Sligo Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

 

Sligo Rovers FC v Derry City FC, 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division Round 31, Friday 22^nd September 2023, The Showgrounds, kick-off 7.45pm

 

            It’s as you were in terms of the Premier Division title race after Derry City and Shamrock Rovers played out a 1-1 draw in the Brandywell last Friday. A late Graham Burke penalty cancelled out Cameron McJannet’s opener to see the spoils shared, but the Dublin side will be happier with the result.

 

            The 1-1 draw meant that Shamrock Rovers maintain their four point buffer to second placed Derry, now with just six games remaining in the League of Ireland season. The Candystripes need to win all six of those fixtures, whilst relying on Rovers to slip up twice, if they are to realise their dream of winning a first league title this side of the millennium.

 

            That’s considerably easier said than done. Both Derry and Shamrock Rovers have to face Drogheda United, Shelbourne and St. Pat’s before the season’s out, as well as Derry travelling to Sligo this Friday. There are opportunities for points to be dropped before November, but with both City and Rovers facing the same six teams in the run in, the eventual winner will need to maintain supreme focus.

 

            Sligo Rovers, who have failed to muster a consistent run of form throughout the season, currently sit in 8^th place in the Premier Division table. A 2-0 win away to UCD at the weekend ensured they stay six points clear of Cork City in 9^th despite losing 3-0 to The Rebels a fortnight prior. The Bit O’Red will not look comfortably at their next six fixtures though, having to face Derry, Bohemians, St. Pat’s, Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers before the season’s over. They’ll be fighting tooth and nail as every point is precious at this stage of the campaign.

 

            Despite battling at opposite ends of the table, Sligo may fancy their chances against the Candystripes on Friday. Derry haven’t won away to Sligo Rovers since August 2021, when Ronan Boyce scored four minutes from time to ensure the points went north. It was an even later goal, this time for current Finn Harps man Seamas Keogh, which captured all three points for Rovers in the 2022 season. He scored in the 94^th minute in the Showgrounds in May 2022 to break City hearts and earn a 2-1 win for his side. The other game in the Showgrounds that year ended 0-0, whilst former Derry winger Will Fitzgerald scored after just three minutes in May 2023 as Sligo held out for a 1-0 win against Derry in this season’s previous fixture in the Showgrounds. This doesn’t make for great reading for the City faithful, especially when considering that Derry have won just two of the last seven meetings between the two sides.

 

Derry fans won’t forget Will Patching’s 95^th minute penalty which ensured a 2-1 win for the Candystripes in the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium this July. Derry native Danny Lafferty equalised for Sligo Rovers in that game, just ten minutes after Jamie McGonigle opened the scoring. The theme of late goals in this fixture continued on St. Patrick’s Day in the other Brandywell tie this year. Ciaran Coll scored on the 81^st minute to equalise after Max Mata’s opener. That game could’ve, and probably should’ve, finished as a Derry victory. Ollie O’Neill was caught after threading the ball through to Jamie McGonigle in the first half. Just as McGonigle had wound up an effort on goal, which would beat Luke McNicholas and nestle into the bottom corner, the referee blew his whistle to stop the play. Despite allowing the game to play on, Derry were without a goal which should have stood, made worse by the fact that the ball was given back to City to take a free kick for the foul on O’Neill. Hopefully Friday’s game isn’t decided by such a blunder.

 

Both teams go into Friday desperate for three points to keep their respective title and survival hopes alive. Shamrock Rovers face UCD, a tie which they will likely win, meaning Derry will leave themselves with a real mountain to climb should they not come away victorious from the Showgrounds. Cork City, who have a game in hand on Sligo, sit six points behind the Bit O’Red and face bottom side UCD before the season is out. The pressure is on Rovers to keep that lead to six points and steer clear of a relegation play-off.

 Sligo Rovers have recorded just one win in their last six league ties - a 2-0 victory at home to UCD last weekend. They were well beaten by Cork City in early September, and fell to defeats against Shelbourne, Dundalk and St. Pat’s in August. A week after losing to Drogheda United in the first round of the FAI Cup in July, Sligo threw away a 2-0 lead to eventually draw 2-2 against the Louth side in the league. 

Derry City, on the other hand, have lost just once in their last fifteen games. That loss came away to Tobol Kostanay in August, and they haven’t tasted league defeat since a 1-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers in late June. City have won four of their last seven league ties since that defeat to Rovers, including 5-0 and 3-1 wins in their previous two away fixtures and the aforementioned 2-1 win over Sligo in July. The Candystripes won’t be without confidence heading into Friday’s game, knowing that wins are vital in keeping close to Shamrock Rovers.

 

Sligo Rovers had significant squad changes in the summer transfer window – something which has affected results. Highly rated former Ireland U21 goalkeeper Luke McNicholas was lost on loan to Wrexham, whilst top scorer Max Mata was sold to Shrewsbury Town. Estonian international Bogdan Vaštšuk departed and joined Vozdovac in Serbia, whilst 19 year old centre back Éanna Clancy joined UCD. There were some interesting transfers into the club, however. Former Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Robbie Burton, who was on loan at Sligo in 2022, joined on a short term deal. Left back Reece Hutchinson made his loan from Cheltenham Town permanent, whilst pacey winger Fabrice Hartmann’s loan from RB Leipzig was extended. Pedro Martelo, a former Portugal U20 striker, joined from Belenenses in Portugal’s second tier.

 

Luke McNicholas made 26 appearances before departing for Wales in the summer, meaning that 18 year old Conor Walsh would be made to deputise in goal. After making three appearances and conceding five goals, he was replaced by veteran Richard Brush for the UCD game. The 38 year old kept a clean sheet against the Students and may be in line for a start against Derry, owing to his experience. Across the back-line, Reece Hutchinson, Johan Brannefalk, John Mahon and New Zealand international Nando Pijnaker have all made over 20 league appearances, showing that John Russell has a preferred defensive core in his 4-2-3-1 formation. Sligo played a defensive 5-4-1 once this term, losing 3-0 to Cork City.

 

In the middle of the park, Niall Morahan, Greg Bolger, Kailin Barlow, Stefan Radosavljevic and Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt have completed over twenty appearances too. Radosavljevic signed for Sligo Rovers from HB Torshávn, whom Derry defeated in UECL qualification this summer. Max Mata bsgged eleven goals in twenty six appearances this season before leaving and has left a hole in the attack since his departure - Sligo have scored just two league goals since the New Zealand man left the club. Frank Liivak and Will Fitzgerald both have six goal involvements in the front line, whilst Fabrice Hartmann has five. Right back Johan Brannefalk has six assists, whilst Kailin Barlow has five assists and two goals to his name. The lively Hartmann is one to watch with pace to burn and a bag of tricks. 

 

The Showgrounds has never been the happiest of hunting grounds for Derry City, but with Sligo’s poor form since the summer break, the Candystripes will hope to claim the win on Friday. Both teams could really do with the points to strengthen their fights at either end of the Premier Division table. Late goals seem to be a theme in ties between Derry and Sligo Rovers in recent times too, so expect action right until the end. Every game is a must win at this stage. 

 

Pól O’Hare – 20^th August 2023