A late winner from Aaron McEneff sealed a comeback 2-1 win for Shamrock Rovers at Derry City to extend their lead at the top of the League of Ireland.

Following a scoreless opening period, Danny Mullen put Derry ahead shortly after coming onto the field as a substitute at the 65-minute mark.

Michael Noonan, coming off the bench for Rovers, equalized just four minutes after entering the game. Then, ex-Candystripes midfielder McEneff secured the victory for his team with a goal in the 89th minute.

The player, aged 29, who made more than 100 appearances for Derry City, received a yellow card due to his celebratory actions following the goal.

The visitors remain undefeated in their past seven matches and have extended their advantage over second-place Derry to eight points.

Even though both teams applied initial pressure, none of the goaltenders were called into action during the first 20 minutes. Michael Duffy’s flip shot did not trouble Ed McGinty, andDanny Grant sent his attempt sailing high above the crossbar at the opposite end.

During the first 45 minutes, the team playing at their home field dominated possession, with Gavin Whyte being highly active in the play. He created an opportunity for Liam Boyce to score the opening goal halfway through the period.

The Rovers believed they deserved a penalty after Aaron Greene’s shot hit the arm of Hayden Cann, yet their objections were dismissed by referee Marc Lynch.

As the quiet first half drew to a close, Brian Maher was forced to make a save low down to deny Graham Burke’s effort with the forward having a shot from range easily gathered by Maher shortly after.

The second half offered more attacking chances with Boyce and Burke going close for their respective sides but it was the replacements who made the difference.

On the hour, Derry boss Tiernan Lynch threw on Paul McMullan and Danny Mullen, and four minutes later the pair combined to open the scoring with Mullen latching onto McMullan’s looping cross to fire past McGinty in the Rovers goal.

The lead did not last for long as 16-year-old Noonan – who came on just before the opening goal – headed home the equaliser.

Roberto Lopes made an impressive attempt from 35 yards that struck the crossbar, deflected by Maher in the Derry goal, right into the path of the young player Noonan.

Stephen Bradley’s men upped the tempo and came close to taking the lead when Josh Honahan weaved his way around multiple red and white shirts before sending an effort narrowly wide.

Adam Matthews subsequently executed an essential tackle to divert Duffy’s powerful shot away from danger, much to the relief of the supporters who were on the road.

Nevertheless, the objectives were not achieved even when only two minutes remained in regular playtime, as the visiting team managed to take the lead. McEneff scored after capitalizing on Danny Mandroiu’s assist nearby, securing the victory for Shamrock Rovers against his previous club.