Mark Timlin came close to equalising with a rasping shot in the match against Sligo Rovers
DERRY’S hopes of getting back to winning ways were dashed by Sligo Rovers last night.
The Candystripes went down 1-0 while playing with just ten men in the SSE Airtricity League game.
That is two defeats on the bounce for Peter Hutton’s men after last weekend’s two-nil home defeat to Dundalk.
Tim Clancy’s first-half goal was enough for Sligo to beat ten-man Derry City at the Showgrounds.
The Scot’s headed effort mid-way through the first half sees the Bit O’Red move level with the tenth-place Candystripes.
Philip Lowry was sent off just shy of the hour mark for a stamp on Raffaele Cretaro.
Sligo, keen to continue their winning ways following a 4-0 trouncing of Drogheda on Friday, started the brighter.
Jason Hughes almost found the top corner from the edge of the area on 13 while John Russell lacked the pace to meet Cretaro’s searching ball from the right after the winger’s cross somehow made its way through a group of Derry defenders shortly after.
Rovers’ early pressure told on 19 minutes as Derry showed little in terms of adventure.
Man of the Match Clancy found himself in the right place at the right time to nod Regan Donelon’s corner from the left beyond the helpless Ger Doherty.
The Shamrock Rovers loanee netting his maiden goal for the Bit O’Red on his fourth appearance.
It took Peter Hutton’s side 37 minutes to fashion their first chance of the game but Mark Timlin was unable to keep his rasping effort down.
Moments later substitute Cillian Morrison did well to skip past Donelon, only to shoot straight at Richard Brush in the Rovers nets.
Morrison caused Rovers plenty of problems down their left.
His deft chip meant for the back post almost caught Brush unawares two minutes from the break – the Sligo goalkeeper was relieved to see the ball sneak past the post.
The former UCD man headed wide from a Patrick McEleney cross a minute later as City began to find their feet.
Both McEleney and Timlin fired further warning shots early in the second half as the Candystripes displayed much more purpose.
They were stopped in their tracks just before the hour mark, however, when they were reduced to ten men,
Lowry seemed to stamp on Cretaro following an aerial challenge between the two.
Referee Padraigh Sutton did not see the incident but was quick to brandish the red having been alerted by fourth official Robert Hennessey.
Morten Nielsen’s free kick from 20 yards fizzed narrowly past Doherty’s near post on 73 during as the encounter turned scrappy.
Derry still looked dangerous any time they were afforded the opportunity to get forward, despite their numerical disadvantage, but were never allowed space in front of the target.
Sligo were wasteful in front of goal with Russell, Sander Puri, Gary Boylan and David Cawley all misfiring.
The Candystripes introduced both Mark Quigley and Josh Daniels late on as the they went for broke but it was Micky Adams’ side who produced the last goal-scoring opportunity of the game.
Puri skilfully moved the ball past City’s Dean Jarvis before playing the ball the ball into the path of Russell but the Galway man was denied by Doherty, who blocked Russell’s shot with his legs.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Gary Boylan, Alan Keane, Tim Clancy, Regan Donelon; Sander Puri, David Cawley, Jason Hughes, John Russell, Raffaele Cretaro (for Rob Lehane 82 mins); Morten Nielsen.
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Aaron McEneff (for Cillian Morrison 29 mins), Robert Cornwall, Dean Jarvis, Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry (for Mark Quigley 89 mins); Philip Lowry, Barry McNamee, Patrick McEleney; Mark Timlin, Ciaran O’Connor (for Josh Daniels 89 mins).
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.
