Strikers slip-up as Derry held by Sligo

DERRY CITY and Sligo Rovers strikers, Eamon Zayed and Matthew Blinkhorn, will both be cursing their luck following this thriller at the Brandywell last night.

Both hitmen having been presented with glorious opportunities on either side of half-time, but both failed to find the net.

Indeed, in what was a free-flowing game, both sides will be disappointed with the sharing of the spoils, given the results from elsewhere last night.

That said, it was a fair result in the end, with Derry bossing the first half and Sligo on top in the second.

Derry striker Zayed really should have added to his goal tally having squandered three decent chances during the opening 45 minutes.

Indeed, in the 12th minute, a Kevin Deery pass saw the striker race into a one-on-one situation with Sligo keeper, Brendan Clarke, but Zayed hesitated and the chance was lost.

Two minutes from the break, Derry were presented with another clear-cut scoring opportunity. James McClean gained possession on the left but Zayed failed to get a touch to his in-swinging cross from close range.

Sligo’s first noteworthy scoring chance of the match didn’t materialise until the 49th minute, when Blinkhorn drove the ball into the side-netting after Ritchie Ryan had set him up.

Joseph Ndo entered the fray in the 52nd minute and in his first action of the match, he found the head of Blinkhorn from a free-kick, the striker heading over the crossbar.

Derry keeper, Gerard Doherty, did well to palm the ball clear from Eoin Doyle as the visitors began to pile on the pressure, with Ndo pulling the strings in midfield.

In the 58th minute a low Ruaidhri Higgins shot was saved by Clarke while a powerful drive from Gareth McGlynn crashed to the side netting.

But Sligo finished the game strongly with Higgins heading an Ndo looping effort off his line while substitute, Alan Kirby had a close range shot blocked by Lafferty.

DERRY CITY: Doherty; McCallion, Greacen, S. McEleney, Lafferty; McGlynn, Higgins, Deery, McClean; P. McEleney (McDaid, 74); Zayed (McLaughlin, 83).

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane, Peers, McGuinness, Greene; Doyle, Ryan, Russell (Ndo, 52), Ventre (Kirby, 64), Cretaro; Blinkhorn (Horgan, 87).

Referee: T. Connolly (Dublin).