Rory Patterson Derry’s first goal in his side’s 2-10 win over Sligo Rovers
DERRY City continued their good form last night with a sixth win in seven games in all competitions.
And the Candy Stripes picked up their first league win at the Showgrounds in nine years as they condemned a severely under-par Sligo Rovers to their sixth defeat of the season.
Goals in either half from Rory Patterson and Ronan Hale did the damage for Kenny Shiels charges who move to within a point of fourth placed Shamrock Rovers.
On the way to their first three points under Benbulben since August 2009, it was Derry who bossed large parts of this contest against a lacklustre Sligo.
Ronan Curtis saw his bullet head whistle past Micheál Schlingermann’s back post five minutes in, shortly before the striker should have given the Candystripes the lead.
Curtis latched on to Rhys McCabe’s under-hit header towards Schlingermann, but the Sligo goalkeeper did well to stand his ground and block the Donegal man’s pop at goal.
The away side continued to dominate and deservedly hit the lead 17 minutes in, even if was under fortunate circumstances.
McCabe was adjudged to have upended Aaron McEnuff at the edge of the area, before Patterson’s resulting set piece took a wicked deflection off the Rovers wall on its way past the rooted Schlingermann.
Rovers boss Ger Lyttle emptied his bench on the hour, top scorer Adam Morgan one of three withdrawals.
But it was City who continued to look more likely to strike next. Schlingermann had to watch Curtis’ drive at goal from the angle on 67 minutes. The Mayo native palming the ball over his crossbar.
Schlingermann was left red faced on 74 when he allowed Hale’s innocuous looking effort from the edge of the box slip under his grasp for City’s second.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Gary Boylan, Kyle Callan-McFadden (Seamus Sharkey 59), Patrick McClean, Calum Waters; Caolan McAleer, David Cawley, Rhys McCabe, Ali Roy (Eduardo Pinceli 59); Greg Moorhouse; Adam Morgan (Raffaele Cretaro 59).
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Conor McDermott; Eoin Toal, Gavin Peers, Jack Doyle; Ronan Hale (Jamie McDonagh 76), Rory Hale, Nicky Low, Ronan Curtis (David Hopkirk 81); Aaron McEneff; Rory Patterson (John Cofie 88).
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