Derry City 0 - 3 Trabzonspor (Trabzonspor win 2-7 on agg)

Derry City's European sojourn is no more, but Declan Devine's side can be incredibly proud of their efforts in a tie they ought to have simply made the number up in.

Theirs is an entirely different world to that of Trabzonspor, for whom the Brandywell - which was at its rocking best tonight - must have been something of the culture shock.
 

Pride was intact for the Lone Moor Road residents, though, as it was only a pair of second half goals by Paulo Henrique that shot down the ambitions the Candystripes had harboured of causing an upset. Sub Abdulkadir Ozdemir fired home a third in stoppage time, but by that stage the Turks had already made safe their passage to meeting with Dinamo Minsk.

Consider that tonight's match-winner, the Brazilian Henrique, was a €3.3million signing from Palmeiras two years ago and you get an idea of the company in which Derry were living for the last week.
 

Rank outsiders, City came into the game chasing a two-goal deficit, but having netted twice in a 4-2 loss in Trabzon in the first leg there was a genuine appetite for a famous night by the Foyle.
 

Their dreams faded when Henrique showed those touches of clinicism that had proven so costly for City in Turkey, too, but there was much about the way City played with a vigour in attack at times - and their efforts probably deserved a goal.
 

Henrique stunned the Brandywell when he steered home after Volkan Sen had been denied by Gerard Doherty in the 56th minute - a goal that will have had Devine pulling his hair out, for it was an avoidable concession. 
 

Nine minutes from the end, Henrique steered home after a brilliant breakaway again found Sen in an advanced position down the right flank, while Ozdemir riffled home a third late in the night to twist the knife further into home hearts, but it was perhaps an undeserved conclusion for the home faithful. 
 

City's had been a useful start as they went in search of an opening goal in a tie they felt was very much alive after the away goals of David McDaid and Paddy Kavanagh seven days ago. 
 

Barry Molloy's exquisite ball found Ryan McBride, whose searching cross popped over 'keeper Kivrak, only for Kaçar to nod out for a corner with the marauding Simon Madden ghosting on his shoulder. 
 

With Rory Patterson a continued injury victim, the returned McDaid was again the fulcrum of Derry's attack. Kivrak was out to collect a cross from Shane McEleney with the diminutive front man lurking intently.
 

While it was the Candystripes who enjoyed the brighter start, with Madden invited into the final third from his right back sentry at every possible opportunity, there were flashes still of Trabzonspor's threat -  a very real one particularly in the form of the nifty Henrique. His deft through ball almost put Sen in, only for Gerard Doherty to thwart at his feet before a brave block by Stewart Greacen denied Henrique a shot at goal.
 

City probed still, though, and there was a moment, just past the half-hour mark, when time almost stood still. Eoghan Osbourne's inviting cross was perfect for Ruaidhri Higgins, whose downward header caused Kivrak a moment of panic, but the seven-times capped Turkish international clung on, but only just with McDaid again casting a shadow and poised for a tap in had the 'keeper spilled.
 

In the final minute of the first half Derry had a real let off when Madden, somehow, hooked off the goal-line after Sen's delicate shot had beaten Doherty in a route-one move that saw Kivrak's kick-out pick out the ever-dangerous Henrique.
Scoreless at the break, Derry's dream was still alive.
 

The contrast between the sides could be seen clearly by their make-up.
 

The Foyle Cup is running in the Maiden City this week. On this week last year, Barry McNamee and Michael Duffy - on the Derry bench tonight - were members of the Derry squad competing in the Under 19 section of the Foyle Cup. Both came on as second half subs here, with McNamee having started at the Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium last week.
 

Their opponents had a rather more illustrious pedigree. The Trabzonspor squad tonight contained five full internationals, is worth a total of $70m and they recently added the former Chelsea player Florent Malouda, reportedly on a cool €2.5m a season.
 

The gulf was much less here, though.
 

Ten minutes into the second half, Higgins had another header go close, this time forcing the Turkish netminder into tipping over after he connected with a Paddy Kavanagh corner.
 

Henrique had been a consistent menace for Derry and it was he who broke the deadlock in the 56th minute; a goal that sunk City hearts.
 

On another evening the floodgates might well have swung open, but Greacen did enough to put Henrique off when he connected with Sen's cross, while the brave McBride stood firm after Aykut Demir's header flashed across to the far post.
The old ground shook once more when, 13 minutes from the end, Higgins' free-kick from the left corner of the box flashed wide with McDaid just failing to get a touch at the far post.
 

McNamee then connected with a Madden cross, but his dangerous effort was blocked. From the breakaway, Trabzonspor's class told as Sen swept across for Henrique to crash home and, just for good measure, Ozdemir added the third.
 

In the likes of Ryan McBride and Shane McEleney, Derry had rocks tonight. But for the class of the likes of Sen and Henrique, the night's accolade might well have gone the way of another Derry man for Ruaidhri Higgins was exceptional throughout in a performance of real craft and experience.
 

Alas, though, Trabzonspor were able to show that more clinical edge you get from players who cost seven-figure sums. That, ultimately, was the difference here.
 

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Simon Madden, Stewart Greacen, Shane McEleney, Eoghan Osbourne; Paddy Kavanagh (Michael Duffy '72), Ruaidhri Higgins, Ryan McBride (sean Houston '79), Barry Molloy, Patrick McEleney (Barry McNamee '63); David McDaid.
Subs not used: Kevin Deery, Marc Griffin, Michael Rafter, Eugene Ferry.
Booked: Greacen (42), S.McEleney (59).

Trabzonspor: Onur Kivrak; Zeki Yavru, Giray Kaçar (Aykut Demir '46), Mustafa Yumlu, Ond?ej ?el?stka; Volkan ?en, Gustavo Colman (Abdulkadir Ozdemir '46), Aykut Akgün, Olcan Adin; Adrian Mierzejewski (Soner Aydogdu '83), Paulo Henrique.
Subs not used: Emre Güral, Alan Carlos Gomes Da Costa, Yusuf Erdogan, Zeki Ayvaz.
Booked: Kaçar (35), Yumlu (67).

Referee: Michael Lerjeus (Sweden).
Attendance: 3,000
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Paulo Henrique (Trabzonspor)