Derry City are scoreless with Shamrock Rovers at half-time in their opening SSE Airtricity Premier Division game of the season at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.
Derry CIty defender Cliff Byrne.
In a disappointing half, lacking of any creativity, Derry boss Roddy Collins will be the happier of the two managers as his City side, playing against a stiff breeze, has dealt comfortably with what the home side have had to offer so far.
Collins, taking charge of City for the first time in the league, sprung a surprise when he announced his team would not contain Rory Patterson, the Dubliner naming last season’s leading goalscorer on the substitutes’ bench.
Rovers boss Trevor Croly also raised a few eyebrows by not including Republic of Ireland international Stephen McPhail in his starting line-up.
Derry’s only chance of the half fell to Enda Curran who flashed a low shot past the post from 20 yards when he pounced on a mistake in the Hoops’ defence in the ninth minute.
New City captain Cliff Byrne did well when he dived in on the edge of the six yard box to to head clear a dangerous Cornwall cross in the 45th minute.
The only other talking point of the first 45 minutes was a harsh yellow card issued to Rovers’ Robert Bayly for a foul on Ventre.
Shamrock Rovers: Murphy, Cornwall, Kenna, O’Connor, Byrne, McCabe, Brennan, Bayly, Waters, Zayed, Kilduff. Substitutes: Hyland, McGuinness, Sheppard, O’Connor, Finn, Kelly, McPhail.
Derry City: Doherty, Collins, Byrne, McBride, Barry, Stewart, Ventre, S McEleney, Molloy, Duffy, E Curran. Substitutes: Lynch, Jarvis, P McEleney, Patterson, Foy, R Curran, Elebert.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
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