Europa League: Derry City 0 - 1 Shakhytor Soligorsk

DERRY City will have to score next Thursday at the Stroitel Stadium if they're to preserve their interest in European competition this season.

NIkolai Yanush netted a 28th minute winner for Shakhytor Soligorsk, who now take a clear advantage back to Belarus. The match-winner is a goal that will give Shane McEleney sleepless nights.
 

McEleney's attempt at a backpass to Gerard Doherty went horribly wrong. The defender didn't get near enough weight on the ball and Yanush nipped in, with Doherty stranded.
 

Yanush rounded the goalkeeper and applied the easiest of finishes, leaving McEleney with head in hands in horror on the edge of the box. At this level, any hint of carelessness will be punished and Shakhytor were good value for their win.
 

Stargorodskyy hit the side netting after a superb move involving goalscorer Yanush and Siarhei Matveychik with the visitors tails up after breaking the deadlock.
 

In the closing minutes of the opening period, Doherty did well to hold from a powerful strike by Siarhei Balanovich after he was set up through a neat lay-off by Alekei Rios.
 

While City had a decent spell in a well-matched opening, there were clear signs that the Belarusians weren't going to be anywhere near the same obliging opponents that Aberystwyth had been over two legs in the last round.
 

Aliaksandr Yurevich's low daisy-cutter was easily held by Doherty in the tenth minute, before the Brandywell was stunned when Ihar Kuzmianok let fly with a magnificent long-range effort that shook Doherty's crossbar.
 

Derry had their moments, but when Patterson did manage to get by Artur Kotenko, Shakhytor's goalkeeper, he had strayed well offside, while Patrick McEleney - on the back of a couple of wonder goals in recent games - tried his luck, but was well off cue with a 25-yarder on the half-hour.
 

The warnings were there when Yanush got a flick to Stargorodskyy's teasing free and when McEleney went to find his goalkeeper the compass needed recalibrating and Yanush took full advantage.
 

City found some urgency after the break, but found Shakhytor were stubborn and chances for the home side were few. The Brandywell burst to life and sensed an opportunity when Patterson beat Kotenko in the 70th minute, but Kuzmianok's block intervened.
 

By that stage, City had Doherty to thank for still being in the game. Yanush, just before his withdrawal after an influential display, got the better of Cliff Byrne only to be denied by a strong save by Doherty, who brilliantly saved from sub Dmitri Asipenka at close range.
 

City survived when Rios struck the butt of the post and City attempted to breathe new life into their challenge with the introduction of Stephen Dooley.
 

City had a long struggle against Shakhytor's 3-4-3 deployment and even if their late withdrawal to protect the away-goal lead allowed the door to become ajar, the Candystripes couldn't force it open enough to get a way through.

 

Derry City (4-1-4-1): Ger Doherty; Shane McEleney, Cliff Byrne, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry; Barry Molloy; Mark Timlin, Patrick McEleney (Nathan Boyle '86) Barry McNamee, Michael Duffy (Stephen Dooley '63); Rory Patterson.
Subs not used: Ciaran Gallagher, Danny Ventre, Josh Tracey, Philip Lowry, Ryan Curran.


Shakhytor Soligorsk (3-4-3): Artur Kotenko; Ihar Kuzmianok, Aliaksei Yanushkevich, Mikalai Kasheuski; Siarhei Matveychik, Artem Stargorodskyy, Illia Galiuza, Aliaksandr Yurevich; Siarhei Balanovich (Alexandre Guruli '77), Nikolai Yanush (Dmitri Asipenka '67), Alekei Rios (Andrei Tsevan '88).
Subs not used: Andrei Liavonchyk, Filip Ivanov, Aliaksei Vasilevski, Ilya Gavrilov.

 

Booked: Siarhei Matveychik (77).

Referee: Danilo Gruji? (Serbia).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Nikolai Yanush (Shakhytor Soligorsk).