Hutton positive Derry can find goals they need

Derry City’s charter jet arrived in Belarus yesterday, with team boss Peter Hutton insisting that tonight’s Europa League second qualifying round tie against Shakhtyor Soligorsk was far from over (6pm Irish time).

With full-back Dean Jarvis left at home to receive treatment on a foot injury, Hutton is convinced the Candystripes can reverse the 1-0 defeat they suffered at the Brandywell last Thursday night.

“It will be tough, there’s no doubt about that, however, we didn’t play to our capabilities in the home leg and now we’ve got to try and push our performance to another level in Belarus,” he said.

“Shakhtyor are a decent side — they are not world beaters — but on the night we failed in the final third which was disappointing.

“Our second half performance improved, but we failed to make that count.

“So if we are to progress, we must score and I believe we have a goal threat throughout the team which was highlighted in our win over Aberystwyth Town in the last round.”

Hutton also heaped praise on his club’s decision to charter a jet for the trip to Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile Shakhtyor coach Sergei Borovski was delighted with his side’s 1-0 victory in the first leg, although he refused to take anything for granted.

Indeed, he expects Derry to go on an “all-out attack”.

“We can’t afford to relax because the Derry City team likes to attack and they will want to capitalise on our mistakes having lost at home,” claimed Borovski.

The prize for the winners is a third round qualifying tie against either SV Zulte Waregem, from Belgium, or Polish club Zawisza Bydgoszcz.