Derry City waste yet another opportunity to go top

Derry City 1

Sligo Rovers 1

It was yet more frustration for Derry City, who wasted yet another opportunity to go top of the Premier Division against 10-man Sligo Rovers.

The Candystripes went into the weekend with the opportunity to take complete control of the title race with two home games in the space of four days, but failed to win either and now sit two points behind Shelbourne with just three games remaining.

Derry City were again lacking urgency in the first half and they paid the price for that by falling behind on 34 minutes. The Brandywell was absolutely stunned by a spectacular effort from Conor Malley, who volleyed an unstoppable volley beyond Brian Maher from close to 30 yards to give the visitors the lead.

The game had barely kicked off again when City suffered another with the loss of Pat Hoban to injury, the league’s top scorer replaced by Danny Mullen.

The players were booed from the pitch at half time, and their dismay was clearly shared by Ruaidhri Higgins, who made three changes to his team, sending on Patrick McEleney, Colm Whelan and Jacob Davenport in place of Will Patching, Adam O’Reilly and Andre Wisdom.

Sligo were completely on top in the opening stages of the second half, and just when the Derry fans were losing faith completely, their team was gifted an equaliser. Danny Mullen sent Paul McMullan racing down the right, and his cross was headed into the arms of Ed McGinty, until defender Reefe Hutchinson sliced the ball over his goalkeeper’s head and into the net to make it 1-1 completely against the run of play.

Derry City were now playing with belief for the first time and Sadou Diallo then set up Ronan Boyce to cross for Whelan, whose turn and shot was gathered by a relieved McGinty.

Derry should then have taken the lead when a sensational turn by Whelan ended in a chance for McMullan, who seemed to do everything right as he jinked his way through the Sligo defence to create a shooting chance, but his effort somehow stayed out, McGinty saving before the rebound deflected off Niall Morahan and wide for a corner.

A dramatic second half then took another turn with just 15 minutes remaining when Sligo Rovers were reduced to 10 men when Luke Pearce received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Brian Maher.

Despite that, Sligo remained a threat and with defending thrown out the window in the last 10 minutes, they could have scored again when Power set up Fitzgerald in the area, but he shot well off target.

Derry pushed for a late winner and almost had it on 90 minutes when Duffy’s free kick found Whelan at the back post but his header was pushed behind by McGinty.

Duffy then set up Sean Robertson at the back post but the substitute blazed it over much to the frustration of the Brandywell fans.

Teams

Derry City: Maher, Boyce, Connolly, Wisdom (Whelan HT’), Coll; Diallo (Robertson 85’), O'Reilly (McEleney HT’), Patching (Davenport HT’); Duffy, Hoban (Mullen 37’), McMullan.

Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Wilson, Morahan, Denham, Hutchinson; Henry-Francis, Malley; Chapman (Elding 73’), Power, Pearce, Fitzgerald.

Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin).