UEFA Europa Conference League Second
Round qualifier, first leg
FT: Derry City 2-1 Kuopion Palloseura
’68 – Will Patching ’44 Axel Vidjeskog (P)
’78 – Cian Kavanagh
Derry City got
their pursuit of the UECL Third Round qualifier off to a flying start following
an energetic second half performance in the Ryan McBride Brandywell. Superb individual
performances from the likes of Patrick McEleney, Ronan Boyce and Cameron
Dummigan culminated in a historic victory for the Candystripes as they came back
from 1-0 down to defeat KuPS 2-1 in the first leg of the tie.
KuPS started
the game the stronger team, controlling the ball well and showing a confidence
in their approach. Their back-line quelled most of Derry's threats for the majority
of the first half, whilst their midfield looked comfortable in feeding the ball
forward. Within three minutes Brian Maher was called into action, parrying a
back post header. Mark Connolly was then on hand to block the following effort
from Jasse Tuominen. The presence of the Monaghan man in City’s defence was vital
throughout though, with his experience calming a slightly nervy defence early
on. A stumble from Cameron McJannet then allowed Tete Yengi in on goal, but the
on-loan Ipswich Town forward failed to capitalise. The mistake seemed to unnerve
Derry’s number 17, who needed the second half to come before settling back into
the game.
As the first
half progressed, the home team came to life. Following a nice move in the KuPS
half, the ball came to the feet of Ben Doherty. The left-back’s strike from distance
took a deflection as it went through the crowd but was smothered by Johannes
Kreidl in the away goal. Minutes later, sustained Derry pressure resulted in Patrick
McEleney receiving the ball on the edge of the box. His chip into the area was
met by Ronan Boyce, whose dink over Kreidl hit the crossbar. The full back struck
the woodwork once again soon after. A Brandon Kavanagh cross met the head of Boyce
before coming down onto the top of the bar, much to the relief of the Austrian goalkeeper.
KuPS
pressure mounted towards the end of the half as the Finns pushed to break the
deadlock. A shot from outside the box struck Mark Connolly inside the area,
resulting in a penalty for KuPS and a yellow card for the 31 year old. Axel
Vidjeskog made no mistake and slotted past Brian Maher just moments before the
Lithuanian referee blew for half time. The Finns had a slender lead going into
the break.
Derry City wasted
no time in upping their game after the restart and fashioned a string of
chances before the hour mark. After missing a header from inside the box, Brandon
Kavanagh cut inside onto his weaker right foot and shot, forcing a good save from
Kreidl on the 51st minute. Despite this pressure, KuPS mounted an
attack. Tete Yengi managed to get the ball out of his feet inside the box and unleashed a fierce
strike towards Brian Maher’s goal. The Republic of Ireland U21
goalkeeper pulled a fine save right out of the top drawer to stop the Finnish
side from doubling their lead. The Brandywell crowd began to raise the decibel level.
The introductions of Paul McMullan and Cian Kavanagh shortly after were to be a
masterstroke by Ruaidhrí Higgins.
Mark Connolly played a smart ball forward
to the Scottish winger McMullan, who found space on the right hand side and
drove at the Finnish defence. His inch perfect cross was met by Will Patching in
the box, who headed into the bottom corner for his third goal in five games. The
Brandywell erupted, and the home side found yet another gear.
Ten minutes
later, Ben Doherty and Michael Duffy showed excellent understanding to construct
another chance. Former Celtic winger Duffy peeled away from his man and dinked
Doherty’s throw into the six yard box. With Kreidl stranded, substitute Cian Kavanagh
rifled the ball into the net and sent the home fans into delirium. There were shades
of 2006 as the Candystripes upset the odds and took a 2-1 lead into the last ten
minutes. Truth be told, Derry could have scored more. Smart movement from Adam
O’Reilly on his return from suspension saw the Cork man one-on-one inside the
KuPS box. His shot was saved well by Kreidl who put up a fine performance
despite his side’s defeat. After a nervy five minutes of additional time,
referee Robertas Valikonis put an end to proceedings, to the delight of the home
fans.
As Derry built
momentum, there was a sense around the Brandywell that this game could be ‘one
of those nights’. Depending on how the second leg goes, this night could be, and
should be, categorised with the Gretna’s, PSG’s and Gothenburg’s in the annals
of Derry City Football Club. It was a vintage Brandywell, big game atmosphere. Both
the Southend Stand and Mark Farren Stand were behind the team throughout, something
which clearly drove the players to victory. The small but loud travelling
support seemed as dejected as their players come the final whistle, but they know
that the tie is not over yet.
Ruaidhrí Higgins
knows too, that the tie is far from won. His usual celebrations were toned down
following the final whistle, indicative that he is focused on the task at hand.
He’ll have drilled that into his players as well. After featuring as a player
in that run in 2006, he knows more than anyone how much a European run
would mean to the city. However, progression to the UECL third round, if it does
come, will not come easy. KuPS’ quality was on show, particularly in the first
half. As I mentioned in my preview of the game, their pedigree on the continental
stage cannot be denied. Derry City will have to be on top form to gain progression
and get the job done next week.
Pól O’Hare
No comments:
Post a Comment