Sligo Rovers 0 Derry City 1 | Airtricity League

Sligo Rovers 0 Derry City 1

Friday, 05 June 2009 08:26

Derry City’s superb run of form continued at The Showgrounds on Friday evening, as Sammy Morrow’s solitary strike earned the Candystripes a 1-0 win over Sligo Rovers.

The goal arrived after just 13 minutes, when Morrow got on the end of Stephen Gray’s deep cross and fired to the net from a tight angle.

It proved enough to overcome a spirited Sligo side, that were minus seven players through suspension, injury and international duty.

In fact, Rovers had just one outfield substitute, and handed starts to youngsters Danny Keohane and Jason Noctor in both full-back positions.

Gareth McGlynn and Stephen Gray shook off knocks to start for Derry, who were without Barry Molloy, Liam Kearney, Tam McManus and Thomas Stewart.

And Gray’s break down the left enabled Derry to go in front through Morrow early on. They almost doubled the lead on 29 minutes, when Gareth McGlynn’s stinging shot was saved by Richard Brush’s flying save.

Raffaele Cretaro’s well-hit shot from inside the Derry box showed that Rovers possessed at threat and the Bit O’ Red were the better team at the start of the second half.

Former Derry winger Owen Morrison came to life and he linked up well with Cretaro as Rovers carved the Derry backline open on a couple of occasions.

The closest they came to pulling level was when Cretaro let loose from well outside the area after seizing on a Derry mistake. Gerard Doherty got down well to save, however.

Derry had the ball in the net for a second time on 60 minutes, when David Scullion latched onto the ball in the box after Brush saved Morrow’s shot.

Scullion’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Gavin Peers, but the ball rebounded off the Derry man and into the net. But referee Anthony Buttimer ruled the goal out for a handball.

The official was at the centre of the action again on 72 minutes, with a double sending-off. Noctor went in hard on Clive Delaney, and Stephen Gray reaction, sparking a mass confrontation between the players.

When it calmed down, Noctor and Gray were shown red, while Peter Hutton was booked for dissent.

Rovers pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages, but it was Derry that had the better scoring chances, with McGlynn forcing a fine save off Brush, while substitute James McLean saw a late effort cleared off the line.

Sligo Rovers: Brush, Noctor, Peers, Ventre, Keohane (Christopher Kelly 82), Cash, Ryan, Feeney, Holmes, Morrison, Cretaro.

Subs not used: Ciaran Kelly.

Derry City: Doherty, McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, Gray, McGlynn, Higgins, Deery, Scullion (McLean 61), Farren, Morrow (O’Brien 77).

Subs not used: Jennings, McChrystal, Martyn.

Ref: A Buttimer.

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