Rovers lose to Derry
Sligo Rovers’ dire start to the season continued as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Derry City at The Showgrounds on Saturday night,
Goals from Rory Patterson and Ronan Hale’s sixth of the season saw the visitors win at The Showgrounds for the first time since 2009 - they had already been beaten by Rovers earlier in the season.
The Bit o’Red’s recent league form has been nothing short of dreadful, picking up just two wins all season and losing their last two coming into this game. Derry, on the other hand, came into this game on a run of good form, winning their previous three league games. Ger Lyttle made one change to the side that was defeated in Tallaght the previous week, the injured Lewis Morrison was replaced by Greg Moorhouse.
Gavin Peers, who spent 10 years plying his trade with the Bit o’Red, made his debut for Derry City having spent last season with St. Patrick’s Athletic.
The Candystripes were well on top from the off, with Rovers never really getting out of the traps. The hosts were forced to spend much of the early stages in their own half, unable to put an end to the Derry dominance.
Aaron McEneff was causing Rovers a whole host of problems early on, his fourth minute free-kick was well saved by Micheál Schlingermann, before Ronan Curtis nodded his cross just wide.
Derry should have been ahead with 15 minutes gone when Curtis was gifted an opportunity thanks to a defensive error from the Bit o’Red One-on-one with Schlingermann, he blasted it straight at the Mayo man, much to the relief of the home fans.
But the Foylesiders did eventually deservedly go ahead seconds later when Rory Patterson’s free went through the Sligo wall, taking a massive deflection off David Cawley on the way, with Schlingermann wrong-footed.
Rovers went on the attack and an excellent interception from the impressive Conor McDermott prevented Ally Roy from creating an open when he ran on to an excellent Cawley pass. The Candystripes were by far the better team once again after the restart, with Ger Lyttle forced to use all three substitutions on the hour mark. a risk that he later said he felt he had to take.
Substitute Greg Moorhouse was left kicking himself when he failed to connect with an Eduardo Pinceli floated ball which looked to be falling perfectly for the former Glenavon man, but he was unable to make anything of it.
Schlingermann was forced into a great save when Curtis unleashed a powerful left-footed drive at goal, before the former Drogheda man was beaten once again.
Hale’s low drive into the box went under Schlingermann late on, to give Derry a 2-0 lead, and from this there was no way back for Sligo Rovers.
Derry appear to have got over their early season blip, but the misery continues for Ger Lyttle’s side who remain second bottom of the table.
Rovers travel to Limerick this Saturday, before heading south again on Tuesday to face champions Cork City.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Gary Boylan, Kyle Callan-McFadden (Seamus Sharkey, 59), Patrick McClean, Calum Waters; Caolan McAleer, David Cawley, Rhys McCabe, Ally Roy (Eduardo Pinceli, 59); Greg Moorhouse, Adam Morgan (Raff Cretaro, 59).
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Conor McDermott, Gavin Peers, Eoin Toal, Jack Doyle; Ronan Hale, Nicky Low, Rory Hale, Aaron McEneff, Ronan Curtis (David Hopkirk, 82); Rory Patterson (John Cofie, 88). Referee: Paul McLaughlin.