Hale hit with ban as Candystripes gear up for Lilywhites battle
DERRY City have been hit by the news that Rory Hale must sit out tonight’s clash with Dundalk at the Brandywell due to suspension.
The midfielder, one of only three City players to have appeared in every game this season, has been a key component of the team’s success, with the Candystripes going into tonight’s game unbeaten in seven games at home.
The Belfast youngster, who played at Galway United last year, has been a significant addition to the club, alongside brother Ronan, who has scored seven goals his season.
The loss is a boost to the Lilywhites, who are aiming to become the first away side to win at the Brandywell this season, with Waterford, Shamrock Rovers and Cork City among others all trying and failing in 2018.
City and Dundalk played out a 2-2 draw at Oriel Park just a few weeks ago, and boss Kenny Shiels is hoping that his team can go one further and get the three points.
“We want to win any match,” he said.
“This is different because of the level of the team we are playing. To play Cork and then Dundalk back to back is a big ask in such close proximity. They are big games at home and we are hoping that we can get something from the game at least.”
Before Friday’s game, Cork boss John Caulfield expressed his opinion that City had an advantage by playing on an artificial surface, a claim which has been dismissed by Shiels.
“It’s a surface that you can play football on so I don’t know why people have got this thing about synthetic pitch and how it’s a big advantage to Derry. It certainly is not,” he said.
“We are getting points because of our supporters. Our players are playing a game that they want to play also; those are the contributing factors, not the surface at all, no chance.”
Derry have hit back strongly from their recent defeat to Bray Wanderers, scoring seven against Shelbourne in the League Cup and producing an impressive performance against champions Cork.
“I thought it was a good performance and everybody has been talking about it, but we play like that most of the time anyway and that’s what we have to try and do, work out methods and how we play in each game,” Shiels continued.
“We overlooked the fact that Cork were very good in terms of shutting our spaces. They dug in and took a point back down the road and they will be pleased with that because it won’t be easy coming to the Brandywell.” JOE Gormley’s big gamble paid off as Cliftonville hit the Euro jackpot on Saturday.
The striker’s dramatic late goal sealed an absorbing Europa League play-off final victory over a Glentoran side that had threatened a repeat of their sensational midweek comeback against Linfield.
After Robbie McDaid and Curtis Allen had netted to cancel out Rory Donnelly’s double, Gormley’s 34th goal of the season sparked manic celebrations among home fans — who had spent the previous few days fearing their star striker might not even be in the country for the game. CLIFTONVILLE: Neeson, Ives, Breen, Harney, Curran, Bagnall, Gormley, J Donnelly, Cosgrove, McDonald (Garrett, 59 mins), R Donnelly. Unused subs: McGovern, Dunne, Lavery, Grimes.
GLENTORAN: Morris, Garrett, Addis, Kane, Gordon (Kelly, 72 mins), Redman, Allen,
That’s because Gormley had been booked in for a five-day break in Las Vegas, which he scrapped as soon as Cliftonville overcame Ballymena United in Wednesday’s play-off semi-final.
Solitude might not match the strip for glitz and glamour but, in terms of sheer entertainment, the north Belfast venue dished McGuigan (McMahon, 61 mins), Davidson (O’Hanlon, 72 mins), McDaid, Kerr. Unused subs: Ferrin, O’Neill Man of match: Rory Donnelly Match rating: 8/10 Referee: Keith Kennedy (Lisburn)
up a feast to compete with the very best sin city has to offer.
The weekend’s contest boasted every element necessary for raw drama with goals, fightbacks, late twists and a large dollop of that most mandatory of ingredients — injustice.
Glentoran were aggrieved that Cliftonville’s first goal was not disallowed by referee Keith Kennedy after Donnelly’s left hand made a key contribution to the striker setting himself up to blast beyond Elliott Morris.
Soon later, the Lisburn official was on the receiving end of home fury when Gormley thought he had doubled the Reds’ lead. Seizing on a deflected Jay Donnelly drive, he touched the ball into the bottom corner only for the referee to rule that he had been offside.
Assistant ref Gareth Eakin duly raised his flag some