Derry City

Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division

Date: 28 March 2025

Result: Shamrock Rovers 0 – 0 Derry City

Tickets: €20 for adults and €8 for kids under 12 in the West Stand.

Attendance: 6,073

Game/ Experience Rating: ☆

The Game: I’m a big, consistent defender of the League of Ireland. I think it’s a vastly underrated league and I’d love to see it supported more widely in Ireland (though things are getting notably better). I feel the need to say that first because this was just awful, up there with the worst games I’ve ever attended in person.

Two red cards in the first half, both arguable to some degree, probably didn’t help, but all in I felt like I was watching two teams that were unable to create. Given these are probably the two most expensively assmebled squads in the league, it was incredible how little attacking intent there was in the game, with a handful of weak shots the entire sum total of the game. Two of the favourites for the league by all accounts. If this is the best they can do, they’ll be a long, long way short. I’m sure they’ll both improve.

The ground: I like Tallaght, in that it feels like a modern lower-league football ground in the UK, in a lot of ways, now it’s fully rounded off with the fourth side added. It has a decent atmosphere (though perhaps not today) and feels positively and friendly. The new shop is cool, too. Shame about the game.

Extras: Plenty on offer, I tend to avoid the programmes etc these days. Right call this time.

Assorted asides: I want to see more of Michael Noonan before he inevitably disappeared for the big leagues. The young striker sat on the bench for much of today while Rovers created essentially nothing. Ah well.

My totals for the year so far:

Games: 4. Home wins: 1 Draws: 1 Away wins: 2

Goals: 8. Home goals: 3. Away goals: 5. Goals per game: 2.00

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Competition: Europa Conference League Third Qualifying Round, Second Leg

Date: 17 August 2023

Result: Derry City 1 – 0 Tobol Kostanay (1-1 on aggregate, Tobol win 6-5 on penalties)

Tickets: £25 for adults, £9 for kids.

Attendance: 3,128

Game/ Experience Rating: ☆☆☆☆

The Game: Derry came into this game 1-0 down from a trip to Kazakhstan, and based on the highlights I’d seen, a little unfortunate with that. Forced to play in Tallaght instead of Bandywell or Windsor Park (which works for me, though I’d imagine was a serious frustration for their fans), they created an almost manic atmosphere which I really quite enjoyed, although almost entirely in the Tallaght Stadium’s West Stand.

I thought Derry dominated most of the game, creating a host of chances, though their actual goal came from a penalty. There wasn’t a lot of cutting edge, as demonstrated by the final kick of normal time, a one-on-one with the Tobol goalkeeper that was frustratingly scuffed. There was nothing in the tie, though, which is always a bonus, and ultimately it went to penalties, with Tobol’s goalkeeper, something of a game player, delaying loads of kicks and causing a few issues.

It was Derry goalkepper Brian Maher who was eventually key after Tobol had hit the crossbar with their first chance to win the game. He hit the seventh Derry penalty quite tamely at Tobol’s keeper, and then got nowhere near the reply, with Tobol coming out 6-5 winners after seven penalties each. A good contest that Derry were unlucky not to win, but neither side felt riddled with quality.

The ground: I’ve been to Tallaght countless times but it felt different occupied by lively Derry fans, who lit up the normally quiet-ish West Stand. I particualrly enjoyed their renditions of ‘Teenage Kicks’. The North Stand looks close to completion, maybe another month’s work.

Shamrock Rovers (v Derry City, Tallaght Stadium)

Groundhopping: Derry City (v Tobol Kostanay, Tallaght Stadium)