Paul McMullan spoils Stephen Kenny’s return to League of Ireland management

The Dubliner would have felt more at home in the Derry dressing room if this was a social gathering. While he’s in the process of getting to know his St Patrick’s Athletic squad and staff, the Candystripes travelling party included a number of individuals that have been present for some of the most significant moments of his football life. It goes beyond manager Ruaidhri Higgins, who played under Kenny at Derry City and Dundalk before joining his staff with the Lilywhites and then with Ireland.

Patrick Hoban, Michael Duffy and the McEleney brothers Shane and Patrick all encountered Kenny at formative stages of their career and it was the latter who truly came back to haunt him here.

The Dubliner has always been a big believer in the abilities of the Derry captain, and it’s not a stretch to suggest that he might have been around international squads under Kenny if his career was devoid of injuries.

He still has to be used sparingly by Higgins, but his arrival before the hour mark was followed by the decisive moment of the game, a 77th-minute through ball that sprung the Saints offside trap to find the ever dangerous Paul McMullan who showed admirable composure to slot the ball away. Few could argue with the outcome with this encounter highlighting that Kenny has a job on his hands in the coming weeks.

After spending last weekend deliberating over the prospect of returning to the League of Ireland, this Saturday and Sunday will involve deep planning for what promises to be a blockbuster encounter with table topping Damien Duff on Monday.

It would be a stretch to say the atmosphere around Richmond Park beforehand was raucous. The tragic crash on the M50 earlier in the day, and the associated traffic chaos, meant there were a large number of late arrivals. Empty spaces were visible for a sold out game. There was no real fanfare as Kenny emerged from the tunnel, a subdued arrival in contrast to the headlines generated by his appointment. The hope was that the game would provide the volume but, in truth, the first half provided little cheer for the locals.

Derry City delivered the better moments, with playmaker Will Patching at the heart of them, although Danny Rogers only had one save to make, denying Paul McMullan from a narrow angle. Kenny needed to get more from his team talk, with the Saints struggling to get a foothold in the game, with 16-year-old striker Mason Melia isolated for spells and not able to win the physical battles to allow bodies to move forward in support. Kenny has inherited a squad with plenty of creative talent but finding the balance is a challenge. Brandon Kavanagh, Kian Leavy and Chris Forrester rotated in their attempt to support the youngster but Derry were more effective.

The Pat’s tempo did increase after the restart, with Leavy involved in a decent spell, but Derry were then able to send for Patrick McEleney and Michael Duffy, two players that Kenny knows extremely well. Chances followed at both ends with Patrick Hoban, another Derry performer whose career was strongly influenced by Kenny, misjudging the flight of a threatening cross. Pat’s responded with their best opening, with Kavanagh’s effort cleared off the line by the covering Cameron McJannet although it’s possible the ball might have crept the wrong side of the post if he hadn’t raced back to stop its path.

Derry just looked that bit more assured overall, though, and an hour for Sadou Diallo and Cameron Dummigan’s return as a sub highlighted that Higgins’ hand is gradually being strengthened. Indeed, he was able to withdraw Patching before the killer moment, the Candystripes able to shuffle their pack to avoid overload ahead of their Monday meeting with Shamrock Rovers and still come away with the spoils. Kenny made all five subs available to him in the search for inspiration, but they were never quite banging down the door. The hard work really starts from here.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Rogers, Redmond, Keeley (McLaughlin 83), Turner, Breslin; Lennon; Mulraney, Forrester (Palmer 83), Leavy (Nolan 83), B Kavanagh (Bolger 67); Melia (Keating 60)

Derry City: Maher, Boyce, S McEleney, McJannet, Coll; Diallo (P McEleney 59), O’Reilly; McMullan (Kelly 90), Patching (Dummigan 74), B Doherty (Duffy 59); Hoban

Ref: Mark Houlihan.