Will Patching and Brandon Kavanagh at double as Derry pass UCD examination

UCD 0 Derry City 5

Derry City’s Will Patching celebrates with Danny Mullen after finding the net

Derry City’s Brandon Kavanagh is mobbed after scoring his side's third goal

Danny Mullen enjoys the moment after opening the scoring for Derry

Derry City handed the students of UCD a lesson as they chalked up their biggest win of the season to move within four points of Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Premier Division.

Will Patching and Brandon Kavanagh both chipped in with two goals against the struggling Dublin outfit, while winger Paul McMullan provided three assists as the visitors ran riot.

It is now just one defeat in 14 games in all competitions for City.

Ruaidhri Higgins’ side got off to an absolutely perfect start by opening the scoring after just two minutes. McMullan received the ball on the right and drove into the UCD area before crossing for Danny Mullen, who couldn’t miss with a close-range header to make it 1-0.

City had to be patient but they finally got their second five minutes before half-time when Patching met McMullan’s cross with a brilliant chipped finish over Lorcan Healy for his eighth goal of the campaign.

The game was over as a contest by half-time as City added another two minutes before the break, this time Ben Doherty whipping the ball in for Kavanagh to sweep home.

Derry wasted little time in adding to their lead in the second half, and it was a beauty from Patching. McMullan chipped in with his third assist of the night as he found his team-mate on the edge of the area and Patching curled the ball past Healy with his left foot into the top corner for the fourth.

The fifth quickly followed as UCD lost possession just outside their own goal and Patching set up Kavanagh, who whipped the ball