Derry City v St. Patrick’s Athletic: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Derry City v St. Patrick’s Athletic: FAI Cup Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v St. Patrick’s Athletic FC, Sports Direct FAI Cup Second Round, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Sunday 21^st July 2024, kick-off 6pm

Derry City need to quickly forget about Thursday’s extra-time defeat to Bruno’s Magpies in the UEFA Conference League, as they aim to get their FAI Cup campaign off to a positive start against the holders. Evan de Haro’s extra-time sucker punch inflicted a blow on the Candystripes that will deny them around €300k and a double-header against FC Copenhagen. It also means that Ruaidhrí Higgins will have a fatigued squad going into Sunday’s cup game. St Patrick’s Athletic travel to the Brandywell for the second year in a row, hoping for a repeat of last August’s action which saw them knock Derry City out of the cup on penalties – just four days after City suffered the same fate in Europe.

Last time out: Derry City 2-0 Bruno’s Magpies (2-3 agg.):

It was a case of ‘so close yet so far’ for the Candystripes on Thursday night, as they crashed out of Europe at the first hurdle. Going into the game 2-0 down from the previous leg, Derry City had it all to do to qualify for the second round and face Danish giants FC Copenhagen.

The game started exactly as expected. Derry City began on the front-foot and Magpies immediately had everyone behind the ball. A couple of early opportunities for the away side saw Javier Forjan head one off the post and Ash Taylor head wide from a corner – but those were Magpies best opportunities of the first half. The first of a number of refereeing blunders took place as the City faithful celebrated what they thought was the first goal. Paul McMullan’s ball into the box was met by the head of Pat Hoban and directed into the bottom corner as he outmuscled Francisco Zuniga. The Magpies captain fell to the ground, before putting his hands to face in apparent discomfort just as he watched the ball nestle in the corner. The Andorran ref deemed Hoban’s header illegal, ruling out the goal and booking the City striker.

The deadlock was finally broken eight minutes later as Mark Connolly nodded Ben Doherty’s corner past Dayle Coleing to narrow the aggregate gap to one. The referee couldn’t stop Derry City’s goal this time. As the crowd rose to the occasion and Derry mounted  pressure late in the first half, Doherty found Adam O’Reilly who was making a darting run into the box. A trailing leg from Carlos Garcia saw O’Reilly downed in the area. Perhaps not a blatant penalty, but there was certainly contact between the two players. Not enough contact for the referee though, who showed the City midfielder a second yellow for diving – City inexplicably down to ten going into half-time.

Despite the man disadvantage, Derry again came out flying in the second half as Paul McMullan stung the fingertips of Coleing just a minute into the half. Twelve minutes after the restart and City found themselves level in the tie. After his header came off Will Patching on the goal-line, Pat Hoban stabbed in to put Derry 2-0 up in the Brandywell. Ten man City finally felt that the chance of progression was there. An audacious Will Patching free kick in the 72^nd minute had Coleing scrambling as the ball landed on top of the net. Six minutes later and Magpies should have really found themselves ahead on aggregate as Kevagn Ronco squared to Edu Salles in the box. The latter blazing over from short range. City found themselves in a similar situation just minutes later, as Paul McMullan had the whole goal to aim at following Danny Mullen’s pull-back but sent the ball flying wide.

2-0 City at 90 minutes meant that extra-time was needed to settle the tie. With tired legs in both camps, the rhythm of the game was disrupted and the affair became a scrappy one. There weren’t many clear cut chances in the first half of ET, but when Juanje’s shot from distance rattled the crossbar on the 111^th minute before landing at the feet of Evan de Haro, Magpies found themselves with a golden opportunity. The 21 year old made no mistake, drilling under Brian Maher and giving the away side the advantage once again. Three minutes later and City had another penalty claim waved away when Will Patching was felled after a volley goalwards. Another ‘no’ from the Andorran ref. City’s heartbreak was compounded five minutes before the end, when Coleing spilled the ball at the feet of Pat Hoban, who’s overhead kick was cleared off the line by Ash Taylor. Colm Whelan came painfully close with a volley in the 120^th minute, but the team from Gibraltar clung on and progressed for the first time in their history to host FC Copenhagen next Thursday.

 

Derry City:

It was a heartbreaking evening for Derry City who, on another day, could have had four or five in normal time alone. The disallowed goal and dismissal of Adam O’Reilly in the first half were two huge turning points, and both very dubious calls from the referee. The fact that Derry fought back to score again and take the game to extra-time despite being a man down, as well as dominating possession throughout, showed the resolve of the group. In honesty though, the damage was done in Gibraltar last week. If it was 1-0 rather than 2-0, I have no doubts that we would’ve gone through in the second leg.

Pat Hoban, who was well marshalled in the first leg, caused the Magpies back-line a lot of issues on Thursday night and was deserving of his goal. Paul McMullan ran and ran all game, still tracking back and making forward runs deep into extra-time. The winger really should have scored in the second half but was still the best player on the pitch. Colm Whelan was unlucky not to score late on, whilst Will Patching and Cameron Dummigan plugged the Adam O’Reilly shaped gap in the midfield well following the 23 year old’s red card.  

Neither Ciaron Harkin nor Ronan Boyce were in the squad for either of the games against Magpies, but I feel that they both could have done well last night. If Boyce was on the bench, he could have been brought on at right back to allow Cameron Dummigan to play in the midfield after the sending off. Ciaron Harkin’s tenacity would have boded well in extra-time, especially considering that Sadou Diallo was caught on the ball more than once after coming on late in the second half.

Ciarán Coll had a solid game playing as the left sided centre back, a role I’d like to see him given more-often between now and the end of the season. Even at that, though, we could still definitely do with another defender to replace Cameron McJannet. McJannet’s last game was on the 13^th of June, five weeks ago, and he is still yet to be replaced. Jacob Davenport, our only summer signing, has yet to feature despite being on the bench twice. His fresh legs and set-piece ability could have been useful against Magpies. I’d say we’ll see him on Sunday against St.Pat’s. Should we beat Pat’s, we would certainly need reinforcements to strengthen the squad coming into the second half of the season. The contracts of a number of key players, namely Adam O’Reilly, Brian Maher, Will Patching, Mark Connolly and Patrick McEleney run out in November. I’d hope that talks are ongoing in the background, and don’t blame the players for assessing their options, but it’s concerning that we could lose our best and most valuable players on free transfers in a few months’ time.

St Patrick’s Athletic:

St Pat’s have had quite the up-and-down season. After spending big and making some impressive moves in the transfer market prior to the season beginning, the Inchicore side have failed to nail down a consistent run of form in the league. Now Dundalk manager Jon Daly was sacked in May and replaced by Stephen Kenny in one of the biggest managerial appointments in Irish domestic football history. The man who won six trophies with Derry City in two spells between 2004 and 2011 made his return to the League of Ireland after a five-and-a-half year hiatus with the Irish U21s then senior men’s national team, in a home match against the Candystripes on the 17^th of May. Paul McMullan’s goal gave the visitors all three points that day, as the ‘new manager bounce’ didn’t quite go to plan for the Pat’s faithful.

Stephen Kenny has only won three matches since taken over in Richmond Park, beating Shamrock Rovers and Galway United in the league, alongside a win over Bray Wanderers in the Leinster Senior Cup. St Patrick’s find themselves seventh in the league, six points above the relegation zone but, much like Derry City, the sides around them have the advantage of games in hand. Only Pat’s and Derry have played 25 games this season. Bohemians, who are one place and two points behind St. Pat’s have played just 22, meaning they have a three game buffer on the team above them. Finding themselves embroiled in a relegation scrap at this stage of the season would signal quite the failure in expectation for Pat’s this season.

The FAI Cup, which Kenny has won three times and been runner up four times, offers the Dubliner and his side something of a blank canvas to get their season back on track. After beating Derry on penalties in the Brandywell in the Third Round last year, St. Pat’s progressed past Finn Harps and Cork City on their way to sweeping Dublin rivals Bohemians aside in the final. Last year’s 3-1 final win marked Pat’s’ second FAI Cup win in three seasons as they beat Bohemians again in 2021. That win in 2021 was their first FAI Cup triumph since defeating Derry City 2-0 in the 2014 edition of the final, and that was their first FAI Cup final win since 1961. A win against the Candystripes in the Second Round this year would be the beginning of what Stephen Kenny would hope to be a successful FAI Cup campaign but would also mean that Derry City have failed to progress past the Third Round since winning the trophy in 2022.

Pat’s three summer signings so far seem to be shrewd business. Al-Amin Kazeem, the full back who was on loan at Galway United from Colchester United, saw his contract with the English side expire alongside his loan deal in Galway. The Tribesmen made it known that they offered Kazeem a permanent contract which was declined as the player wanted to return to England. A few days later and the 22 year old was announced as a St Patrick’s Athletic player on a multi-year contract –ouch if you’re a Galway United fan. Joseph Anang, the English goalkeeper who spent half a season on-loan at St Pat’s in 2022 before leaving for Derby County, was the Saints’ second summer arrival. The 24 year old, who was named on the West Ham United bench on numerous occasions in the Premier League, Europa League and FAI Cup in the past few seasons in West London put pen to paper on a deal keeping him at Richmond Park until the end of the 2026 campaign. Anang came straight into the starting eleven in Pat’s’ last game, a 1-0 loss away to Waterford, ousting fellow Englishman Danny Rogers who held the fort between the sticks since early March. On his first start in two years for the Saints, Anang failed to deal with Ben McCormack’s shot and palmed the ball into his own net for the only goal of the game, but his performances in 2022 show the makings of a quality goalkeeper. Zack Elbouzedi, formerly of Waterford and Ireland’s U21 side, signed just last week and could make his debut on Sunday. The 26 year old winger spent the second half of last season on-loan at Swindon Town from AIK Stockholm, where he scored twice in 52 appearances since 2021. Another impressive addition to the squad in Inchicore.

Former Derry City and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Brandon Kavanagh, who was signed from the Candystripes for about £25k in January, has been Pat’s best attacking outlet this year. The 23 year old has scored twice and assisted seven in the league, seeing him top the assist chart for the Premier Division. Ruairí Keating, brought in from Cork City, has scored just four times in 22 appearances this campaign. 16 year old forward Mason Melia is one to watch though – the Ireland U17 international has scored three times this season and is reportedly a target of Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton. St. Patrick’s Athletic have struggled in front of goal this season though. Their 24 goals scored is the same amount scored by bottom side Drogheda United. Only three other sides, Dundalk, Bohemians and Galway, have scored less this season. That isn’t helped when you look at Pat’s’ goals conceded column, which reads 28 – a stat which means they’ve conceded the joint highest number of goals outside of the two teams in the relegation zone.

When Derry City face St. Patrick’s Athletic on Sunday, the away side won’t have played a competitive game in more than three weeks as their FAI Cup final win last year saw them progress straight into the Second Round of Conference League qualifiers. They’ll face Vaduz, who finished third in the Liechtenstein Challenge League last season, at home next Thursday before travelling away the week after. The Inchicore side, therefore, will be fresh coming into Sunday’s game – something which can’t be said for Derry City, who are just off the back of more than 270 minutes of football in a week against FC Bruno’s Magpies.

Round-up:

These two have produced some memorable cup moments over the years. Pat’s’ win last season marked a week in which Derry City’s cup and European dreams were ended, both in penalty defeats, in a space of four days. Higgins and his side will be heart-set on making sure history can’t repeat itself. Back in 2018, Gerard Doherty saved a penalty with the last kick of the game to send Derry City to the quarter-finals, whilst Derry City beat Pat’s in the final in 2012 before the Inchicore side got their own back in 2014. The 2006 final beaten the Candystripes and the Saints has been dubbed the best FAI Cup final of all time, as Derry won the game in extra-time after going behind three times to win in the last ever match played in the old Lansdowne Road.

There’s history between these two, but Derry have claimed the bragging rights in the four occasions these two have met since that penalty defeat last year, namely beating Pat’s 3-0 on the final day of the 2023 campaign and scoring a 92nd minute winner to win 2-1 back in March. Danny Mullen has scored three times against the Inchicore side already this season. With Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk both put out on Friday night, both City and Pats will fancy their chances to go all the way. Cup football is back for 2024, as the winners of the last two editions go head-to-head at the first time of asking this time round. It’s good, old-fashioned Sunday evening football as both sides look to begin their cup campaigns with a win.

Pól O’Hare – 20^th July 2024

Derry City v Bruno’s Magpies: Match Preview

 

Derry City v Bruno’s Magpies: Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v. FC Bruno’s Magpies, UEFA Conference League, First Round Second Leg, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, 18^th July 2024, kick-off 7.45pm

In a result that some have called the ‘worst in League of Ireland European history’, Derry City fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of FC Bruno’s Magpies in Gibraltar. The Candystripes were outdone by two headers from set-pieces in the second half as they struggled to put their opponents to the sword in 30C+ heat. City now need to win by a margin of at least three goals on Thursday to progress to a Second Round glamour tie against FC Copenhagen.

 

Last time out – Bruno’s Magpies 2-0 Derry City:

In a hot Europa Point Stadium, Derry City failed to make their mark as they faced opposition from Gibraltar for the first time. Bruno’s Magpies, who have never progressed passed the First Round of European qualifying, netted from two set pieces in the second half as Derry’s recent defensive frailties were once again brought to the fore.

The game didn’t start too badly. Adam O’Reilly had struck the crossbar within the first ten minutes, whilst a Dan Kelly effort which went under goalkeeper Dayle Coleing was cleared off the line. As the half wore on, the away side seemed to struggle in the sun and the home side grew into the game. 

Just four minutes after the restart, the deadlock was broken. After a poor pass across the backline by Paul McMullan, Javier Forjan picked the ball up before forcing Brian Maher into a finger-tip save to deny the Spanish striker. The resulting corner was met by Welsh defender Ash Taylor who rose above Shane McEleney at the back-post to nod past Maher, bagging himself a debut goal and putting his side into the lead. Less than ten minutes later, English forward Jack Storer took it past both Derry centre-halves in the box before firing over from 12 yards – that really should have doubled Magpies’ advantage. That eventually did happen on the 82^nd minute. Another floating ball in from a free kick was met by Francisco Zuñiga who put the game to bed. An awful result for the Candystripes, especially considering the efforts made by the 250 travelling supporters who made their way to the Europa Point Stadium, and the dozens more who travelled to Gibraltar. Next week needs to be much better if Derry City are to progress.

 

Derry City:

Derry City’s lack of clinical edge cost them last week. Dan Kelly found joy running in behind the Magpies left back and could have had two for himself with a bit more accuracy in his finishing. In saying that, Pat Hoban was well marshalled by Taylor and Zuñiga in the Magpies backline and had no clear cut opportunities. Will Patching was unlucky that his neat footwork didn’t result in an assist throughout the match as well.

As was our downfall against Sligo Rovers two weeks ago, the lapses in concentration from Derry’s defenders cost two goals in Gibraltar. To concede two from set pieces with two centre halves as usually aerially dominant as Mark Connolly and Shane McEleney will have been extremely disappointing for Ruaidhrí Higgins. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sam Todd or Ciarán Coll start on Thursday in order to have a left-footed centre back in the starting eleven to fill the gap left by the departure of Cameron McJannet earlier in the summer. The sooner we replace the English defender the better, as a solid defence will be key between now and the end of the season.

We really have nothing to lose on Thursday. We’ve already received stick from all quarters of Irish football after the loss last week, so playing cautious and failing to go all-out-attack in the Brandywell won’t do us any favours. If I was Ruaidhrí Higgins I’d go for a good old-fashioned 4-4-2, with Danny Mullen partnering Pat Hoban up top, before introducing Colm Whelan from the bench. Starting that way would mean sacrificing a centre midfielder, but if we were to go 2-0 up relatively early on, the introduction of Sadou Diallo or Jacob Davenport from the bench would sure up the midfield. Michael Duffy, if he’s fit, would likely start, whilst Daniel Kelly may be preferred to Paul McMullan on the right flank after the Dubliner found himself in good positions last week. The big Brandywell pitch, and lack of sun, will favour Derry, but Magpies will likely put everyone behind the ball and make it extremely difficult for City to break them down. It’ll be a nervy watch, but a rocking Brandywell could get us over the line, as it did with KuPS and HB Tórshavn last year.

 

Bruno’s Magpies:

It seemed like Bruno’s Magpies had a gameplan against City last week, and it worked. Solid at the back and a threat from set pieces. Their physicality in the defence kept Pat Hoban quiet whilst they were dangerous playing in from the wings. Jack Storer really should’ve scored, whilst Javier Forjan and Carlos Garcia looked impressive pulling the strings. The team from Gibraltar will likely have the same approach next week, setting up a strong, physical back-line and holding on to their two goal lead. They know that just one goal in the Brandywell will probably send them through, as City would then need four to progress.

Despite being part-time, Magpies have players who came through the ranks at well respected LaLiga sides, and players with experience in England and Scotland. Lincoln Red Imps, Gibraltar’s most successful team with 27 league titles, beat Celtic in Champions League qualifiers in 2016-17. They also beat Riga in the Conference League play-offs in 2021-22 to progress the group stages. Derry City really *should* be getting past Magpies on paper, but this is a team with international players and a point to prove – a team who deserve to be respected, something Derry may not have fully done last Thursday.

Magpies made it difficult in their home legs against Crusaders and Dundalk in the past two years. They beat Crusaders and held Dundalk to a scoreless draw in Gibraltar, so they definitely knew that they could play their own game with the sun on their side. Magpies lost both of the return legs against Crusaders and Dundalk 3-1, showing that the sides from Ireland had more joy in their own stadiums. A 3-1 win for Derry would take the game to extra-time, something which would be nerve-wracking but could prove vital in clawing back the tie. Magpies are also in pre-season, so extra-time would likely the suit the Candystripes who, in theory, should be at their fittest stage of the campaign. It won’t be straight-forward at all next week but both teams will have sussed each other out a bit more and it may prove to be a more expansive match. The last time Derry City overturned a two goal deficit in Europe was 59 years ago, when they beat Lyn Oslo 5-1 in the Brandywell after losing the first leg 5-3. That win just happened to be City’s first in European competition.

Round-up:

Last Thursday’s result was very tough to take, there’s no doubt about it, but turning round a 2-0 goal deficit isn’t impossible. An early goal for City would open the tie up, whilst we can play with the Brandywell atmosphere on our side. That atmosphere after scoring against KuPS last season is the best I’ve seen here in years and could prove pivotal in getting a result. A trip to Copenhagen would be huge for both sides, and is surely an attractive prospect for the players. To throw in the towel and let Magpies have the win without putting up a fight would be a disaster, so we should at least set out fighting from the start. It’s St. Pat’s in the cup on Sunday after this, and we don’t want our European and Cup aspirations for the season going up in smoke in the space of four days like it did in 2023. A big win on Thursday could do wonders for our season, but it won’t come easy.

 

Pól O’Hare – 16^TH July 2024

FC Bruno’s Magpies v Derry City: Match Preview

 

FC Bruno’s Magpies v Derry City: Match Preview

FC Bruno’s Magpies v Derry City FC, UEFA Conference League Qualifying Round 1 First-Leg, Europa Point Stadium (Gibraltar), Thursday 11^th July 2024, kick-off 6pm local time (5pm Irish)

 

It’s that time of the year again. Derry City aim to get their European campaign for 2024 off to a positive start as they encounter opposition from Gibraltar for the first time. The Candsytripes face FC Bruno’s Magpies, a team formed in 2013 who have never progressed past the first round of qualifying – and have only ever travelled to Ireland on their European trips. Boyed on by last year’s successes, when Derry City were a penalty kick away from reaching the Group Stage Play-offs, Ruaidhrí Higgins men will be hoping to progress past Magpies knowing that two legs against Danish giants FC Copenhagen lie in wait for the victor.

Last time out – Sligo Rovers 2-1 Derry City:

Derry City’s run of four wins on the bounce came to an abrupt end in the Sligo Showgrounds last Thursday, as English midfielder Ellis Chapman netted twice to see the home side come from 1-0 down to maintain their three year unbeaten home record against Derry City. The Candystripes kept most of the possession in the first half but failed to capitalise on a couple of golden opportunities, namely when Dan Kelly’s ball across the face of the box was missed by the oncoming Paul McMullan and Pat Hoban’s overhead kick crept past the post on the half-time mark.

Those three linked up again ten minutes into the second half, when Kelly’s ball into the box was dummied by Pat Hoban and fell to the feet of McMullan. The Scottish winger had time and space to curl the ball delicately into Ed McGinty’s top corner. It was advantage Derry City early in the second half.

The away team then seemed to lose their grasp on the game as Sligo Rovers mounted pressure on the City defence. Just five minutes after the deadlock was broken, former City midfielder Will Fitzgerald burst into the Derry box before Sadou Diallo’s mistimed tackle brought him to the ground. It was a stonewall penalty, and one which Ellis Chapman calmly slotted past Brian Maher.

City couldn’t find another decisive goal, and when Chapman picked the ball up inside his own half and had acres of space to run into it seemed like City were in trouble. The 23 year old Englishman left Shane McEleney for dead before evading the challenge of Mark Connolly to poke past Brian Maher with just 90 seconds remaining. Despite going down to ten men when JR Wilson was sent off for arguing with the referee, Sligo Rovers clung on and had Ed McGinty to thank for denying Pat Hoban inside the box in injury time. It was a tough way to lose, but no-one could fault Sligo Rovers’ efforts in turning the game round in the second half.

 

Derry City:

Derry City’s defensive frailties in the absence of Cameron McJannet came to light against Sligo. City conceded just 24 goals during the entirety of the 2023 Premier Division campaign, but have conceded 22 already this year, with 11 games remaining. Ruaidhrí Higgins will surely have defensive signings high on his wish-list before the window closes. There always seems to be a bit of noise surrounding potential transfers in the League of Ireland, but Derry’s surprise signing of Jacob Davenport last month hints that Higgins may be keeping his cards close to his chest this time round. In that sense, it wouldn’t surprise me if a centre back was signed pretty much out of the blue in the next week or so. Rob Slevin, who I mentioned would be a good McJannet replacement two weeks ago, found himself on the scoresheet for Galway United last weekend as he scored the equaliser against Bohemians – something which may add a few Euro onto his price tag.

It isn’t all doom and gloom though. Thursday’s performance wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination and we played well going forward in the first half. In saying that, the defensive issues this season are a slight concern – especially considering how solid we have been under Higgins over the past few years. We can count ourselves lucky that nine man Shelbourne couldn’t get the better of Drogheda though, as the Louth side held the league leaders to a 1-1 draw. Shels do have the luxury of a game in hand, so realistically it’s their league to lose. Derry City don’t play another league game until early August and, of course, it’s away to Shelbourne. Win that and we go top on goal difference, lost that and Shels go six clear with a game in hand. It could be a title decider that tests the resolve of the Derry players, who may very well play four European games and an FAI Cup match against St Pat’s between now and then. I don’t know about you, but I’ll probably be hiding behind the TV for most of that Shelbourne match.

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ men haven’t been hit with any more injury blows going into the Magpies game. Jordan McEneff and Patrick McEleney will be out for a good while longer, whilst Jacob Davenport wasn’t included in the squad to face Sligo Rovers – likely due to fitness issues as he’s just come off the back of a League Two season where he made 26 appearances. The former England U18 international could be a welcomed addition to the midfield in the next few weeks. Colm Whelan got another ten minutes or so in the tank against Sligo last week, whilst Michael Duffy and Danny Mullen were both introduced in the 74^th minute. Glenn McCourt was brought into the senior squad for the first time as a substitute in Sligo.

City in Europe:

I’ll take any excuse I can get to talk about Derry City’s European escapades and, seeing that my preview of the KuPS game last year was my first preview, this feels like a full circle sort of moment. Last year’s European journey was the joint furthest we’ve progressed in European qualification. Back in 2006, the Candystripes toppled IFK Göteborg home and away before overcoming Scottish side Gretna 7-3 on aggregate to face Paris Saint-Germain in the First Round of the UEFA Cup. After a draw in the Brandywell, Les Parisiens beat City 2-0 in the French capital to progress to the group stages proper. After finishing second in their group, then of five teams, PSG beat AEK Athens 4-0 in the Round of 32 before losing to Benfica in the Round of 16 – not bad company.

2006 and 2023 are the only two times that Derry City have won two stages of European qualification, the next closest we went was in 2009, when we began in the Second Round of Europa League qualifying. After beating Skonto Riga 2-1, the Candystripes lost to CSKA Sofia in the Third Round. Following a 1-0 victory over HB Tórshavn in the UEFA Europa Conference League First Round last year, City came from behind to beat Kuopion Palloseura 2-1 in the Brandywell before drawing 3-3 out in Finland – coming home with a 4-3 aggregate win. Kazakhstani side Tobol Kostanay, whose General Director Andrei Kanchelskis applied for the Derry City manager’s job in 2015 (alongside playing for Manchester United and Everton), lay in wait. Kanchelskis thought Dublin was in Britain too but we’ll say nothing about that. Tobol had beaten Swiss giants Basel in the Second Round and had substantial financial backing, but had never qualified for the group stage. After a 1-0 loss in Kazakhstan, Will Patching drew City level on aggregate with a penalty in the second leg. Despite coming desperately close through Cian Kavanagh late on, Tobol won on penalties to progress to the Play-off stage before being beaten 5-1 by Viktoria Plzeň. Unlucky lads.

Derry City have never faced Gibraltarian opposition in European qualifying, meaning Bruno’s Magpies will represent the 22^nd different nation the Candystripes have faced in Europe. From Aberystwyth to Riga, and Minsk to Lisbon, City have done their fair share of travelling across the years. Our European adventures began back in 1964-65 when Steaua Bucharest beat the Candystripes 5-0 across two legs. An 8-6 win over Lyn Olso a year later was Derry City’s first European victory. Some ties have brought goals – and lots of them. City beat Aberystwyth Town 9-0 in 2014, with Michael Duffy and Patrick McEleney both scoring. I can’t mention goals and not mention the 10-2 aggregate loss to Midtjylland in 2017, the 9-0 loss to Anderlecht in 1965 and the 6-1 loss to Benfica in 1989, though.

The 7-3 win over Gretna is another particular highlight, whilst we’ve faced some of Europe’s elite in the past 60 years. Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Vitesse Arnhem, Anderlecht, Trabzonspor and Midtjylland spring to mind, whilst the felling of IFK Göteborg was a giant-killing for the books. Should Derry City beat Bruno’s Magpies over the next eight days, we can add FC Copenhagen to that list – a side who beat Manchester United and Galatasaray, and drew with Bayern Munich, on their way to facing Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the Champions League last season. Glamorous enough for the Conference League Second Round anyway…

 

FC Bruno’s Magpies:

Formed in 2013 by Englishman Louis Perry who, with 500 quid, decided to set up a football team from his grandparent’s bar and restaurant. By 2017, they were in the play-offs to get into the Gibraltar Premier Division under the tutelage of former Gibraltar assistant manager Davie Wilson. By the time May 2019 came round, Bruno’s Magpies had won the Second Division title alongside the Second Division Cup. By 2021-22, Magpies had secured qualification to UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying by finishing runners-up in the Rock Cup.

First up for Magpies was a trip to Belfast to face Crusaders in the First Round in July 2022. They almost made it past Crues too – going 2-0 up just after halftime and winning the first leg 2-1 at home before conceding in the 93^rd minute to lose 3-1 in Seaview. Former Derry City midfielder Philip Lowry started both legs for Crusaders. Heartbreak for Nathan Rooney’s men, but not a bad start to European life at all.

After finishing third in the league and winning the Rock Cup in 2022-23, Bruno’s Magpies found themselves back in the First Round of the Conference League. Back, again, to Ireland for the team in black and white. They were met by another team wearing black and white – Dundalk FC, who were in the Europa League group stages less than three years prior. Magpies held Dundalk to a goalless draw in the Gibraltar heat, before falling to a 3-1 loss in Oriel Park a week later. The League of Ireland Premier Division top scorer, our very own Pat Hoban, opened the scoring that night, whilst Dan Kelly started on the wing.

Bruno’s Magpies may only be eleven years old, but they’ve bagged four pieces of silverware, all since 2019. It began with the Second Division Cup in 2018-19, when Magpies went unbeaten to top their group by four points before beating Olympique 13 2-1 in the final. Two years later, they added the GFA Challenge Cup to their collection. Magpies finally got their hands on the Rock Cup in 2022-23, beating Lincoln Red Imps on penalties in the final. They also managed to bag the Pepe Reyes Cup that year, a one-off match contested by the Rock Cup and League winners, when they again beat Lincoln Red Imps 1-0.

Who's who?:

32 time Gibraltar international goalkeeper Dayle Coleing has recently joined Bruno’s Magpies after a second spell at Lincoln Red Imps. The 27 year old, who spent two years at Glentoran between 2020 and 2022 when they triggered his £50,000 release clause, has won both the League and Rock Cup on four occasions each – making him one of the most decorated players in the Magpies squad. Welsh defender Ashton Taylor – who has made over 500 senior appearances across League One, League Two and the Scottish Premiership has also been announced as a new signing, adding yet another head in an experienced defence. Centre back and captain Francisco Zúñiga could make his 100^th appearance at the club this season and spent time in the youth ranks at Mexican giants Pachuca.

Midfielder Álex Carrascal is a summer signing from Racing Cartagena in the Spanish fourth tier after coming through the youth systems of Sevilla and Real Valladolid. Another former Sevilla youngster is fellow new signing Cristian Orihuela, who signed from Europa FC. He played at Xerez CD in the Spanish fifth tier for a year between 2020 and 2021 – a team who were in LaLiga as recently as 2010.

30 year old number 8 Carlos García made 5 caps for Spain’s U20s and is certainly one to keep an eye on in the midfield. He was part of the Real Betis side which won the Segunda Division in 2014-15 and made a single appearance in LaLiga before leaving in 2016. García spent time at Juventud Torremolinos before moving to Gibraltar last year. Attacking midfielder Anthony Hernandez has 44 senior caps for Gibraltar and has scored more than 50 goals from the centre of the park since leaving Cadiz to sign for Manchester 62 in Gibraltar in 2014. Watch out for the pace of English winger Olatunde Bayode, once of Burnley, on the flank.

English striker Jack Storer made senior appearances for Birmingham City, Yeovil Town and Partick Thistle before signing for Bruno’s Magpies in 2023. One of those Thistle appearances was a start in a 3-1 defeat against Celtic in the Scottish League Cup in 2018, whilst he also scored the opener in a win over Greenock Morton in the same competition that year. Veteran Brazilian forward Edu Salles has had a journeyed career since leaving Brazilian side Atlético Paranaense in 2009, which has seen him enjoy stints in Georgia, Lithuania, Bolivia, England and Spain before joining Magpies this summer. The most intriguing of those moves surely being a four month spell at Derby County’s U21s as a 24 year old in 2014, sandwiched between spells at Concórdia in Brazil and Sport Boys in Bolivia.

The More You Know:

Former English figure skater, and former chairman of Watford alongside Elton John, Haig Oundijan has been the joint-chairman of Bruno’s Magpies since 2019. Now 75, Oundijan won bronze in the 1971 European Figure Skating Championships in Zürich and competed at the Winter Olympics in 1968 and 1972. During his time at Watford, the club reached the First Division (now Premier League) in 1981-82, after winning the Fourth Division just four years prior.

Former Derry City midfielder Aaron Splaine spent two years playing in Gibraltar after leaving the Candystripes at the end of the 2018 season. He signed for Europa Point in August 2019 before signing for Bruno’s Magpies ahead of the 2020 season, where he made 7 appearances. The Scotsman, who was born in Malaga, won the EA Sports Cup at the Brandywell in 2018 as he played 17 times and scored on his debut.

New goalkeeper Dale Coleing is Gibraltar’s number one goalkeeper at the minute. The 27 year old was between the sticks when France put 14 past his side in Nice last November. Midfielder Evan de Haro also started in the centre of the park. Kylian Mbappé bagged a hat-trick, whilst Kingsley Coman and Olivier Giroud both bagged braces. I wouldn’t have fancied facing that attack anyway. A month prior, he started in Gibraltar’s 4-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland. Bruno’s Magpies’ Anthony Hernandez was an unused sub against the boys in green, whilst Evan de Haro replaced Roy Alan Chipolina in the second half. Midfielder Kevagn Ronco was on the bench against the French too. Coleing also started for Lincoln Red Imps against Tobol Kostanay in the Second Round of Conference League qualifying back in July 2022.

Round Up:

European matches always bring a buzz around the place and Derry City fans will fancy their chances. The side from Gibraltar were knocked out by Dundalk last year and Crusaders the year before that. They won just one of their last five matches in the league, losing three and drawing the other one 0-0. There’s always the aspect of the unknown going into a European game, and it’s forecast to be 30C when the game kicks off at 6pm on Thursday. In that heat, and with very little shelter, the travelling City players and fans alike will need to bring the factor 50.

Preserving energy will be a necessity as Magpies play in this heat week in, week out. Dundalk and Crusaders both seemed to struggle in their legs in Gibraltar in the past few years, as Dundalk drew 0-0 and Crusaders lost 2-1 in the away legs. The target for City will surely be to get a good result away from home before being able to play with a bit more comfort back at the Brandywell. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since the win over HB Tórshavn, the scenes when we beat KuPS and the atmosphere we brought to Tallaght to face Tobol Kostanay. Good times, hopefully, ahead on the European front for City. PS: Please don’t lose as I’ve already booked flights to Copenhagen…

 

Pól O'Hare - 9th July 2024

Sligo Rovers v Derry City: Match Preview

Coming off the back of their biggest win of the season, Derry City travel to Sligo on Thursday to face a Bit’O’Red side who beat Shamrock Rovers 2-0 last weekend. City’s five goal demolition of Drogheda United saw five different scorers on the scoresheet and ensured that the Candystripes keep the pressure on leaders Shelbourne in the race for the title. Colm Whelan returned to the Derry squad for the first time since May 2023 following a second ACL injury in as many years, whilst Daniel Kelly netted his first goal for the club since moving from Dundalk in the off-season.

 

Last time – Derry City 5-1 Drogheda United:

Derry City returned from the summer break a rejuvenated side, sweeping their Louth opposition to the side on their way to scoring five in a League of Ireland match for the first time September last year. It was a front-foot performance right from the beginning as Cameron Dummigan’s drive into the top corner from range opened the scoring in spectacular fashion after just six minutes. The visitors equalised twenty minutes later through former Finn Harps forward Adam Foley who, after giving the good old ear-cupping celebration to the City fans, found himself hauling Mark Connolly to the ground in his own box just three minutes later to give away a penalty. Red faced, the 34 year old received a yellow card before watching Will Patching pass the ball into the bottom corner. Life comes at you fast.

City added to the scoresheet again twelve minutes after half-time when Dan Kelly latched onto Pat Hoban’s looping ball down the line to lift it over Andrew Wogan and into the roof of the net to open his account in red and white. Kelly turned provider less than ten minutes later, pulling the ball back for Hoban who expertly finished low to put the game to bed. Frantz Pierrot managed to get his marching orders from Rob Harvey in between the two goals when his elbow caught Mark Connolly in the chin, before getting more marching orders from a young fan in the Mark Farren stand who had brought his own red card with him – fair played.

On the 77^th minute mark former Ireland U21 striker Colm Whelan replaced Will Patching, who had another controlling performance in the midfield himself, to appear in a professional game for the first time since coming off injured against Shamrock Rovers in early May of last year. On the eve of his 24^th birthday, the forward would have been delighted to get back on the pitch after back-to-back ACL set backs saw him feature in just three games between May 2022 and last Friday. He played a bit deeper than he usually did, but with the game already in the bag, it was a perfect opportunity to get some minutes in the tank.

Two minutes from time, and just three minutes after coming on as a sub, Ciaran Coll diverted Paul McMullan’s corner into the net to bag his first goal in 15 months, and ensure than Derry City have scored seven more league goals this season than any other club in the division.  

 

Derry City:

Last Friday’s performance was a comprehensive win and a very satisfying one for players, staff and fans alike. It feels like it was ages ago that there was so much negativity around bad performances earlier in the season, but coming into the European games firing on all cylinders and two points from top, Ruaidhrí Higgins and his team have everyone back on-side again. I think it’s fair to say that, in the last month or so, we’ve seen some of the best and most confident football of the Higgins era. Twelve goals scored and just two conceded in the last four games says it all. 

Everyone to a man was brilliant last Friday, but Cameron Dummigan has been a class above since coming back into the team as a right back in recent weeks. That two year contract extension is looking like better business with every passing match as the Lurgan man’s ability to carry the ball from right back into the midfield has given Derry an extra dimension going forward. It’s hard to oust Ronan Boyce out of that team, but Dummigan has more than justified his inclusion recently. He’s essentially a fourth midfielder on the pitch who just happens to be really good at full back, leaving the midfield trio of Patching, Diallo and O’Reilly freedom to control play from the middle of the park. Patching, in particular, seems to be reaping the rewards off that as he’s covering more ground than ever and making smart runs from the midfield into forward positions. Meanwhile, forward Sean Patton has joined Finn Harps on loan until the end of the campaign after being awarded with a new contract at the Brandywell.

Pat Hoban’s back out on his own as the league’s top scorer, now with 12 goals in 21 games, Paul McMullan’s up to joint third in the assist charts with 4 and Will Patching has maintained his 100% record from the spot this season. It would be handy if Shelbourne could stop winning, but with 12 league games left for Derry, who sit ten points ahead of Waterford in third, it seems like it’ll be a two-horse race right to the finish line this season. The finish line, of course, being Derry City v Shelbourne on the last game of the season in November. The league title will likely be lifted in the Brandywell that night, but time will tell which of the two sides it’ll be. We’re gearing up to have one of the best title races in years in the lead up to it, anyone nervous yet?

 

Sligo Rovers:

Sitting seventh in the table, Sligo Rovers have won seven, drawn seven and lost eight, with a two game in hand buffer keeping them clear nine points clear of the relegation zone. After losing just one of their first seven games, Rovers went on to lose four of their next six, undoing the good work from the early part of the season to leave them languishing in the bottom half. Now sitting just four points behind Shamrock Rovers in fourth place, good business in the summer and a decent second half of the campaign could see them on their way to a mid-table finish – a notable upgrade on last year’s eighth placed finish.

The Bit’O’Red come into the game against Derry on Thursday a confident side, as they defeated four-in-a-row champions Shamrock Rovers 2-0 last weekend. A second half double from former Hoop Simon Power meant that Sligo shook off a run of two defeats in their previous two – one coming in the form of a 4-1 loss in Waterford. That win against Shamrock Rovers was their first in the Showgrounds against the Tallaght side since May 2019, and has all but excluded the champions from a race for the title this year.

Sligo keeper Ed McGinty has been their best player this year by far, starting all 22 of their games and keeping eight clean sheets in a defence which has let in 27 goals – the third most in the division. It was announced on Monday that the 24 year old’s loan deal from Oxford United was extended until the end of the season in a deal which be seen as Rovers' best business of the summer. More good news came in the form of Ollie Denham’s loan move from Cardiff City being made permanent, whilst former Derry City and Bohemians winger Stephen Mallon signed for Sligo after winning the Irish Cup with Cliftonville. The 25 year old netted on his Derry City debut in 2020 and will add pace to the Sligo wings.

Rovers’ loan situation has left them with a decidedly thinner squad going into the second half of the season. Max Mata, who scored four goals and assisted three this season, has recently joined Auckland FC on loan from Shrewsbury Town after spending the first half of the season in Connacht. German winger Fabrice Hartmann, who spent the past 18 months on loan in Sligo from RB Leipzig, has rejoined the German side who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season. The 23 year old’s flair on the right wing has offered something different for Mark Russell's side. He also found four goals and made four assists this term, meaning that Sligo’s top two goal-scorers and two most creative players this season are no longer at the club. Between the two of them they created 15 of Sligo’s 23 goals (65.2%). They’ll now be relying heavily on former Galway United forward Wilson Waweru and Faroese striker Stefan Radosavljevic, who have two goals between them this term, for a bit more joy in front of goal. Dutch forward Rein Smit has also recently returned home to the Netherlands for personal reasons.

 

Round-up:

Derry City know that they really need to be winning every game from here until November as Shelbourne’s game-in-hand means they have a one game buffer that the Candystripes aren’t afforded. The league leaders face Drogheda United on Thursday, with a win against the Louth team looking highly likely when you compare the two sides’ recent form. 
Sligo Rovers have been something of a bogey side for Derry City of late. The Candystripes have beaten Sligo just twice in the last ten league encounters between the two, with Rovers winning three and the other five being draws. The previous two fixtures between the two this season have been 0-0 and 2-2 draws, meaning that Derry haven’t won in the Showgrounds since August 2021 when Joe Thomson and Ronan Boyce got on the scoresheet.

It’s a double header against FC Bruno’s Magpies in the UEFA Conference League for Derry City after this match against Sligo Rovers. A win on Thursday would be the Candystripes’ fifth in a row – a perfect run of form when coming into European and cup games. It’s the last league game for Higgins’ men until August, and a win to break the recent tough run of form against Sligo would set City up nicely going into the business end of the season.

 Pól O'Hare - 3rd July 2024