Sligo Rovers 0 - 4 Derry City

• Christopher Davey
• Wed, Aug 12 2009


Derry City ended their five game winless run in the league with a crushing four goal victory over Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds on Tuesday.

After a goalless first half, David Scullion set the Candystripes on their way on 54 minutes, before Peter Hutton added a second shortly after the hour mark. Mark Farren helped himself to a double inside the final 16 minutes to keep Derry in touch with Cork City in the battle for third spot.

The defeat leaves Sligo languishing just two points ahead of bottom of the table Bray Wanderers who have played one game less. Paul Cook must pick his side up quickly as they face Derry at the Showgrounds this weekend in the FAI Ford Cup.

The first half was largely devoid of goalmouth chances, as both sides struggled in the wet, miserable weather. Sligo’s Alan Keane went close with a long range effort, while Ruadhri Higgins and Scullion failed to trouble Rovers ‘keeper Richard Brush from distance.

The two best chances of the first period both fell to Derry in the final five minutes of the half. The first and better of the two chances fell to Scullion after he was put though by a poor Martin Camano clearance. Scullion took the ball on and seemed to be caught in two minds as he attempted to round Brush and chip the ball home but he sent a poorly executed shot wide of the post. Scullion did manage to hit the target moments later with a shot on the turn, but Brush saved easily to ensure the sides went in level at the break.

The second half started much brighter and Sligo almost took the lead inside the opening 30 seconds. Richie Ryan had a shot from long range deflected into the air by Clive Delaney and the ball looped narrowly over the crossbar, much to the relief of the oblivious Gerard Doherty in the Derry goal. Sligo continued to pile on the pressure and both Blinkhorn and Doyle passed up chances from Owen Morrisson crosses from the right.

Rovers were left to rue those missed chances when Scullion fired Derry into the lead in the 54th minute when he headed home a Stephen Gray cross.

Sligo then fell apart, with Hutton volleying a Scullion corner into the net on 63 minutes . The ball, crossed in from the right bobbled around in the box before it fell to Hutton who blasted it past the Sligo defenders on the line.

Stephen Kenny’s side notched a third on 74 minutes with Farren chipping the ball home from 18 yards. The points were then made totally safe with seven minutes remaining when Farren grabbed his second of the game following good work from Ger O’Brien. The former Shamrock Rovers midfielder found Farren with a precise cross from the right and Farren side-footed the ball home to round off the scoring and heap yet further misery on Sligo.

Extratime.ie man of the match: David Scullion

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Alan Keane, Martin Camano, Danny Ventre, Joe Kendrick; Owen Morrison, Richie Ryan (Darren Meenan 67), Michael McGrath (Rob Turner 79), Eoin Doyle (Dean Marshall 78); Raffaele Cretaro, Matthew Blinkhorn.
Substitutes not used: Brian Cash, Ciaran Kelly.
Booked: Kendrick (35), Blinkhorn (45), Meenan (89).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Ger O'Brien, Clive Delaney (James McClean 81), Peter Hutton, Steven Gray; Gareth McGlynn, Ruaidhri Higgins, Kevin Deery (Barry Molloy 78), David Scullion; Tam McManus (Mark Farren 68), Thomas Stewart.
Substitutes not used: Ciaran Martyn, Patrick Jennings.
Booked: Hutton (5), Deery 22), Delaney (70).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).