Poor defending leaves Derry out of qualifiers

F.C. Pyunik 2 Derry City 0 (Pyunik win 2-0 on aggregate)

Poor defending cost Derry dearly as they bowed out of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers in Yerevan.

Derry's bright start, in which Sam Morrow and Kevin McHugh had half chances, counted for nothing as they gave away a bad goal on 28 minutes.

Levon Pachajyan got free down the right to cross, and though Patrick Jennings parried Arsen Avetisyan's first shot, the Armenian striker regained possession to fire home.

Aghan Mkrtchyan then brought a good save out of Jennings with a curling shot on 37 minutes.

Derry finished the half strongly, though, and Ciaran Martyn was pulled down by Rafael Nazaryan, but the Slovenian referee waved away claims for a penalty.

Morrow then shot across goal from Kevin Deery's free-kick in stoppage time.

Geovan Ghazarjan brought the best out of Jennings early in the second half before Derry came within inches of levelling as Darren Kelly's header from a Killian Brennan corner rattled the Pyunik crossbar.

But more poor defending gifted Pyunik a second killer goal on 67 minutes.

Pachajyan again got free down the right to cross and Armenian under-21 international Ghazarjan lost his marker to spin and shoot low to the corner of Jennings' net.

Kelly again came close for Derry in the 90th minute, but his header was saved on the line by Pyunik keeper Geovorg Kasparov.