Derry City FC ended a seven-game winless run with a 4-1 comeback over Bohemians at Celtic Park. Harry Vaughan put Bohemians ahead on 17 minutes, but Derry City answered with four unanswered goals and left the Premier Division result as a sharp turn in form.
James Clarke led the recovery against his former club. He scored twice, the second after his first effort hit the post, and later had a late penalty saved when the chance to complete a hat-trick was still on the table.
Clarke Turns the Match
Clarke levelled the match for Derry City, then struck again after his opening attempt rebounded off the post. That sequence changed the game from a slow start into a lead Derry City did not give back.
His second goal carried the line to 3-1 and widened the gap Bohemians had opened at 17 minutes. The saved penalty came later, but by then Derry City had already built the margin that settled it.
Barr and dos Santos Finish
Conor Barr added the next goal from range to complete the turnaround. Kevin dos Santos then scored Derry City’s fourth from Michael Duffy’s cross, putting the result beyond reach and stretching the lead to three.
The scoring pattern matters as much as the total. Derry City did not chase the match with one isolated finish; they produced the response in sequence, and each goal pushed Bohemians further from the point they had made in the opening 17 minutes.
Celtic Park and Bohemians
The win also carried the weight of Clarke’s return against Bohemians, which gave his two goals a sharper edge than a routine brace. His late missed penalty did not change the final score, but it did cap a night in which Derry City moved from behind to control the match and end the run that had stalled them.
What had looked like another flat result for Derry City became a four-goal answer. For a side that had gone seven games without a win, the next task is to turn that second-half burst into a repeatable standard rather than a one-off recovery.
