Bruno's one-two stuns Derry City in Europe

Ruaidhri Higgins' Candystripes are up against it after a poor first leg in Gibraltar.

Thu, 11 Jul, 2024 - 17:03

Eoin Wilson

Bruno’s Magpies 2 Derry City 0

Derry City’s Europa Conference League hopes are hanging by a thread after falling to an embarrassing and deserved defeat to part-time Bruno’s Magpies in Gibraltar.

Ruaidhri Higgins and his players have a mountain to climb in the return leg at the Brandywell next week, after falling to two second-half goals, both of which came from set pieces.

The Candystripes can look back on some big moments at the other end, with Daniel Kelly going close twice, but they were poor throughout, with the Magpies’ goals a result of lacklustre defending to say the least.

The visitors came so close to the perfect start just three minutes in when Adam O’Reilly tried his luck from distance, only to see his effort striker the top of the crossbar.

Playing on a pitch laid just three days earlier at the Europa Point Stadium, there were some encouraging signs for the Candystripes and Daniel Kelly almost scored a superb individual goal when he beat two opponents to go through on goal, only for Dayle Coleing to save, and the goalkeeper was grateful then that his defenders cleared the loose ball off the line.

The second half began disastrously for Derry City however as the Magpies took the lead just three minutes after the restart. The trouble began for Derry when Paul McMullan played a reckless ball across the face of his own penalty area, and it was picked up by substitute Forjan, whose snapshot was deflected just over by Mark Conolly.

The home side forced successive corners from that and they took full advantage with Jack Storer’s delivery finding centre-half Ash Taylor at the back post and he powered a header past Brian Maher from close range for a memorable debut goal.

It should have been 2-0 just before the hour mark when Forjan all too easily made his way into the Derry penalty area, and sidestepped half-hearted challenges before shooting over from close range with just Maher to beat.

Yet Derry should have equalised moments later when an outrageous piece of skill from Will Patching befuddled three Magpie defenders and sent Kelly through on goal, but the winger shot right across goal and wide of the target.

It got even worse for Higgins and his team just nine minutes from time when the Magpies doubled their lead, Zuniga powering home a header from Garcia’s free kick to make it 2-0.

Magpies: Coleing, Ronco (De Haro 82’), Diaz, Taylor, Zuniga, Storer (Orihuela 64’), Garcia (Coombes 83’), Carrascal, Bayode, Salles (Forjan 45’), Juanje (Stevens 90’).

Derry City: Maher, Doherty, S McEleney (Todd 85’), Connolly, Dummigan, O’Reilly, Patching, Diallo (Duffy 60’), McMullan, Kelly (Whelan 85’), Hoban (Mullen 79’).

Referee: Robert Ian Jenkins (Wales)