League Preview: Derry City -v- Sligo Rovers

• Dave Donnelly
• Fri, Jul 19 2019




DERRY CITY

Derry City will look to extend their unbeaten run to seven games when they welcome Sligo Rovers to the Ryan McBride Brandywell (kick-off 7.45pm).

The Candystripes were frustrated at home to UCD seven days ago when, despite having chances, they couldn’t find a goal and the game ended scoreless.

Nevertheless, Declan Devine’s side are on a good run of form having held league leaders Dundalk to a draw at home and taken a point home from Shamrock Rovers in that time.

"Sligo have only lost once in their last six so we know they'll be a tough nut to crack,” assistant manager Kevin Deery told the club’s media team.

"Like ourselves they've drawn a few games but we saw last week there are no easy matches in this league as we've been saying from the start.

“We created so many chances against UCD that we were bitterly disappointed not to have won it, but then they go and beat Bohs on Monday night."

Patrick McClean and Ronan McKinley miss out but Michael McCrudden may make his long-awaited return from injury, while Darren Cole and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe are also fit.

SLIGO ROVERS

Sligo Rovers travel north to Derry City in search of a win that would take them within three points of their opponents in fourth place.

Liam Buckley’s made it nine matches undefeated at home last Saturday when they were held to a scoreless draw by Waterford.

They lost defender Dante Leverock to a red card in that match, and he’ll miss the trip, and they’ll hope to do better than their last trip to Ulster when they lost 2-0 to Finn Harps.

“We expected a bit more last Saturday. We’re proving very hard to beat but we could have done a good bit better in the game,” Buckley told the club’s website.

“We would have liked to play better in the second half. We got the point so we’re still in there and with 11 games to go we’d like to see where a good run could take us.

“The league table doesn’t lie in that Derry are a couple of wins ahead of us but we feel we can compete against any side.

“We’ve beaten the top three in the league yet had some disappointing results and Derry couldn’t get that goal last week so it proves how hard this league is.”

Leverock and David Cawley miss out with suspension while Niall Morahan is away with the Irish under-19s in Armenia, but Regan Donelon is once again fit and available.

Referee: Damien McGraith.

MATCH STATS

The sides have already met twice this season in the league, with Derry winning one and drawing the other.

The first meeting at the Brandywell finished 2-0 to the Candystripes as David Parkhouse and Ciaron Harkin found the net, while the return game was scoreless.

BETTING

Derry City 4/7; Draw 11/4; Sligo Rovers 5/1.

PREDICTION

Derry City 2 – 0 Sligo Rovers

Derry City

Injured: Patrick McClean, Ronan McKinley.

Doubtful: Michael McCrudden.

Suspended: None.

Sligo Rovers

Injured: David Cawley, Dante Leverock.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Unavailable: Niall Morahan (international duty).