Derry City 5-0 Drogheda United

Derry City trounced Drogheda United 5-0 in their FAI Ford Cup quarter-final replay match at the Brandywell tonight.

The Brandywell men got off to the perfect start thanks to Patrick McEleney's wonder strike, before Michael Duffy and a Rory Patterson second hat-trick ensured they eased past an under-strength United side.

The visitors who were without suspended trio Peter McGlynn, Shane Grimes and Gavan Holohan also had Gary O’Neill missing and they made four changes to their side which battled for a 2-2 draw.

In came Paul Crowley, Cathal Brady, Declan O’Brien and Roy Kierans as Damien Richardson reshuffled his pack.

City got off to the perfect start as they went in front after just five minutes in super fashion.

In-form Patrick McEleney was quick to pick up the loose ball from United’s clearance some 25 yards from goal and his rasping left footed strike flew past a flat-footed Michael Schlingermann.

Peter Hutton’s side kept their high-tempo start up and went close to adding a second just before the mid-way point of the half but both Rory Patterson and Stephen Dooley were unable to get their close-range strikes on target.

Schlingerman came to his side’s rescue on 56 minutes when he came off his line to keep out Michael Duffy’s close range strike, after Patterson’s inch perfect pass had released the winger in behind the United back-line.

Soon after City added a second when Dooley’s run and clever pass found Patterson inside the Drogs six yard box and he gleefully turned the ball past Schlingermann from a tight angle.

The tie was over a contest on 70 minutes when City added a third following another counter-attack when McEleney’s through ball released Duffy and he made no mistake curling the ball into the bottom right hand corner from just inside the box.

Soon after the woodwork came to United’s rescue when another passing move ended with Dooley’s pass finding an unmarked Duffy, but his close range side footed effort, which had Schlingermann beaten, clipped the ball.

Patterson did grab his second of the night, once again making no mistake turning the ball home past the disappointing Schlingermann.

And Patterson incredibly completed his hat-trick right at the death when his long range free-kick took a massive deflection off the wall, before rolling pass the United net-minder.

Derry City: Doherty, Molloy (Timlin 78), McBride, Barry, Jarvis; McNamee, Lowry (Houston 86); Dooley, P McEleney (Tracey 88), Duffy; Patterson.

Drogheda United: Schlingerman, McNally, Crowley, C Brady (Reilly 83), McGuigan, Maher (Andrews 81), Walshe, Doyle, O’Brien, Kierans, G Brady (Wixted 73).

Referee: Mr Tomas Connolly (Dublin).