League Report: Sligo Rovers 1 - 0 Derry City

On a muggy night at the Showgrounds it was Sligo Rovers who came out on top against Derry City in a meeting of the North West rivals thanks to a goal from man of the match Tim Clancy after nineteen minutes.

It was Rovers who started off the better of the teams with boht Jason Hughes and John Russell having early opportunities to put the Bit O'Red in front.

Rovers persistence and pressure paid off on nineteen minutes when Tim Clancy met a Regan Donelon corner to put them one nil up.

This was the wake up call needed for Derry and both Mark Timlin and Cillian Morrison had great chances to equalise for the Candystripes.

But Rovers soaked up the pressure and finished the better of the two teams and John Russell forced a great save from Ger Doherty after meeting Sander Puri’s cross.

As the second half kicked off Derry City had all the pressure on the ball and were lucky not to equalise through Mark Timlin on fourty eight minutes but his effort was just over Richard Brushes bar.

The game erupted into life on sixty minutes when Philip Lowry was sent off for a stamp on Raffaele Cretaro. Dean Jarvis can count himself lucky to have stayed on the pitch as his stamp missed Cretaro.

From then on it was all Sligo Rovers and Morten Neilson and Gary Boylan both had efforts to double Rovers’ lead.

As the game wound down John Russell was again in the thick of it as he met a Sander Puri cross and forced another excellent save from Ger Doherty.

The win tonight was the first time all season that Sligo had won back to back games and helps them move closer to the teams above them.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush, Alan Keane, Gary Boylan,Tim Clancy, Regan Donelon, Sander Puri, David Cawley (C), John Russell, Raffaele Cretaro ( Rob Legate 81), Jason Hughes, Morten Neilsen.

Subs not used: Ryan Coulter, Anthony Elding, James Dykes, Keith Ward, Danny Ledwith, Dinny Corcoran.

Yellow Cards: Russell (6), Nielsen (49), Donelon (74)

Red Cards: None.

Derry City: Ger Doherty, Robert Cornwall, Dean Jorvik, Ryan Mc Bride (C), Aaron Barry, Patrick Mc Eleney, Ciaran O Connor, Philip Lowry, Aaron Mc Eneff  (Cillian Morrison 29), Mark Tillington.

Subs not used: Shaun Patton, Mark Quigley, Josh Daniels, Ryan Curran, Seamus Sharkey, Ronan Curtis

Yellow Cards: Cornwall (45+1), P.McEleney (73). 

Red Cards: Lowry (59).

Referee: Padraigh Sutton.

Attendance: 1,774.

ExtraTime.ie Man Of The Match: Tim Clancy (Sligo Rovers).