McEleney went down too easily after Tierney went into the back of him.

Meanwhile, Greive’s game of human pinball was continuing at pace and Dalymount winced in unison after one shuddering altercation with Wisdom.

The former Liverpool player is a beast of a man and merely stood his ground after winning the ball, only for the Kiwi to clatter into him and land in a heap, winded.

But Derry took the lead five minutes before the break, off a free-kick they won when Paddy Kirk - who had only just replaced the injured Liam Smith - fouled Duffy.

Duffy placed the ball just outside the box, under the nose of the more fervent Bohs fans at the far end of the Jodi Stand, and then proceeded to angle it high into the net.

Derry players celebrated in front of the Bohs supporters and were showered with missiles as a result, with Paul McMullen booked for goading the frustrated fans.

Bohs had a bit more about them early in the second-half but, in keeping with their night, there was no substance behind any of it.

And after a delay in play when the fourth official stepped in to replace an injured linesman, Duffy stepped up to seal Derry’s ticket to the final

Raiding down the left flank, he cut inside Tierney and Devoy and from just inside the box, unleashed a shot that zipped past Chorazka to fuel Derry’s double drive.

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