NO KEN DO FOR PAT’S..
Stephen can’t wave magic wand as Derry leave with win
STEPHEN KENNY was upstaged by one of his former stars as his eagerly anticipated return to club management ended in defeat.
Patrick Mceleney won two of his three league titles at Dundalk under the former Ireland boss, and a First Division title at Derry City in his first spell with the club.
But Mceleney was the architect of Kenny’s downfall here, sinking his former boss by stepping off the bench to supply the ammunition for Paul Mcmullan’s winner.
Mceleney and Michael Duffy were a deadly duo in Kenny’s teams of old, and the pair lined up just yards from him as they prepared to make their arrivals on the hour mark.
Kenny didn’t acknowledge either player, but how he could have done with them as they made key contributions for victory just like they did so often for him in the past.
Mceleney split the Saints defence with a beautiful ball that Mcmullan read superbly, beating offside before scampering free to slot home the winner.
Of course, Kenny wasn’t going to radically change St Pat’s fortunes on the back of one training session on Thursday, and his first club game since 2018.
There was no fanfare either, no big play on the PA system pre-match to welcome the new gaffer to the role.
Rather, Kenny quietly appeared from the tunnel and accepted the applause of those around him, and belatedly others when they copped what the fuss was about.
But Derry City boss Ruaidhri Higgins will have enjoyed this victory over his former Derry City and Dundalk manager.
He also worked on Kenny’s staff at the Lilywhites, and again with Ireland when he was scout and analyst before stepping aside to take on the Derry job.
This win keeps them second in the table and well in the hunt, while Kenny has work to do ahead of Monday’s clash with another of his former staff members, Damien Duff.
The opening half struggled to captivate supporters with chances few and far between at either end – although Derry had the best of them after closing out strongly.
St Pat’s would have been in a stronger position had Brandon Kavanagh latched onto the Jamie Lennon cross that raced across the Candystripes six-yard box early on.
Good wing play has been a hallmark of Kenny teams down the years but Derry restricted the Saints in that regard and the hosts’ attack was pretty blunt throughout.
Visiting goalkeeper Brian Maher didn’t have a save to make before the break, while opposite number Danny Rogers was certainly busier.
It took 25 minutes for either side to carve out a chance of note but Rogers saved with his legs when Will Patching sent Mcmullan scampering into the box.
Patching seemed to be involved in most of Derry’s more promising passages of play, but just couldn’t take the game by the scruff of the neck.
He saw one shot blocked by Conor Keeley in the box, having started the initial move by nutmegging Chris Forrester on the halfway line.
But despite playing with a swagger at times, he always played within himself much to the frustration of the travelling support.
Nearing the break, Derry were enjoying their best spell of the half and a number of St Pat’s fans vented their frustration with shouts of “too easy, too easy”.
And Kenny and his players were relieved to see Ben Doherty’s shot, after a Derry corner was cleared centrally, rise over Rogers’ crossbar.
Not much was going St Pat’s way and Higgins sensed there may be some value in a risk and reward approach.
So, approaching the hour mark, he unleashed Mceleney and Duffy from the bench – two players intrinsically linked to the golden Kenny era at Dundalk.
And from a Duffy run and cross shortly after his arrival,
Pat Hoban was inches away from heading home the whipped ball rifled into the danger area.
It was the jolt the
Saints needed. They didn’t exactly flip the game on its head, but they certainly attacked with more purpose, and regularity.
Ruairi Keating’s arrival for the ineffective Mason Melia helped matters as he occupied Derry’s defenders and created the space for others to get more inventive.
Cameron Mcjannet stopped a low Kavanagh effort on the line while Chris Forrester’s long range drive was easily saved by Maher.
But despite their revival, Derry stuck to the task and scored the winner with 14 minutes remaining as Mceleney returned to haunt his old boss.
His sweet ball split the Saints defence and Mcmullan scampered free of Luke Turner before tucking away a low ball past Rogers to spoil Kenny’s return to the limelight.