A Look Back at Derry City’s 2020 Squad

 

A Look Back at Derry City’s 2020 Squad

 

As Declan Devine prepares his Bohemians side for Sunday’s FAI Cup final, I got thinking about his last full season as Derry City manager. After entirely rebuilding ahead of the 2019 season, eventually finishing fourth and qualifying for Europe, Devine went into the 2020 season after losing his two top goalscorers, Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and David Parkhouse, along with midfield stalwarts Barry McNamee and Greg Sloggett. Another rebuild was needed in order to maintain top three ambitions. No one could have predicted the Covid pandemic and following lockdown, disrupting the League of Ireland campaign massively and a resulting in an 18-fixture season, but a seventh placed finish – just two points above the relegation zone – was surely a disappointment. 26 players lined out for the Candystripes in the Premier Division during the 2020 season and the poor league finish was likely a consequence of this lack of stability and consistency.

We were only permitted to see Derry in the Brandywell twice that season, two home games against Finn Harps and Bohemians in February, but there were some interesting signings to say the least. I’ll begin by looking at the starting eleven and substitutes for that first game against Dundalk, and I’ll look at the squad from the final game of the season – a penalty shootout defeat against Sligo Rovers in the FAI Cup quarter-finals afterwards. Enjoy the throwback!

Dundalk 1-0 Derry City, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 1, 14 February 2020

(GK) Peter Cherrie – Derry City needed a tried and tested goalkeeper following the departure of Gerard Doherty, who had left the club to sign for Crusaders in 2018. Peter Cherrie, who had a wealth of experience, joined City in 2019 after spells at Airdrie United, Ayr United, Clyde, Dundalk, Cliftonville, Bray Wanderers and Cork City. He was Devine's number one for the 2019 and 2020 seasons and brought a calm head to a young squad. The Scotsman rejoined Dundalk in 2021 and is back-up to Nathan Shepperd, aged 40.

 

(RB) Jamie McDonagh -  A fan’s favourite at the Brandywell, known best for his work-rate and surging runs down the right flank, McDonagh signed for Derry City in 2018 after a spell at Sligo Rovers. Beginning his career at Sheffield United, from where he made loan moves to Matlock Town, Chester and Alfreton Town, McDonagh made twenty-five appearances for Greenock Morton before moving back to Ireland in 2017. After playing more than 60 games for City, McDonagh joined Glentoran in the summer of 2020. A move to Cliftonville followed in 2021 and the 27 year old now finds himself on loan at Glenavon.

 

(RCB) Danny Lupano – Belgian defender Danny Lupano signed on a six month loan from Hull City in January 2020 after impressing for their U23 side. At 19, Lupano had just a few senior appearances with Hednesford Town under his belt, but looked promising in his short spell with Derry. Most remembered for his goal-line clearance against Bohemians, the Belgian returned to Hull City after playing just four games. Four more games followed for Lupano in 2020, on loan at Kings Lynn Town in the English fifth tier. In 2021, he rejoined Derry for a second loan spell, before leaving Hull City in the summer to join Greek side Kalamata, where he still plies his trade.

 

(CB) Eoin Toal – Eoin Toal made his Armagh City debut at 16 after captaining the youth team and was signed by Kenny Shiels in 2017. He became a first team regular for Derry in 2018 and earned the captaincy in 2021. A modern centre-back, comfortable in defence and on the ball, Toal made his last appearance for Derry in a 2-0 defeat to Riga FC in UECL qualifying in 2022. After agreeing on a fee rumoured to be around the £125k mark, he switched to Bolton Wanderers and signed a three year contract. The 24 year old has since made 31 appearances for The Trotters and recently made his full Northern Ireland debut in October 2023, where he was tasked with keeping RB Leipzig’s €24m Slovenian forward Benjamin Šeško quiet.

 

(LCB) Ally Gilchrist – Edinburgh born Gilchrist started his career at St. Johnstone, where he made two appearances. After loans to Elgin City and Peterhead, he signed for Shamrock Rovers in 2018. He was ever-present on the left-side of the Derry City defence after joining in 2019, but a foot injury limited his involvement in 2020 to just six games. He dropped down to the First Division in 2021 and helped Shelbourne to the title before repeating the same feat in 2022 with Cork City. Gilchrist missed out on the Leesiders' promotion/relegation play-off against Waterford yesterday evening through injury and his contract expires at the end of the season.

 

(LB) Ciaran Coll – One of just two players in the starting eleven against Finn Harps in 2020 who are still with Derry City, Ciaran Coll joined the Candystripes in 2019 after a decade with Harps in Ballybofey. The Letterkenny man captained Finn Harps during his spell in Donegal and his switch to their fiercest north-west rivals certainly ruffled a few feathers. Harps were rumoured to be interested in re-signing Coll in 2021 before the defender put pen-to-paper on a new two-year deal at the Brandywell. He has since won the FAI Cup with the Candystripes and his solidity at the back has earned him a contract extension which will see him enter his sixth season as a Derry City player in 2024.

 

(CM) Ciaron Harkin – Alongside the aforementioned Ciaran Coll, Ciaron Harkin is the only other player in that starting eleven to still be contracted to Derry City. The Creggan man was instrumental in the City midfield between 2019 and 2021 after signing from Coleraine, but an ACL injury at the start of the 2022 season, which then reoccurred later in the year, has seen him out of action for nearly two years. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2023 season, Ruaidhrí Higgins made sure to sign the midfielder for 2024 – commenting on his dedication to the club and hunger to come back stronger.

 

(CM) Conor Clifford – Former Chelsea youth player Conor Clifford has had a journeyed career. He made senior appearances for Plymouth Argyle, Notts County, Yeovil Town, Portsmouth, Crawley Town, Southend United, Barnet and Boreham Wood before joining Dundalk in 2017. In late 2017 he was banned for six months by the FA for a betting related charge during his time in England. Clifford joined Limerick in April 2018 but was released in July after the club ran into financial difficulties. After a spell at St. Pat’s, he joined Derry City ahead of the 2020 season and made eleven appearances. An Ireland youth international at U15, U17 and U21 level, Clifford was called into the senior team for a friendly against Croatia in 2011 and a World Cup qualifier against Germany in 2012. He’s now at Lucan United aged 32.

 

(CM) Conor McCormack – Another product of a Premier League academy, Conor McCormack left Manchester United in 2008 after a lack of first-team opportunities, joining Triestina Calcio in Italy. After two and half years and no senior appearances, he signed for Shamrock Rovers and played a role in their Europa League group stage campaign in 2011. After a season and a half at St. Pat’s, McCormack signed for Derry City for the first time in 2015 before leaving for Cork City in late 2016, where he would win the Premier Division title a year later. A combative midfielder, the Louth native rejoined the Candystripes in 2020 but left for Galway United in 2021 where he captained the Tribesmen to the First Division title in 2023.

 

(AM) Walter Figueira – Another Chelsea academy prospect, Londoner Walter Figueira had experience playing in the English Conference Leagues, Greece and Portugal before moving to Waterford in 2019. After impressing in Munster, and scoring twice in the Brandywell during a League Cup semi-final, Declan Devine moved to bring the Englishman up north. He netted three goals in 2020, including a chip to seal the win against Bohemians in February. Figueira moved to Sligo Rovers in 2021 and now finds himself at Haringey Borough, who currently sit second bottom in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

 

(ST) Tim Nilsen – An intriguing signing, Nilsen had an experienced career playing in Scandinavia and joined Derry after netting 28 goals in 48 appearances for Fredrikstad between 2018 and 2019. There was an aspect of the unknown, but we had hopes that the high socked and long sleeved Norwegian forward would replace the missing goals of Parkhouse and Junior. It wasn’t to be though, as Nilsen returned to Norway due to the pandemic and signed for Lysekloster IL. Now 31, Nilsen has scored nine goals in his last seven games for Fana IL in the Norwegian third tier.

 

The substitutes:

Mark McChrystal - Declan Devine brought Derry native and experienced defender Mark McChrystal back to the club ahead of the 2019 campaign. The centre back began his career at Wolves but signed for his local club in 2003 after his release from Molineux, going on to make 43 appearances before signing for Partick Thistle in 2007. McChrystal was released and re-joined Derry City later that year, making 58 appearances between then and winning the First Division in 2010. A period in England followed, which included 114 appearances for Bristol Rovers, alongside spells at Tranmere Rovers and Scunthorpe United. Crusaders signed the then 33 year old in 2017, before rejoining City yet again two years later. McChrystal is now on Ruaidhrí Higgins coaching staff at the Brandywell. 

Moussa Bakayoko – After playing in the Ivory Coast, Morocco and Armenia, the Ivorian winger signed for Derry City after impressing as a trialist but didn’t make a professional appearance in red and white. Moves to Dartford and Havant & Waterlooville resulted in just four combined appearances. Spells in the Czech Republic and Ivory Coast followed before returning to Shirak in Armenia. He now plays for Zhetysu Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan and came on as a substitute in his side’s 2-1 win over Tobol Kostanay in September past – a month after Tobol knocked Derry out of the Conference League.

 

Stephen Mallon – An exciting winger signed on-loan from Sheffield United, Belfast native Mallon is best remembered on Foyleside for a curling shot into the top corner on his first start against Bohemians. He scored again a week later, this time against Waterford. After seventeen appearances he returned to Sheffield United. Mallon signed permanently for Bohemians in January 2021 and scored once before joining Cliftonville in July 2022. He recently scored against Institute in the League Cup, as did former City midfielder Rory Hale and Derry native Ben Wilson.

 

Nathan Gartside – After overcoming both myocarditis and a deflated lung, which saw him miss ten months of action, Nathan Gartside signed for Derry City in the summer of 2018 to rival Gerard Doherty for the number one spot. Once back-up to Heurelho Gomes at Watford, he became City’s first choice keeper ahead of the 2021 season after being limited to mostly cup games in his first two-and-a-half seasons. He made 46 appearances for the Candystripes, and also lined out for Northern Ireland’s U21s. A paperwork error denied him a call-up to the senior team after he was named in the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Bulgaria in 2021. Gartside moved to Cliftonville in July 2022 and rivals St. Pat’s loanee David Odumosu for the number one jersey.

 

Colm Horgan – Colm Horgan came through the youth system at Salthill Devon before signing for Galway United in 2014. After four years the defender moved to Cork City and scored ten minutes into his debut against Bohemians in April 2018. Horgan wouldn’t score for Cork City again, but did net an own-goal against Derry City in a 4-0 win for the Candystripes in September 2019. He spent the 2020 season on Foyleside, before moving to Sligo Rovers in 2021. He was part of the Galway United side that won the First Division this year, alongside Conor McCormack.

 

Jack Malone – A product of Derry’s academy, midfielder Jack Malone netted his first City goal in July 2019, a strong strike from distance which beat Ed McGinty in the Sligo Rovers’ net. He featured in all 18 Premier Division games in 2020 and played a large part in the 2021 campaign. The midfield additions ahead of the 2022 season saw his gametime limited and Malone signed for Glenavon, where he has featured in all but two Premiership games this season.

 

Adam Liddle – Came off the bench to score a 95^th minute equaliser on his debut against Finn Harps, sending the Brandywell into raptures. He joined Derry on loan from Reading, scoring once and assisting once in four appearances before the season was halted. Liddle now plays for Farnham Town after spells with Chelmsford, Walton Casuals, Hungerford and Hayes & Yeading.

 

  Sligo Rovers 0-0 Derry City (3-1 Sligo on pens), FAI Cup quarter-final, 25 November 2020

 

There are only three players in the starting line-up, and four on the bench, against Sligo Rovers who I haven’t already covered. One scored in Wembley and one is currently in prison, but I’ll focus on the starting players first.

 

(LCB) Cameron McJannet – A fans favourite and an astute signing from Declan Devine, Cameron McJannet has nailed down that left sided centre back spot since his arrival from Stoke City in the summer of 2020. He has since made over 120 appearances for Derry and captains the side in Patrick McEleney’s absence. Two goals and a MOTM award in the FAI Cup final will have Cameron McJannet down as a club legend whenever he departs.

(CM) Gerardo Bruna – Something of a cult hero, the Argentine midfielder was dubbed ‘The Next Messi’ during his youth career. After five years in the academy of Real Madrid, he joined Liverpool and won the Premier Reserve League in 2007/08. A move to Blackpool followed and, after making four appearances in two years, he signed for SD Huesca in the Spanish Segunda Division. Spells at Whitehawk, Accrington Stanley, Tranmere Rovers and Ottawa Fury preceded a move to Derry City in 2019. With a great eye for a pass, his standout moment in a Derry shirt was a free-kick from distance in Inchicore against St. Pat’s in April 2019. He left for Shelbourne in 2021 but suffered an ACL tear before the season began. After time at Dungannon Swifts, he finds himself at Unión Puerto del Rosario in Spain’s fifth tier.

(RW) Adam Hammill – The English winger, who began his career at Liverpool, made nineteen Premier League appearances with Wolves between 2010 and 2012. He has made over 360 appearances for fifteen clubs in career, and aside from his time at Wolves, played for the likes of Southampton, Blackpool, Barnsley, Middlesborough, Huddersfield Town and St. Mirren. (If you have a spare few minutes I’d recommended googling his goal for Barnsley against Millwall in the League One play-off final in 2018 because it’s an absolute rocket). After eleven appearances and one goal for Derry, Hammill joined Prescot Cables, retired, then rejoined Prescot Cables. He’s now at Maghull FC in the Carlsberg West Cheshire League Division 1.

 

(ST) James Akintunde – Another cult hero, and proud receiver of the best player-specific Derry City chant in a while, James Akintunde was brought to the club by Declan Devine in the summer of 2020 and scored the on his debut against St. Pat’s. Three more goals followed in 2020 and it seemed that Devine had done some more wise business in bringing the forward to the Brandywell. Some big goals from Akintunde followed in the next two-and-a-half years, namely two 93^rd minute winners against Bohemians and Finn Harps in 2022. After twelve goals for Derry, Devine brought him to Bohemians ahead of the 2023 campaign.

 

Substitutes:

Ibrahim Meite – Meite was brought on the 86^th minute of this game, got a yellow card and missed a penalty in the shootout. He did, however, net a penalty against Shelbourne on his debut – which turned out to be his only goal for City. He made his Cardiff City debut at 21 in 2017, before joining Crawley Town. Loans to Woking and Pirin Blagoevgrad preceded his move to Derry. Meite left the Candystripes for Wingate & Finchley in 2021 where he scored thrice. In December 2022, he was sentenced to fifteen months in prison for a stabbing in London and is, unsurprisingly, retired. 

 

Jake Dunwoody – City signed Dunwoody alongside Meite in July 2020. A Northern Ireland U21 international, Dunwoody played alongside Cameron McJannet at Stoke City’s U21s. He also scored in a game against Reading U21 in which Adam Liddle, who I mentioned earlier, came on as a substitute. After six appearances, including a debut against FK Riteriai in the Europa League, the midfielder left for IFK Helsingfors in Finland, before transferring to SJK Seinäjoki in 2022. He scored against HJK Helsinki this season, as well as assisting Jeremiah Streng’s winner against KuPS in May – the team who Derry defeated in the second round of UECL qualifying. Dunwoody will play for AC Oulu in Finland in 2024.

 

Joe Thomson – Another smart signing, midfielder Joe Thomson brought immense work rate and a rocket of a right foot to the Derry midfield. He made one appearance for Celtic in 2015, whilst going on loan to Dumbarton, Queen of the South and Livingston during his time on the books at Parkhead. As the Covid pandemic affected the finances of Dunfermline Athletic, City swooped to sign the then 23 year old on an 18 month contract. After a few cracking goals and solid performances his contracted was extended until 2023. He was part of the FAI Cup winning squad in 2022 but moved to Larne alongside Micháel Glynn in exchange for Ben Doherty. Thomson won the 2022/23 Premiership at Inver Park and has scored three in his last two games for Larne.

 

Ronan Boyce – Last but not least and it’s another current Derry City man. Right back Ronan Boyce began to break into the Derry squad in 2019, making one appearance in 2019 and one in 2020. With the departure of Colm Horgan, the Ramelton man nailed down the right back spot in 2021 – scoring seven and assisting once, earning him a spot in the Premier Division team of the year that season and a call up to the Ireland U21 squad. He has netted twelve goals for City in total and with over 100 appearances at 22 years of age, that right full back spot will be his for the foreseeable.

Pól O'Hare - 11 October 2023

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

  

Derry City FC v. St. Patrick’s Athletic FC., League of Ireland Premier Division Round 36, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, 3^rd November 2023 kick-off 7.45pm

 

            It’s the final game of the 2023 campaign and Derry City have European football secured for the summer of 2024. The Candystripes’ 1-0 away win against Cork City last week, thanks to an unstoppable Ronan Boyce strike, saw them guarantee European football for the third season in a row. City face a St. Patrick’s Athletic side who too have claimed their spot in UEFA Conference League qualifiers next season, but will have one eye on preparing for the FAI Cup final. Should Derry avoid defeat, they will finish second in the League of Ireland Premier Division for the second season running – the first time they have done so since 2005 and 2006.

 

            St. Pat’s’ 2-0 defeat to Shamrock Rovers in their previous league fixture saw Rovers clinch their fourth consecutive league title. The Saints found themselves within one point of the eventual champions at the end of Round 26 in August, whilst City spent time at the top of the table back in May. The two teams in the Brandywell on Friday night both failed to capitalise on Shamrock Rovers’ poor start and will end the season with a sense of ‘what if?’, particularly from a Derry point of view.

                       

Last week’s win over Cork City saw the Candystripes dig deep in awful weather conditions. Despite two disallowed goals, one for offside and one for a foul, and a flurry of late chances in the second half, Cork couldn’t find a goal. The defeat condemned the Rebels to a promotion/relegation play-off against the winner of Waterford and Cobh Ramblers. Ronan Boyce’s goal was a worthy winner and a spectacular way to guarantee European football. The right back left fly into the top corner after a one-two with Cameron Dummigan outside the box. Danny Mullen could’ve, and really should’ve, made it 2-0, but it takes the pressure off Derry going into the final game of the season.

 

Derry’s record against St. Pat’s this season is scattered. On the first day of the season back in February, Joe Redmond scored in the 89^th minute to equalise for the Saints after Jordan McEneff opened the scoring. In late April in the Brandywell, a goal and assist from Ben Doherty saw City cruise to a 2-0 victory. It was a different story in June though as the Saints hit Derry for four in what was their most impressive result of the season, condemning Derry to their heaviest defeat of the Ruaidhrí Higgins era. Pat’s also progressed to the FAI Cup quarter-finals after a penalty win against Derry back in August, a trophy which they’ll hope to win next Sunday.

           

Derry’s Sadou Diallo will miss the final game of the season after his dismissal against Shelbourne two weeks ago. The midfielder picked up a two match ban after his tackle on Shane Farrell. Centre back Mark Connolly was replaced in the second half by Sam Todd after going down injured. Jamie McGonigle was only fit enough for the bench against Cork City and didn’t feature. Patrick McEleney, who is going for Achilles surgery following the game against St. Pat’s, played over twenty minutes after being substituted on alongside Danny Mullen and Jordan McEneff. Ciaran Coll also featured late on. St. Patrick’s Athletic have no injury concerns aside from John Grivosti’s long-term setback, although Jon Daly made use of all five substitutes against Shamrock Rovers.

 

Chris Forrester is joint top of the Premier Division scoring charts alongside Ruairi Keating, Jack Moylan and Jonathan Afolabi – an impressive feat for the 30 year old midfielder. He and left back Anto Breslin are the only two players in the St. Pat’s squad to feature in every Premier Division game this season. Seventeen year old Sam Curtis has played in 33 games, as has striker Conor Carty. Dean Lyness, Jamie Lennon, Mark Doyle and Tom Lonergan have all featured in more than thirty. Winger Jake Mulraney was a high profile signing from Atlanta United in the off-season and has contributed with thirteen goal involvements in 28 league appearances this term. Mark Doyle is Pats’ second highest scorer in the league, sitting on seven goals – the same amount as Derry’s top scorer Michael Duffy.

 

For Derry City, the 2023 campaign was a strange one. The highs were high and the lows were low. The season began positively. A 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers in the President’s Cup in February seemed to be a statement of intent from Ruaidhrí Higgins’ side. Four wins and three draws from their opening seven games saw Derry unbeaten until April, but a rocky patch around the Easter period saw City drop to fourth – six points behind then leaders Bohemians. A disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Shamrock Rovers on the first of May saw the Tallaght side leapfrog Derry into second place. Four wins on the bounce followed, but an inconsistent spell of two wins from eight games prior to their first European game had City four points behind first placed Rovers in early July.

 

            Derry City and HB Tórshavn played out a cagey 0-0 draw in the Faroe Islands in the first leg of the first round of UECL qualifying. Sadou Diallo’s first half header in the return leg in the Brandywell saw the Candystripes enter the second round for the first time since 2014, where a tough tie against Finnish side KuPS lay ahead. Despite going into half-time 1-0 down, the electric Brandywell crowd drove the players to a famous 2-1 win. Will Patching and Cian Kavanagh’s goals won’t be forgotten any time soon. The return tie was just as historic. Derry went ahead early on, but again found themselves behind at the break. Second half goals from Diallo and Michael Duffy meant the game finished 3-3 and saw Derry progress on aggregate. Tobol Kostanay had shocked FC Basel to progress to the third round before beating Derry 1-0 in the first leg out in Kazakhstan. The return leg was to be played in Tallaght Stadium, and a travelling crowd of more than 3,000 were desperate to see City pull off a famous result. It looked like it was going to happen too. Will Patching netted a penalty in the first half after a period of sustained Derry pressure. After 120 minutes though, it wasn’t meant to be as Tobol progressed through a heartbreaking penalty shootout.

 

            Three days later, Derry suffered penalty heartache once again. This time, Friday’s opposition St. Pat’s were victorious in the FAI Cup second round. In truth, it seemed like the emotional rollercoaster of a week which saw City exit both Europe and the cup were to define Derry’s season. The Candystripes have only lost one game since then, a 1-0 away defeat to Sligo Rovers, although that all but ended City’s realistic title hopes. Four draws in the last nine league games saw Derry drop points, and saw Rovers run away with the title. A win for both Derry and Rovers on Friday would still see the four-time champions end the season with a seven point gap to second place. It seems like players, staff and fans alike need the season to end on a positive note with a win on Friday, before starting the new campaign on a clean slate to go again. Should Derry hold on to key players, the additions of just a few new faces could push City to a sustained title charge in 2024.

 

Pól O’Hare – 1^st November 2023

Derry City v FC Tobol Kostanay: Second Leg Match Preview

 

Derry City FC v. FC Tobol Kostanay, UEFA Europa Conference League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg, Tallaght Stadium, 17^th August 2023, kick-off 19.45pm Irish time (00.45am Kazakhstani time)

 

            Derry City fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first round of their UECL Third Round qualifier against Kazakhstani outfit Tobol Kostanay last Thursday. A left footed wonderstrike from Roman Asrankulov, which kissed the crossbar before nestling in the top corner, was all that separated the sides in the first leg.

 

            The home team started the brighter of the two sides. Within one minute Ivorian forward Serges Deblé released a shot from inside the box which, fortunately for Derry, was straight at Brian Maher. Derry’s first promising foray forward came when Will Patching found Paul McMullan within the Tobol half. The Scottish winger drove towards the Kazakh defence before jinking between two players, a run which Derry fans are quickly becoming accustomed to. A cynical trip from Asrankulov was necessary to prevent the former Dundee man from bearing down on goal, and the following freekick from Patching was punched away by Ivan Konovalov in the Tobol goal.

 

The Kazakhstani side were lucky to keep all eleven men on the pitch after Serikzhan Muzhikov’s two footed lunge on Adam O’Reilly, just yards from the referee. Austrian referee Stefan Ebner felt that the tackle wasn’t even worthy of a card, despite showing nine yellows during the course of the game. This wouldn't be the last time that Ebner would be in the spotlight either.

 

Derry City had Brian Maher to thank once again early in the second half. Mark Connolly’s poor clearance landed at the feet of Deblé who clipped it forward to Islam Chesnokov. The winger was one-on-one with the City shot-stopper who bravely made himself big and smothered the ball.

 

Ten minutes later, the deadlock was broken. Chesnokov picked the ball up on the halfway line and switched it wide to Miljan Vukadinović. The former Serbian international laid it off to left back Roman Asrankulov who fired the ball into the top corner via the woodwork. An unstoppable drive to give the Kazakhstani side the lead.

 

Derry had a chance of their own just five minutes later. Sadou Diallo, who has been in fine form of late, unleashed a strike from range which seemed to worry Ivan Konovalov. Will Patching got to the rebound and was bundled over within the penalty area. Ebner waved away Derry penalty claims and awarded a free kick to Tobol for a supposed dive from the Englishman. Soon after, a scuffed kick from Konovalov landed to Patching again. The midfielder played it to Michael Duffy who cooly took it past the Tobol defender before firing it into the side netting. A close miss in what would pan out to be Derry’s best opportunity of the game.

 

FC Tobol, therefore, take a 1-0 lead into Derry’s ‘home’ tie in Tallaght Stadium on Thursday, but Derry City are definitely not counting themselves out just yet. In European qualification, a 1-0 lead is slender. Tallaght’s smooth playing surface will work to the advantage of both teams. Ruaidhrí Higgins and Milić Curčić want to play attacking football and, as has been seen with Derry’s win over KuPS and Tobol’s win over Basel, both managers have no problem in going all out to get a result.

 

With a 3-0 win over Drogheda at the weekend, Derry City will be confident in their quality going into Thursday’s second leg. As predicted last week, Higgins made five changes to the Derry side which lost in Kazakhstan. Ciaran Coll, Jordan McEneff, Brandon Kavanagh, Danny Mullen and Shane McEleney started. The squad depth required to rotate heavily yet still win comfortably is testament to Derry’s smart recruitment in recent years. Paul McMullan, Will Patching and Patrick McEleney changed the game in the second half after coming on however. Their introductions brought additional quality in the final third and ensured Derry came away with a vital three points. Jamie McGonigle will be glad to have gotten on the scoresheet again, whilst Michael Duffy added another goal and assist to his tally this season.

 

FC Tobol also played on Sunday, losing 2-1 away to Kairat Almaty. Ivan Rogać and Ivan Konovalov were the only two players to start both against Derry and against Kairat. This means it’s the second time in as many weeks that Curčić made considerable changes to his starting eleven ahead of a big European game. He only made two substitutions too, bringing on Chesnokov and Deblé, thus keeping the rest of his starting squad fresh for Thursday. Tobol, who have reached the final of the Kazakhstan Cup, seem to have given up on league ambitions this year. They sit in 7^th, thirteen points off Astana in third, with just eight games remaining. Should they beat Ordabasy in the cup final, they will qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2024/25 Europa Conference League. Therefore, they can afford to rest players in the league in order to give UECL group stage qualification this season their best shot. Curčić has been rewarded for his recent exploits too, winning the Kazakhstan Premier League Manager of the Month award for July.

 

Neither side seem to have any new significant injury concerns going into the second leg. Despite coming off injured against KuPS, Cameron Dummigan was named in the squads for both the first leg against Tobol, and against Drogheda on Sunday. Despite not featuring in either, his presence on the bench suggests that he should be fit enough to play some part in affairs if called upon. Shane McEleney was replaced by Mark Connolly after going down in the second half against Drogheda, but hopefully his injury is not serious. Michael Duffy seemed to hold his ankle briefly after a challenge against Drogheda also, but his cool finish late in the game seems to have eradicated any doubts of an injury. Tobol’s two substitutions against Kairat Almaty seemed tactical as they went into half-time 2-1 down and needed an attacking injection.

 

It was announced last week that UEFA denied Derry City's request to change their 'home' venue for the second leg to Windsor Park in Belfast, despite both the IFA and Linfield giving the switch the green light. This would have been a symbolic event, holding more significance than merely sporting. 

Derry, resultingly, have been given 3500 tickets for Tallaght’s West Stand. An email from the club stated that other stands would be opened pending ticket demand. The Brandywell was bouncing against HB Tórshavn and KuPS in the last few weeks, something which players and staff have attributed to the club’s European success this season. Despite the distance, Derry fans will surely be on top form to replicate this atmosphere down in Tallaght.

 

A UECL group stage play-off against the winner of the tie between Czech club Viktoria Plzeň and Malta’s Gzira United awaits the victor on Thursday. Plzeň comfortably defeated the Maltese side in the first leg, winning 4-0 at home. It will be the furthest that either Derry or Tobol will have progressed in European competition. In avoiding teams such as Aston Villa, Fiorentina and Eintracht Frankfurt in the play-off, whoever progresses will not write themselves off in the final round. It’s a big one for all involved on Thursday.

 

Pól O’Hare – 15 August 2023

 

FC Tobol Kostanay v Derry City: Match Preview

FC Tobol Kostanay v Derry City: Match Preview

 

FC Tobol v Derry City, UEFA Europa Conference League Third Round First Leg, Kostanay Zentralstadion, Thursday 10 August 2023, kick-off 8pm Kazakhstani time (3pm Irish time)

 

            Derry City put on yet another historic European performance last week as they defeated Finnish side KuPS 5-4 on aggregate, progressing to the Third Round of European competition for the first time since 2009. Following a 2-1 win in the first leg at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, the Candystripes travelled to Finland knowing that a draw would suffice in order to progress further in the UECL.

 

            Both teams went at it from the start, with KuPS dominant in the early stages. Just over twelve minutes in, a loose ball in the centre of the park was intercepted by Cameron Dummigan. The former Oldham Athletic man fed the ball to Paul McMullan who, in similar fashion to his assist in the Brandywell, drove down the right flank. After a feint unbalanced Collins Sichenje, the Scotsman clipped the ball to the back post where Cian Kavanagh was on hand to head Derry into a 3-1 aggregate lead. Another European assist for McMullan and another vital European goal for Kavanagh. Knowing that they now needed three goals to win the tie, KuPS went on the attack. An Anton Popovitch corner on the 24^th minute was fumbled by Brian Maher, allowing Jasse Tuominen to bring the score level on the night. Twenty minutes later, the Finnish striker turned provider. A long ball forward was nodded down by Tete Yengi then flicked by Tuominen into the path of Saku Savolainen. The 26 year old’s shot was deflected by Ronan Boyce and flicked over Maher in the Derry goal to give KuPS the lead. It was 3-3 on aggregate going into half-time.

 

            Ten minutes after the restart, the ball found its way to Michael Duffy on the left wing. His pass to Will Patching was dummied by the Englishman and struck by Sadou Diallo from distance. Diallo’s first shot rebounded back out to him, but he made no mistake with his second effort, leaving Kreidl stranded and giving Derry the aggregate advantage once again. The Finns had an instant reply. Savolainen found himself one on one with Maher and cooly poked the ball under the onrushing Derry goalkeeper, levelling the tie. On the 69 minute mark, Sadou Diallo floated a lovely ball into the KuPS box. It was directed into the bottom corner by Michael Duffy who wheeled away in celebration. With twenty minutes to go, KuPS needed two goals to progress and seemed to lose hope. Despite the introduction of fresh attacking legs in the form of Jake Jervis and Pyry Lampinen, the Finns failed to threaten Derry’s lead. The thirty or so travelling fans, along with the Derry players and staff, were delighted when referee Dario Bel blew the final whistle. With Kazakhstani side Tobol Kostanay defeating Basel 4-3 on aggregate, the City faithful knew that the long journey to the East awaited them.

 

            For the first time in fourteen years, Derry City find themselves in the third round of European qualifying. In 2009, after defeating Skonto Riga 2-1 in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, Derry were drawn against Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Despite a 1-1 draw in the Brandywell, Sofia progressed thanks to a 1-0 win in Bulgaria. The Candystripes will be hoping for a different outcome this time round. After defeating FC Honka in the first round, Tobol overcame Swiss giants Basel 4-3 on aggregate. Despite an impressive 3-1 home win over the nine-man Swiss side, Tobol lost 2-1 in Switzerland. That wasn’t the first time they met Basel in Europe either, losing 3-1 to FCB over two legs in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup in 2006/07. As it happens, Derry progressed to the First Round proper of the UEFA Cup that season. With famous home and away wins over IFK Göteborg in the first round, City hammered Scottish side Gretna 7-3 in the second round. In the first leg of the first round proper, Derry held a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side to a scoreless draw in the Brandywell, before losing 2-0 in the Parc des Princes. That European escapade is the Candystripes’ most famous, but there are whispers that the run of summer 2023 may be up there.

 

            There is, believe it or not, a connection between Derry City and Tobol Kostanay. Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton winger Andrei Kanchelskis was named Chief Executive Officer of Tobol Kostanay in July 2023. In October 2015, the Irish Mirror reported that Kanchelskis had applied for the vacant Derry City manager job following Peter Hutton’s sacking a month prior.[1] Paul Hegarty was Derry’s caretaker manager at the time and was favourite to the land the job permanently. Ultimately, Kanchelskis was unsuccessful and Kenny Shiels was named Derry’s new manager prior to the 2016 season.

 

            Tobol have an interesting continental history. Similarly to Derry, the Kazakhstani side have never got further than the third qualifying round of European competition, despite winning the 2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup. As reward for winning the Intertoto Cup that year, Tobol were entered into the second round of UEFA Cup qualifying, were they lost 3-0 to Polish side Dyskobolia Grodzisk. After winning the Kazakhstan Premier League for the second time in 2021, Tobol entered the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League in the first qualifying round. Ferencváros, who beat Shamrock Rovers 4-1 in the play-off round of the Europa League that season, defeated the Kazakhstani side 5-1. After dropping into the UECL following this defeat, Tobol defeated Lincoln Red Imps 3-0 in the second round before losing 2-1 to Zrinjski Mostar in the third round. They reached the UECL third round the season prior too, losing 6-0 to Žilina after impressively defeating Hajduk Split 4-3 in the second round. Defeating Basel 4-3 is probably Tobol’s most impressive European result in their history. Other notable results include a 1-0 home win over Austria Wien in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, and a 1-1 draw with Galatasaray in 2009-10 Europa League qualifiers.

 

            In their 56 year history, Tobol have played four less European games than Derry City (44 to Derry’s 48). Despite this, they have won 17 times, compared to Derry’s 11, and have lost 18 games. This makes for stark contrast to Derry City, who have lost 28 European matches. In saying that, Derry’s first European tie, in which they lost 5-0 to Steaua Bucharest in 1964, came three years before Tobol Kostanay’s creation, under the name Avtomobilist in 1967. According to UEFA’s club rankings, Tobol Kostanay currently sit at 232^nd. HB Tórshavn, who Derry defeated in the first round, sit at 191^st, whilst KuPS sit at 124^th for reference. Derry are seemingly punching above their weight, placed at 367^th.

 

            In terms of league form, FC Tobol seem to be struggling to get a run together this season. They currently sit in 6^th place, with eight wins,two draws and six losses after 16 games. Their negative goal difference of -1 will certainly be of interest to Duffy, McMullan and co. In a similar fashion to Ruaidhrí Higgins, Tobol manager Milo Curcic tends to field either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He has deviated from this just twice this season, moving to a 3-4-3 against Kairat Almaty and Kaysar back in May. Both games ended in losses.

 

Tobol Kostanay currently have three international players in their squad. Midfielders Ramazan Orazov and Samat Zharynbetov, along with defender Bagdat Kairov, have 34 combined appearances for the Kazakhstan national team. Russian goalkeeper Ivan Konovalov came through the ranks at Spartak Moscow and made 20 appearances for Rubin Kazan. He joined Tobol from Scottish side Livingston, where he made 7 appearances between 2022 and 2023. The Russian was in that 2022/23 Livingston squad alongside former Shelbourne and current Cork City midfielder Jaze Kabia, and former Dundalk winger Stephen Bradley.

 

            The centre back partnership of Bojan Mlađović and Ivan Rogać has started in all four of Tobol’s UECL fixtures this season. The former can deputise at left-back and plied his trade in Serbia prior to his switch to Tobol in February. The latter began his career in Red Star Belgrade’s second team and made two appearances for Serbia’s U20s. Despite making just four league appearances, left back Roman Asrankulov has also started in all of Tobol’s European games, having to deal with Swiss international winger Dan Ndoye against Basel. Jovan Ilić and Samat Zharynbetov are mainstays in the Tobol midfield, whilst Ramazan Orazov has tended to feature in attacking midfield.

 

Right winger Islam Chesnokov has scored and assisted in the UECL this year, whilst netting thrice and creating three assists in the Kazakhstan Premier League. A direct winger with an eye for goal, he’ll certainly be a handful for Ben Doherty. On the other flank, Miljan Vukadinović has scored twice in Europe this season. He played 16 times on loan at Slavia Prague from Mladá Boleslav in 2015/16 and featured for the Serbian national team against Panama and the Dominican Republic in 2021. Completing Tobol’s front three is Ivorian striker Serges Deblé, who has two goals and two assists in the UECL this term. With five goals and two assists in thirteen in the Kazakhstan Premier League this season, the 33 year old definitely knows where the back of the net is. With teams like Charlton Athletic, Angers, and Nantes on his CV, his pedigree cannot be undermined.

 

Derry will be high on confidence following their win over KuPS, as will Tobol considering their impressive win over Basel. Despite a long day of travelling to Kostanay, via Budapest and Tbilisi, Ruaidhrí Higgins will be wanting to come home with a solid result. It seems like both managers are taking no chances ahead of Thursday’s game. Last Sunday’s proposed league game away to UCD was postponed in order to allow Derry more preparation time, whilst Milo Curcic rested his entire preferred starting eleven in his side’s 2-0 defeat to FC Kaysar at the weekend.

 

Derry City themselves are in conversation with UEFA, the IFA and the FAI ahead of changing City’s ‘home’ fixture to Windsor Park in Belfast, from Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. There is no doubt that Derry fans would travel in numbers to Tallaght, but with a 7:45 kick off, a lot more would make the shorter trip to Windsor. With a capacity of 18,500, Derry fans will be hoping to pack Linfield’s stadium should the venue change be confirmed in the coming days.

 

I can’t see at least one of Tobol’s front three not being in amongst the goals on Thursday, especially in front of their own fans. Their quality seems to be shining above the rest on the European stage. However, as Derry proved both home and away to KuPS, they have no problem in recovering from going a goal down in Europe. Sadou Diallo has scored twice in Derry’s four European games this season. Paul McMullan has two assists in Europe, whereas Michael Duffy has a goal and two assists. Cian Kavanagh has also netted twice in his two European appearances. Their away clean sheet against HB Tórshavn will provide extra motivation.

 

After last week’s matches, Derry City are now the only team left on the island of Ireland fighting on the European stage. In the early hours of last Friday morning, a number of Derry fans made their way to City of Derry Airport to welcome the team and travelling fans back from Finland. The players know how much a European run means to City supporters and, despite the distance, know just how much support they have back home. They’ll strive to put on another historic performance in Tallaght (or Windsor) next Thursday. First though, Derry City will have to show Tobol Kostanay what they’re about in Kazakhstan.

 

Pól O’Hare - 8 August 2023

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[1] Paul O’Hehir, ‘Manchester United legend has applied for the Derry City manager job’, Mirror Sport, 11 October 2015 (https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/manchester-united-legend-applied-derry-6613585)