Derry City knock Finn Harps for six in pre-season friendly

Cian Kavanagh's hat-trick paved the way for Derry City to ease to a pre-season win over Finn Harps on Sunday.

Derry City 6 Finn Harps 0

Kavanagh struck twice in the first half and any doubt was removed when the striker headed home the third five minutes after the break.

Michael Duffy, one of eight half-time replacements used by Derry, netted twice in the second half and Sadou Diallo added the coup de grâce.

Harps, under new manager Dave Rogers are very much in experimental mode, although six of those who started the first of the friendly engagements - a scoreless draw at Dundalk on Friday night – began here too.

Watch: Derry City and Finn Harps fans remember Ronan Roddy

A minute's applause was held in the 44th minute of Sunday's friendly at the Brandywell

By contrast, Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins named six of the team who lined out in their 4-0 win over Shelbourne in the 2022 FAI Cup final and they made a youthful Harps endure a chastening afternoon.

Derry took the lead after only 10 minutes, Kavanagh tucking home from close range at the Brandywell Road End after being served by a superb Evan McLaughlin pass.

On a crisp Sunday by the Foyle, the recent snow having departd, the Harps goalkeeper, a trialist, did well to hold a stinging drive from Cameron Dummigan in the fifth minute.

Dummigan called the 'keeper into action again two minutes later after picking Caoimhin Porter's pockets.

Porter and Daithi McCallion, recruited by Rogers on loan from Derry, lined up against their parent club.

Among those listed as trialists on the Harps squad were American defender Ryan Flood and Brazilian striker Filip Da Silva, both of whom have been announced but the club awaits the arrival of international clearance certificates.

Four minutes after Kavanagh's opener Patrick McEleney was the width of the crossbar from doubling the lead.

McEleney, lurking in space outside the area, took receipt of a corner and, after teeing himself up, clipped onto the frame of the goal.

The visitors almost landed a spectacular equaliser, but former Harps captain Ciaran Coll headed from beneath his own bar after a trialist went for the jugular from distance with Brian Maher well out of his area.

Kavanagh doubled the lead in the 36th minute, heading a Ryan Graydon cross in from close range.

The second half was barely five minutes old when Kavanagh was picked out by Brendan Barr and his header went in off Porter.

At the other end, Tadhg Ryan saved from a Flood free kick, but Duffy slotted home a fourth just after the hour after being put in by Will Patching.

Duffy converted Jamie McGonagle before Diallo arrowed to the top corner to complete the rout.

Derry City: Brian Maher (Ryan h-t), Ronan Boyce (Conor Barr h-t), Shane McEleney (Cameron McJannet (h-t), Ciaran Coll, Ryan Graydon (Doherty h-t), Jordan McEneff (Will Patching h-t), Cameron Dummigan (Sadou Diallo h-t), Evan McLaughlin (Callum McCay 68), Patrick McEleney (Michael Duffy h-t), Liam Mullan (Brandon Kavanagh h-t), Cian Kavanagh (McGonigle 61).

Finn Harps: Trialist 11, Caoimhin Porter, Trialist 1 (Trialist 9 73), Daithi McCallion (Trialist 6 84), Keith Cowan (Trialist 7 53), Trialist 5 (Trialist 2 31), Trialist 3 (Shaunie Bradley 73), Michael Harris (Kevin Jordan 58), Brendan McLaughlin (Seamas Keogh h-t), Trialist 6 (Sean O'Donnell h-t), Trialist 8.