Derry City v Sligo Rovers: Match Preview (October 2025)

Derry City FC v Sligo Rovers FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 33, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Friday 3^rd October 2025 kick-off 7.45pm

Back up to second in the Premier Division, Derry City’s 1-1 draw away to Drogheda United last week saw the Candystripes extend their four game unbeaten run with four games remaining in the 2025 season. It’s Sligo Rovers who are up next for Tiernan Lynch’s side, with both teams aiming to consolidate their places at either end of the table in City’s penultimate home match of the year.

Derry City:

When the season’s done and dusted, we may look back at last Friday’s 1-1 draw with Drogheda United as a crucial point earned in the race for Europe. Travelling to a side who beat Shelbourne just four days earlier and are known to be tricky hosts, Derry City’s chances weren’t helped by rumours of a fallout between the players and management staff. There’s always a ‘forwarded many times’ WhatsApp message isn’t there?

The home side started the brightest, quite literally with their pyro display which I missed after waiting 45 minutes for a burger down the street. Brian Maher was tested more often than Luke Dennison at the other end of the pitch, eventually seeing the net ripple behind him when Dare Kareem fired a Conor Keeley knock-down past him and into the bottom corner on the 38^th minute. 1-0 to the hosts, which could have been doubled before the break when Josh Thomas fired narrowly wide.

Jamie Stott’s sliced clearance forced Mark Connolly into a perfectly timed blocked from Josh Thomas just three minutes after the restart, as the visitors could quite easily have found themselves 3-0 down by the 50^th minute on another night.

Derry City levelled the scores on the 54^th minute as the match was blown into life. Michael Duffy intercepted a loose pass from Darragh Markey and fed Brandon Fleming who had space ahead of him on the left flank. The English fullback cut inside and saw his right footed effort saved by Dennison, before Danny Mullen bundled the rebound into the bottom corner. A lifeline for the Candystripes as City’s Scottish forward found his ninth of the season and pointed towards the travelling fans amid talks of his departure at the end of the year.

The remaining forty minutes of the half provided real entertainment as both sides went toe to toe for the winner. Brian Maher pulled off a number of brilliant saves as Drogheda used their pace in behind and height from set pieces to try and squeeze a second goal out of the game. After Sam Todd’s brilliant block against Shelbourne last week, Mark Connolly produced similar heroics in Drogheda when he poked a Warren Davis shot onto the post from the goal-line. Markey couldn’t force the ball over the line, as City’s players and fans alike breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The travelling Derry side came closest to the winner in the last ten minutes when Danny Mullen smashed a shot past Dennison and off the post on the 83^th minute. Michael Duffy also saw a dipping free kick tipped over the bar late on. Brian Maher produced yet another brilliant fingertip save on the 91^st minute to rescue a point for City, who clung on to retake second place and delay Shamrock Rovers’ title celebrations by another week.

With so much negativity on social media in the day leading up to the game away to Drogheda United, Derry City’s second half performance proved the naysayers wrong. The team fought for every ball, were desperate to get the equaliser and came a post’s width away from a winner. It was certainly not the performance of a side who had downed tools, fallen out with the manager, or been told to leave the club earlier in the day. The amount of times we’ve come back from behind to get points from games in recent weeks speaks volumes. It’s Derry folks, we love a rumour but take those WhatsApp messages with a sizable pinch of salt.

Brian Maher and Mark Connolly stood out with two massive performances in defence. Maher seems back to his best in the past couple of weeks, while Connolly put his body on the line on multiple occasions and gained a point for his side with his goal-line clearance. Brandon Fleming found himself wriggling into forward areas throughout the gam, but will have been frustrated to see none of his crosses stick. Michael Duffy, Danny Mullen and Adam O’Reilly all had solid performances across the frontline. Without a backup striker or centre back on the bench, City managed the game well. Gavin Whyte looked sharp with his cameo late on and could bring that game changing quality if he hits form in the next month.

Danny Mullen will have done his hopes of getting a new contract no harm with his equaliser and link up play. He did well up against the 6 foot 7 Conor Keeley too. Our main man up front with four to go, he could be Derry City’s hero across the next month of action. He finds himself in the same predicament as Arlo Doherty, Ronan Boyce, Ben Doherty, Mark Connolly, Sadou Diallo and Robbie Benson who (according to Transfermarkt) have contracts expiring at the end of the season. The news of a three year contract extension for Michael Duffy during the week was welcomed by the City faithful, who have nailed down their star player until 2028.

Heading into the last four games of the year, Derry City have a tough run in. After facing a bogey team in Sligo Rovers on Friday, City host the champions-to-be Shamrock Rovers and have two away games in Munster before the season’s out. Three points against Sligo will be crucial in maintaining that top three finish. If you told me we’d be second with four games to go after being bottom in March I’d have taken your hand off. Friday’s another huge game for City, who are unbeaten in four but winless in two.

Sligo Rovers:

This year has been something of a year of two halves for Sligo Rovers. Beginning the season by picking up just two wins and one draw from their opening ten games, Sligo Rovers had to wait until the first week in May to go two consecutive matches without a loss. Even at that, five losses from the next eight games had Rovers bottom of the league at the end of May.

The club stuck by manager John Russell and his project. That faith provided dividends, as a win over Waterford lifted Sligo up to ninth in the league. Victory over Connacht rivals Galway United saw the beginning of a six game unbeaten streak in league and cup action. Despite victories over First Division leaders Dundalk and high-flying Bohemians in cup action, Rovers were unceremoniously dumped out of the FAI Cup at the quarter-final stage by Kerry FC, losing 4-3 after going 3-0 up. Ouch.

Picking up form in the second part of the season, aided in no small part by the dire campaign of Cork City seeing them washed away in bottom spot, Sligo Rovers now hope to avoid the relegation places altogether. Waterford have seen their season peter out and slipped into that relegation play-off spot last week. Galway United are far from comfortable as they sit level with Waterford. The last four games will bring serious action at the foot of the table.

Despite their lowly league position for most of the year, Sligo Rovers haven’t struggled for goals this term. With 38 in 32 games, they’ve scored the fifth highest number of goals in the division this year. Their 48 conceded doesn’t make for quite so optimistic reading, that’s higher than every other team outside of the bottom two. With three clean sheets from the last four league games, they’re finding solidity when it matters.

A large part of Sligo Rovers’ prowess in front of goal has come from teenage sensation Owen Elding. At just 19, Elding has scored ten league goals and assisted a further four. Add to that a hattrick in the FAI Cup quarter-final and you have a player who has quickly moved from the ‘best young player in Ireland’ conversation to the ‘best player’ convo. With a befitting price-tag of €1.5m on his head, the son of former Derry City forward Anthony Elding will no doubt be the League of Ireland’s next big money export.

To be fair to the rest of Sligo’s forward players, they haven’t been bad in 2025 either. Despite losing Francely Lomboto to Glenavon, Wilson Waweru and former Derry striker Cian Kavanagh are two units up top. The latter scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over St Pat’s last week. The loan signing of Ryan O’Kane from Shelbourne seems an astute acquisition, scoring twice since joining in the summer. Another former Derry City winger, Will Fitzgerald, has had a stellar campaign in Connacht, notching nine assists in all competitions.

Derry natives Ciaron Harkin and Patrick McClean made the move further down the west coast from City and Glentoran respectively. Both have gone straight into Rovers’ starting eleven, with McClean a massive addition to the defence and Harkin getting the number 10 shirt have six-and-a-half years at Derry. The signing of fullback Sean Stewart from Cliftonville is one which has gone under the radar, but at 22 years old, he’s a quality replacement for the departed Reece Hutchinson.

Ireland U21 internationals Jad Hakiki and James McManus are two lively players in the middle of the park. Hakiki’s only goal in the recent 1-0 win over Galway United two weeks ago has been crucial in their recent form. Russell has trusted in his youth this year with 18 year old defenders Conor Reynolds and Gareth McElroy making 22 and 20 league appearances a piece. 17 year old Kyle McDonagh and Daire Patton have also seen gametime in the first team this year. A hard-working and deep-digging team, Sligo Rovers can beat anyone in the league on their day. On the hunt for safety, they’ll be a tough visitor to the Brandywell and one who have scuppered City’s title hopes in each of the last two seasons. Now three points clear of the relegation zone, they’re out to extend that.

Round-up:

With just 360 or so minutes left of Premier Division football in 2025, Derry City and Sligo Rovers meet in a game which could have consequences at both ends of the table. The hosts are unbeaten in their last four and sit second in the table, desperate to stay in the top three for the remaining weeks of the campaign. Sligo Rovers, on the other hand, have evaded the relegation zone with back to back wins and hope to stay clear of ninth between now and November.

A draw against Sligo Rovers last year, and a loss in The Showgrounds in 2023, had huge detrimental effects on City’s title chances in both seasons. While not fighting for the same glory this time round, the Derry players who were part of those teams will be out with a vengeance to stop history from repeating itself.

Derry City found their first away win of the season when they beat Sligo Rovers in mid March via a Michael Duffy freekick, but Rovers got their own back with a 2-0 win in July. The latter result triggered a four game winless streak for City in league action which all but ended the Candystripes’ title hopes for the year. The other meeting between these two this year ended in City coming out resounding 3-0 winners in the Brandywell in late April, a result which Tiernan Lynch will hope for a repeat of.

Unbeaten against Sligo Rovers at home since July 2020, and with just twelve points left to play for, a win for Derry City in this one would be worth it’s wait in gold given the time of the year. With a bit of momentum behind City, and the last Brandywell Friday of the year, you'll be raging if you miss this one.

Pól O’Hare – 1^st October 2025