Europa League: Derry City 4 - 0 Aberystwyth Town

PETER Hutton said he wanted Derry City to get 'another European adventure' and he's got it as the Candystripes are already Belarus-bound.

After goals by Patrick McEleney, Rory Patterson, Mark Timlin and Barry McNamee eased them to a first leg victory over Aberystwyth Town, Derry can - even with next week's second leg to come at Park Avenue - begin to plan for Shakhter Soligorsk in the Europa League second qualifying round.
 

This was as comfortable as Derry could have hoped for.
 

Ian Hughes's Aberystwyth were out of their depth and the facile win etched a piece of history for Derry, for whom this was a record European win since they joined the League of Ireland.
 

Even before McEleney gave them a 15th minute lead, the signs were pointing to a stress-free night for Hutton's side with the home side dominating from start to finish.
 

Aberystwyth were the seventh placed team in the Welsh Premier League last season and qualified for Europe having lost 3-2 against League champions The New Saints - the former club of Derry goalkeeper Ger Doherty - in the Welsh Cup final.
 

They were obliging opponents for the most part on a night when Doherty was virtually a spectator.
 

City hit the front when McEleney delightfully sold Craig Williams a pup before being allowed steady himself and pick his spot in the far corner, a neat finish curled to perfection beyond Lewis.
 

Patterson could and perhaps should have doubled the lead when he connect with Mark Timlin's left-wing cross only to head wide.
 

The Strabane man would not be denied in the 25th minute when he was involved in the game's decisive moment.
 

Patterson raced onto a through ball by Duffy and was felled by Lewis as he skipped by with the Aberystwyth 'keeper red carded by the Danish referee Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen.

Replacement goalkeeper Philip Draper's first duty was to collect the ball from the back of his net as Patterson made no mistake.
 

Already, the signs were that the tie was as good as over.
 

Draper magnificently clawed away from Duffy's close-range header and Dean Jarvis warmed the palms of the substitute netminder, whose welcome to proceedings was somewhat busy.
Just two minutes into the second half, 19-year-old Timlin beat Draper with a speculative shot from 30 yards for his first Derry goal.
 

On another night, Patterson might have had a handful. The striker somehow hit the crossbar after connecting with Duffy's neat cross in the 63rd minute, having been denied by Draper at point-blank range.
 

Another promising attack concluded with Patterson rounding the 'keeper only to shoot wide.
When McNamee coolly side-footed home it was game, set and match, although there was still time for sub Nathan Boyle to force Draper into saving down low to his left.
 

McNamee's goal secured Derry - who gave a debut to Philip Lowry in the second half - a record home win in Europe as a League of Ireland club. As an Irish League club, they beat FK Lyn of Norway in 1965, but this will go down as one of the more memorable recent nights on the Lone Moor Road.
 

"We're having a party in the Europa League," their supporters chanted and with an additional €130,000 now set to wing its way from Geneva to Foyleside for advancing to the second qualifying round, the Brandywell bean counters were beaming.

Derry City (4-1-4-1): Ger Doherty; Dean Jarvis, Cliff Byrne, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry; Barry Molloy; Mark Timlin (Josh Tracey '68), Patrick McEleney (Philip Lowry '76), Barry McNamee, Michael Duffy; Rory Patterson (Nathan Boyle '82).
Subs not used: Ciaran Gallagher (gk), Shane McEleney, Danny Ventre, Ryan Curran.

Booked: Aaron Barry (87).

Aberystwyth Town (4-2-3-1): Michael Lewis; Chris Davies (Bari Morgan '66), Stuart Jones, David Wyn Thomas, Cledan Davies; Antonio Corbisiero, Luke Sherbon; Geoff Kellaway, Christopher Venables, Craig Williams (Philip Draper '24); Mark Jones.
Subs not used: Thomas Atyeo, Sion James, Rhydian Davies, Jamie Butler.

Booked: Geoff Kellaway (45).
Sent off: Michael Lewis (23).

Referee: Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen (Denmark)

Attendance: 1,980

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Patrick McEleney (Derry City).