Heartbreak for Derry City as Tobol go through on penalties
EUROPEAN DREAM OVER: Derry City's Europa League adventure was ended in heartbreaking fashion. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Derry City’s European group stage dream was toppled by the Kazaks in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.
Tobol Kostanay’s general manager — a familiar face in ex-Manchester United winger Andrei Kanchelskis — applied a dose of extra motivation by declaring his joy at being among ‘British’ people again during a half-time interview but the FAI Cup holders looked to have done enough to seal a playoff against Viktoria Plzeň next week.
Will Patching’s 15th-minute penalty brought Derry level in the tie and after missing a glut of chances in both normal and extra-time, penalties ensued.
Only miss each, Derry’s by Ben Doherty, extended the jeopardy till sudden death but one goalkeeper, Ivan Konovalov, saving from another, in Brian Maher, enabled Pavel Kireenko to slot home the decisive spot-kick.
Their earnings from the run to the third round settles at €850,000, going some way towards rewarding the investment pumped into the club by local, self-made billionaire chairman Philip O’Doherty.
With tickets priced at €25 and the fixture relocated to Dubin due to the Ryan McBride Brandywell not meeting UEFA’s stadia criteria for this stage, fears over a turnout dominated the pre-match discourse.
But, as the Derry crowd displayed for the FAI Cup final last November, they travel in numbers regardless of the challenges and managed to pack out the main stand at Tallaght Stadium.
In their home away from home, the home team had their signature tune Teenage Kicks greeting their arrival from the tunnel and they played like a team full of zest in search of the goal to cancel out the first-leg deficit.
Within two minutes, recent capture Paul McMullan cut in from his right-wing berth to dink a delivery across to the far post where Jamie McGonigle planted his header back in the direction it came but marginally wide of the upright.
Adam O’Reilly was next to try his luck, availing of the space presented by Michael Duffy’s square pass from the left but likewise, skewing his 25-yarder off-target.
Tobol were struggling to contain McMullan’s threat from the flank, affording him space to peel off his marker from Mark Connolly’s lofted pass into the box, only to be closed down by the covering defender Ivan Rogac.
One of three Serbians in the visiting line-up, Rogac wasn’t so timely for his next intervention which led to Derry sourcing the breakthrough.
Will Patching’s searching 13th-minute pass from the left freed Duffy to raid into the box but he was brushed aside by the eager centre-back seconds after his first touch. Replays suggested minimal contact but Slovakian referee Peter Kralovic didn’t hesitate and the perpetrator didn’t bother to protest his innocence.
Deadball specialist Patching held his nerve to execute his classic stalling technique, rolling the ball to the right when goalkeeper Ivan Konovalov committed to the left.
Backed by their boisterous support, the Candystripes attempted to make things sweeter for the crowd by pressing for the lead goal.
Duffy, finally injury-free and match-fit, was the ultimate recipient of a move ignited by O’Reilly’s spinning through ball and laid off by McGonigle. A collective breath from the stand accompanied the winger lining up to rifle a shot but his stinging strike from just inside the box veered a foot wide of the top corner.
That opening, just before the half hour, came in response to the Kazaks getting their first sliver of action in the Derry box. From a 20th minute corner, though Igor Ivanovic was unmarked at the back post, he scuffed his attempt.
Nine minutes later and the loanee from Astana showed deft footwork to slalom in from the right and nick the ball past the advancing Brian Maher but Cameron McJannet read the danger and with a dose of dexterity managed to hook the loose ball over his crossbar.
Patching saw his free-kick easily saved approaching the break, reflective of Derry’s dominance on the chance count front.
The team that had scalped Swiss giants Basel in the last round seemed flat and subdued, belatedly reacting with attacking intent early in the second half.
Had Ivorian striker Serge Deble stayed on his feet, rather than capsize at the slightest of touches by McJannet, he might have sped clear. Ivanovic then bent his low drive past the post but it didn’t signify a revival by the visitors.
It was Derry who fashioned the clearest windows to pocket a winner in normal time, McMullan denied by the feet of Ivan Konovalov with 18 minutes left before substitute Cian Kavanagh needlessly snatched at his shot in the final incident within six minutes of stoppage time.
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