Report: Derry City 0 - 0 Sligo Rovers
Credit:
Paul Cook made one change to the side that took on Cobh Ramblers last week in the Showgrounds, Alan Moore took over from the popular Raffaele Cretaro, and the manager will be delighted that his charges are returning home with a hard earned point from the Brandywell.
Sligo started the livelier of the two and from the first whistle to the final death knell they worked very hard all over the pitch to thwart the efforts of former table-toppers Derry City. St Pat's 3-0 win in nearby Ballybofey sees Derry slip back to second in the league after an all too brief sojourn to the top. Stephen Kenny will look at tonight's game as two points lost in his battle to shake off Derry's role, in recent years, as the bridesmaid of League of Ireland football. The players and fans may look at their extra game during the week as an excuse for their somewhat tired showing but, in all honesty, the industrious nature of the Sligo team who hassled and harried their hosts all over the park must be given credit. Kenny, for his part, is unlikely to allow excuses from his squad as fixture congestion is part and parcel of football success.
Although Sligo were very much set out to spoil the party for Derry, they did not simply close the game down and batten the hatches for 90 minutes. The first line of defence, as they say, is offence and Steve Feeney and Romauld Boco did themselves proud, as did Brian Cash who may have been fired up to play against his former employers and team mates.
The best chances of the game perhaps fell to Derry in a game that lacked goal mouth action and Mauro Almeida can take the credit for that. His no-nonsense style of composed defending gave Derry very little sight of goal. In the first half Derry's best chance came from a freekick by Owen Morrison who, after the removal of McCourt on the half hour mark, was Derry's only creative outlet. Brush in the sligo net moved quickly to stop the powerful freekick. Conor Sammon also had a headed chance from a high cross from Morrison but Brush was more than equal of the effort and the former UCD front man knows he should have done better. All in all a drab first half.
The second half was no better. Derry were reduced to half chances and rarely tested the Sligo custodian. Sligo's fitness started to wane and their forays into the Derry half became fewer and further between but their work rate remained high in the face of a Derry team who will not be relishing a trip to the Oval early next week. Sligo deserved a point from this game and will be certain to cause problems for many of the leagues so-called bigger teams but that will be scant consolation to Kenny who clearly expects much more and has his heart set on domestic success.
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Gareth McGlynn, Eddie McCallion, Peter Hutton, Steven Gray; Paddy McCourt (Niall McGinn 31), Barry Molloy (Ciaran Martyn 68), Ruaidhri Higgins, Owen Morrison; Conor Sammon (Kevin McHugh 81), Mark Farren.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Seamus Coleman, Gavin Peers, Mauro Almeida, Chris Butler; Brian Cash, Danny Ventre, Conor O'Grady, Alan Moore (Anto Murphy 58); Romauld Boco, Steve Feeney (Matthew Judge 63).
Referee: Declan Hanney.
Attendance: 3,350 (estimate).
