

Will Fitzgerald 4' | 1-0 | |
Niall Morahan 7' | ||
9' Adam O'Reilly | ||
36' Jordan McEneff | ||
Greg Bolger 59' | ||
John Mahon 63' | ||
63' Sadou Diallo | ||
John Mahon 75' |
Video
Details
Date | Time | League | Season |
---|---|---|---|
27 May 2023 | 7:45 pm | LOI Men's Premier Division | 2023 |
Match Report
Fitzgerald Returns To Haunt Candystripes
Sligo Rovers took a valuable victory against league leaders Derry City as an early deflected effort from former Candystripe Will Fitzgerald was enough to seal a victory for the home side’s ten men.
Derry enjoyed large spells of dominance but struggled to find the key to unlock a resolute home defence even after the dismissal of Sligo Rovers defender John Mahon for a second yellow card.
Sligo enjoyed some early pressure and it was a moment of magic from Frank Liivak which provided the breakthrough after just four minutes. The Estonian international made great progress down the right wing before crossing the ball between Max Mata and Will Fitzgerald. Neither player made a good connection but the ball fell to Fitzgerald who’s goalbound effort was deflected past Maher by the chest of Cameron McJannet who was unable to keep the ball out.
Derry enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession for the first half hour but were unable to break down a very solid Sligo Rovers side who were very organised and managed to cope with anything the Candystripes were throwing at them.
One particular duel that drew interest was Ryan Graydon’s battle with Reece Hutchinson on the Derry City right hand side. The Derry winger enjoyed plenty of joy in the early stages but just couldn’t find the final ball which would open the home defence.
New Zealand international Nando Pijinker went down on the half hour mark forcing a defensive change for the home side as Johan Brannfalk was introduced at right back as Niall Morahan moves to centre back to replace the Kiwi defender.
Derry continued to have the control of the game and the pace of the game but it was two minutes from the break before they managed their first opportunity. A half cleared corner for Derry fell back at the feet of Michael Duffy. The winger tucked in to shoot but his effort had McNicholas scrambling across the goal but the shot went just wide of the far post.
Ollie O’Neill was replaced by Cian Kavanagh for the second period for the visitors and it had an immediate effect as the league leaders gained a target man. His first touch ended up with Jordan McEneff being bumped off the ball but no penalty claims came from the away side.
Derry once again enjoyed the dominance of the next fifteen minutes but The Showgrouds crowd were on their feet just after the hour mark when a wild Sadou Diallo challenge on Greg Bolger was met with just a yellow card. The fans and Bolger’s team mates were in the face of the referee who issued John Mahon with a booking for his protestations.
That would prove to be fatal just moments later when Mahon had a coming together in midfield and the referee deemed that he had fouled his opposite number and the second yellow card was swiftly replaced by a red card as the local man received his marching orders.
Ben Doherty had the best opportunity to equalise as his long range effort was brilliantly stopped by McNicholas. Frank Liivak almost wrapped things up as the clock ticked over the 90 minutes but Brian Maher got down well to push his powerful close range effort around the post.
Both sides had late chances to score as Frank Liivak breaks through the Derry defence once more but his effort goes wide of the far side while Derry instantly break and an overhead kick from Graydon goes just wide. Sligo hold on to win a very valuable three points.
Timeline
7. Will Fitzgerald | 4' | |
Niall Morahan | 7' | |
9' | 28. Adam O'Reilly | |
Nando Pijnaker Johan Brannefalk |
30' | |
36' | 22. Jordan McEneff | |
45' | Ollie O'Neill Cian Kavanagh |
|
6. Greg Bolger | 59' | |
21. John Mahon | 63' | |
63' | 15. Sadou Diallo | |
65' | Jordan McEneff Will Patching |
|
65' | Adam O'Reilly Patrick McEleney |
|
Greg Bolger Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt |
66' | |
72' | Sadou Diallo Ronan Boyce |
|
72' | Cameron Dummigan Brandon Kavanagh |
|
21. John Mahon | 75' | |
Kailin Barlow Danny Lafferty |
77' |
Past Meetings
![]() ![]() (Round 6)
1 - 1Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC 1-1 Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() (Round 33)
0 - 0The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers 0-0 Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Round 25)
1 - 0Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City 1-0 Sligo Rovers |
![]() ![]() (Round 17)
2 - 1The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Round 3)
0 - 0Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City v Sligo Rovers |
![]() ![]() (Series 35)
2 - 0Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City v Sligo Rovers |
![]() ![]() (Series 25)
1 - 2The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Series 17)
1 - 1Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City v Sligo Rovers |
![]() ![]() (Series 7)
0 - 1The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Quarter Final)
0 - 0The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Series 15)
1 - 0The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Derry City |
![]() ![]() (Series 6)
0 - 2Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City v Sligo Rovers |
![]() ![]() 1 - 2The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 3 - 0Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 0 - 0The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 2 - 0Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 1 - 2Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 0 - 2Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 0 - 2The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 2 - 1The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 3 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 4 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 2 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 7:45 pmLOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 2LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 2 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
![]() ![]() 2 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC |
![]() ![]() 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
Ground
The Showgrounds |
---|
The Showgrounds - Sligo Rovers F.C., Magheraboy Road, Knappagh Beg, Sligo, Sligo Municipal Borough District, County Sligo, Connacht, F91 P523, Ireland |
FULL TIME: Sligo Rovers 1-0 Derry City - The Bit O'Red have secured a very valuable three points against the league leaders.
Frank Liivak has almost done it. With about one minute of injury time remaining his effort goes just wide of the far post from an acute angle. Ryan Graydon almost gets an effort on target from an overhead kick.
Luke McNicholas claims another cross as Derry are running out of time here. Sligo are displaying all of the dark arts of time wasting but the fans don't care. They are enjoying the scalp.
Luke McNicholas may have saved the victory for the home side with a spectacular full diving save from a thunderous Ben Doherty long range effort. It's all Derry now.
Kailin Barlow almost doubles the 10 men's advantage here as he pounces on a loose ball in the Derry box but his effort goes just wide of Maher's goal. He's then sacrificed for Danny Lafferty to shore up the home side's defence.
John Mahon has seen red. A second yellow card for the Sligo Rovers centre half sees him get an early bath and leaves the home side without a recognised central defender on the field. They still lead 1-0.
Greg Bolger has not managed to shake off the injury and he is replaced by Lukas Browning.
Sadou Diallo can count his blessings to still be on the pitch after a wild challenge on Greg Bolger is met by a yellow card from the match referee. Mahon is booked for protesting the decision afterwards.
Sligo have been very wasteful in possession. They're really struggling to get anything going here at all.
Derry have found a real goal threat since the restart as they are beginning to turn their dominance into actual opportunities. Sligo Rovers have managed to keep them out so far but it looks like it just might be an issue of when rather than if Derry will find the net. Adam O'Reilly hits one from outside the box but McNicholas's full length dive has the effort covered.
Derry have their best chance of the game. David Cawley had his pocket picked on half way as McEneff bursts into the box and feeds the ball to KAvanagh who almost opens the scoring but a last gasp challenge from Reese Hutchinson deflects it out for a corner. Sligo just about clear the ball from the resulting corner. McEneff finally forces a fine save from McNicholas down to his bottom left corner.
Cian Kavanagh makes the difference early on with a lovely touch through to Jordan McEneff who gets pushed off the ball by a Bit O'Red defender. The referee waves away the muted appeals from the visitors.
The teams are returning to the field. Sligo have barely touched the ball since taking an early lead but the home fans don't seem to find. An early change for Derry as Ollie O'Neill makes way for Cian Kavanagh for the second period of play.
Sligo almost create a second. Max Mata snatched on a long range effort but doesn't trouble Brian Maher in the Candystripes goal.
There will be two minutes extra played here as Sligo will be more than happy to make it to the half time whistle with their lead intact.
Derry have been threatening but just can't find the final ball. The latest effort came from a half cleared corner as Michael Duffy gets the ball back and just can't get his effort on target.
Beautiful from Adam O'Reilly as he clips the ball around Greg Bolger and chips in the ball but it's cleared out for a corner by the head of Johan Brannfalk. Derry's corner is wasted without really bothering the defence.
Decent move from Derry as Ryan Graydon plays the ball down the line for Ollie O'Neill who fires in a low cross but David Cawley gets a trailing leg back to intercept and clear the danger.
Kailin Barlow draws the foul as Jordan McEneff becomes the second Derry player to enter the referee's book after Adam O'Reilly was booked in the early stages of the game.
Derry City have been playing nearly all the football but can not generate any real opportunities to shoot against a very organised Bit O'Red team.
Graydon shows a clean pair of heels to Hutchinson but the ball is too close to Luke McNicholas who plucks it easily out of the sky.
David Cawley showed his footballing intelligence as he nicks in to rob the ball off Ollie O'Neill and wins the foul too.
Great work from Derry as Ryan Graydon and Ollie O'Neill combine to create a crossing opportunity but John Mahon turns the centre out for a corner.
It's all a little scrappy here in Sligo as both teams are struggling to keep the ball moving.
GOAL: Early pressure from Sligo Rovers has paid off as good work from Liivak down the right hand side and the ball lands at the feet of former Candystripe Will Fitzgerald who keeps his effort just inside the post but a deflection off Cameron McJannett takes the ball past Maher.
Sligo get us up and running as they play into the Railway end in the first half.
The teams are now being introduced to the crowd as the fans of both sides make a rousing reception for the league leaders.
Ruairdhi Higgins recalls Sadou Diallo, Shane McEleney, Ryan Graydon, Ollie O'Neill & Adam O'Reilly come into his side while the League's top scorer Max Mata returns as club captain David Cawley makes his first start of the season.
Both teams are warming up in the Saturday evening sunshine at The Showgrounds in Sligo this evening. Both teams are named as Derry have no less than five changes from the side who beat UCD last week.