Derry City 1
Sligo Rovers 0
Simon Collins reports from the Brandywell
WILL PATCHING’s spectacular first half free-kick clinched a precious home victory for Derry City over Sligo Rovers as the Brandywell club moved back to within a point of leaders Shamrock Rovers.
The Stockport man returned to the starting line-up after a troublesome ankle injury and he produced a moment of magic on 15 minutes to decide this match.
It was his 11th goal of the season and worthy of the three points which keeps the Candystripes within touching distance of the leaders.
Derry were dominant and full value for the victory – the Brandywell club’s fifth win and fifth clean sheet on the spin as they hit form at the right time.
Ruaidhri Higgins made three changes to the team that defeated Bohs at Brandywell last Friday night. Jamie McGonigle was recalled to the starting line-up for the first time in five matches. He replaced James Akintunde while Patching made his first start in three league games with Sadou Diallo dropping to the bench.
Shane McEleney was also handed a start alongside Mark Connolly at the heart of the City defence at the expense of the injured Ciaran Coll.
Sligo came into the match on the back of a two match winning run and boasting an unbeaten record against Derry this season, drawing 0-0 on their last visit to Brandywell and winning in dramatic fashion at home last May when Seamas Keogh netted a stoppage time goal.
Since that defeat to the Bit O’Red, Derry have gone on a 13 match unbeaten run in domestic competition, closing the gap on Shamrock Rovers with seven games to go.
The home side made an encouraging start and really should’ve been ahead after just nine minutes.
Cameron McJannet did superbly to get past Lewis Banks on the left wing and delivered a dangerous ball into the six yard box but Graydon’s downward header bounced over the crossbar with the goal gaping.
Derry were dominating and deservedly broke the deadlock after 15 minutes when Patching was fouled just outside the Sligo penalty area by Frank Liivak.
The ex-Man City native curled the resultant free-kick over the wall and into the top corner of the net with a sublime strike despite the best efforts of Luke McNicholas who got a hand to the ball.
It was Patching’s 11th goal of the season but his first league goal in nine games!
Cameron Dummigan tried his luck from 35 yards with a decent strike which needed to be palmed away by the alert McNicholas on the half hour mark.
Despite their dominance, there was a timely warning for Derry 10 minutes before the break as Brian Maher needed to fist away Will Fitzgerald’s deflected cross from the left inside a crowded six yard box.
With two minutes of stoppage time signalled, Michael Duffy stung the hands of the Sligo keeper with a powerful strike from 25 yards. The ball eventually came back to Duffy who volleyed narrowly over the crossbar from teh 18 yard box as City finished the half strongly.
The winger, who scored in his last two league outings, was gifted an excellent chance six minutes after the break when Graydon drilled a cross into the Sligo penalty area but Duffy blasted over from 12 yards.
From Patching’s corner which was fizzed across the face of goal towards Duffy on 55 minutes but the winger’s low strike was saved superbly by McNicholas as the ball went through a crowd of bodies inside the penalty area.
McGonigle then sent a half volley narrowly over the crossbar as Derry went searching for that insurance goal.
Duffy swung an inviting cross into the Sligo six yard box but Graydon couldn’t get enough on his header and it glanced wide of the far post on 69 minutes.
Patrick McEleney came so close to finding the net with a snapshot from distance which bounced the wrong side of the post with the keeper beaten.
Derry sub, James Akintunde found himself in behind the Sligo defence after a neat pass from Duffy but his shot from a tight angle with his first touch was blocked bravely by McNicholas.
It was a nervous finale to the game for the home support but Derry managed to hold on for that fifth successive clean and a win which keeps their title hopes alive and kicking.
Derry City: Maher: Boyce, Connolly, S. McEleney, McJannet; Graydon (C. Kavanagh 84), Dummigan, P. McEleney, Duffy (Lafferty 92); Patching (Thomson 69); McGonigle (Akintunde 69): Subs Not Used – Lemoignan, Diallo, B. Kavanagh, Glass, McEneff.
Sligo Rovers: McNicholas; Banks, Pijnaker, Blayney, Kirk; Liivak, Bolger (Morahan 63), Burton (Cawley 92), Fitzgerald; McDonnell (Mata 63); Keena; Subs Not Used – Walshe, Horgan, Evans, Barlow, Clancy.
Referee - Rob Harvey (Dublin).
Lindelof looks way out of his depth and he cost £40 million quid? And the United fans laugh at Liverpool for spending the same on the Ox. What a deluded shower they have become.
@Micheal Thomas: he cost 31 million.
@FPL Thommo: Ah right it’s ok so. Not as big a flop as we thought! Just a £31 mill flop but the article above says £40 mill if you read it but that could be a step too far for ya!
@Micheal Thomas: Lindelöf played every week for Benfica, had the best stats for a defender in the Portuguese league and won 3 leagues titles. On paper very impressive.
Chamberlain was a bit part player for Arsenal and cost nearly 10mil more. Your point doesn’t really hold up.
@MarkSul: Haha in the mighty Portuguese league? He is been found out now. Hopefully he will start every league game from now on but don’t think Mourinho has lost it yet.
@Micheal Thomas: If he’s been found out after two games your comment about the Ox makes less sense. Whatever Lge he came from it looked and still could be a sound investment, has taken plenty of players a season to adjust to the PL. The Ox has played in d PL for years and has been just about average. Which makes the fee payed for him not a good investment. It was a panic buy to try to keep the Pool fans happy and most of them will admit they’re not.
@Micheal Thomas: Vidic, Evra and De Gea were a laughing stock at the start of their united careers too.
Lidelofs played two or three prem games. He may come good, he may not.
What’s for sure is the ox is absolute shite. Arsenal raped Liverpool.
@Micheal Thomas: I’m sure the article meant to say €40m, because his cost in pounds was 31m.
That’s a fact.
@MarkSul: Give me the Ox any day of the week over this spoofer. Mourinho knows he’s not up to it. Nearly November and it’s his 1st league start. There is no chance that he won’t line out next weekend to try and stop Harry Kane. When the likes of ‘Mike’ Smalling and Jones are still starting ahead of him at this stage of the season, you know he’s a guaranteed flop.
@FPL Thommo: Jaysus I didn’t think the exchange rate was gone as bad as that again overnight!
@MarkSul: @MarkSul: impressive on paper…doesn’t look so good when he plays on grass though!
@FPL Thommo: Stay classy there Thommo! Juve surely ‘raped’ United with Pogba! They’re still laughing a year later at what they got for him.
@FPL Thommo: then it would still be a mistake and 5m out. The £40m includes the add ons. Ox cost £35m, it was Chelsea who offered 40 but he wouldn’t sign. So get you facts right
@John Buckley: arguing over who was a worse signing….times are tough for liverpool and united fans. Although at least United have won a few things. It seems liverpool are literally only clinging onto uniteds mishaps to survive these days.
@Micheal Thomas: “There is no chance he won’t line out next week”. So you think he will start then or are you aware of what a double negative is? I’ve read your comments and it’s obvious who the real spoofer is here. A Liverpool fan with a profile picture of ex player Suarez in a Barcelona shirt. Get over it lad, the cannibal is gone for good so time to let it go :-)
@Brian: all I am doing is stating the correct facts. I am not arguing anything. You are as big an idiot as Thommo or are you the same person
@John Buckley: can you please point out where I said what ox’s price was?
Cheers
@FPL Thommo: can you please clarify how €40m = £35. Cheers
@John Buckley: again, where did I claim €40m is equal to £35?
Are you on drugs?
@John Buckley: also can you answer my first question please. You told me to get my facts right about the ox’s transfer fee. I never mentioned his fee.
Are you just going ignore your utter stupidity on that one?
@Micheal Thomas: So a player that’s fantastic in a crap league is no different to a crap player in a good league?
@FPL Thommo: the utter stupidity here is where you think £31m is the same as €40m. You should have taken the 35, you wouldn’t look quit the idiot you are
@John Buckley: so that would be a yes then. I don’t blame you really. You ridiculed me on something I didn’t even say and just ignored it then when you were called out on it to save face.
@FPL Thommo: I corrected you on the price of Linderof. I never said it was you that said the price of ox, I only stated a correct fact. Stop trying to hide from the fact that you made a huge error in your conversion of currency. It’s obvious I ridiculed you on the currency conversion.
@Micheal Thomas: shows what you know as he didn’t start yesterday ya tool he came on for an injured jones . Also he’s not even half a season in the PL , Chamberlain has had 7/8 seasons and scored 6 goals for a midfielder that’s robbing a living. Just admitted Ox signing was a joke.
Typical of United glory hunter fans calling for him to be sold already. Chap has only arrived. De Gea was awful when he first arrived too.
@Leon L.: who/where does it say they want him to be sold? Anyone with half a brain would realise he’ll be given time like any other player coming to a new club, go back to mammy dere like a good little suckler and dont be talking nonsense
@Leon L.: those statements are funny “typical fans calling for him to be sold”. Who? I don’t particularly like united but I’ve seen plenty of comments from fans and begrudgers about yesterday and not one comment said he should be sold. Liar.
Hargreaves is always bitter towards United, I never listen to anything he has to say
Don’t forget that everyone was saying that David De Gea was a dud and a waste of money when he first signed for United after his first season, and he turned out to be more than ok in the end, sometime a player just needs time to adjust, let just wait and see
@Tom Bolger: Correct Tom. Haven’t seen any genuine United fans on here calling for Lindelof to be sold. Like any new player he needs a run of games to get his form and confidence going. Remember Mkhitaryan in the first half of last season? Collectively United underperformed yesterday and I wouldn’t be quick to make a scapegoat of Lindelof like Hargreaves has done.
Does the same apply to Mata who needlessly gave the ball away for the first goal with no pressure on him.
@Malachy Rivers: I woulda though Mata’s mistake was the critical one for the first goal also.
I wouldnt write off the swede just yet. I’ll judge him after a season or two. Mata was at fault for the 1st Goal. So both goals were’nt entirley lindelofs fault. United are Lacked wingers that hug the touchline & put decent crosses into the box. Utd still need a comanding left back & an out & out left winger.
Mistakes will happen when the team as a unit are not doing exactly that , playing as a unit , unfortunately lindburg was the scape goat by not dealing with his side of the bargain ? Judge him when he settles in to the league ?