In the first real effort of the game on 13 minutes Pat McCourt brought the ball forward past two Linfield defenders before laying it off for Ruairi Higgins who somehow missed at the near post when well placed.

The Derry pressure continued unabated and almost produced the opener on 25 minutes when Gary Beckett was put clear by McCourt after Pat McShane had given the ball away but thankfully for the visitors the ball ended up drifting wide.

However Beckett made up for that miss ten minutes from the break with a stunning 20-yard right-foot drive past Gregg Shannon to hand the Candystripes a deserved lead.

Derry then doubled their advantage on the hour when former Northern Ireland international Pat McCourt went on a blistering run through the defence to fire past Shannon from 16 yards.

The Blues ensured a grandstand finish to the game when Aidan O'Kane nodded home from close range a Glenn Ferguson cross from the left.