Uefa Europa Conference League first qualifying round, second leg
Derry City 2 FCB Magpies 1 (agg: 2-3)
DERRY City’s Europa Conference League adventure ended at the first hurdle as FCB Magpies secured a 3-2 aggregate win at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
Despite winning the second-leg encounter, substitute Evan De Haro’s extra-time goal ensured Nathan Rooney’s men created history, by progressing through a European round for the first time ever.
Referee Antoine Chiaramonti certainly won’t be on Ruaidhrí Higgins’ christmas card list as the Andorra official played a major role in the outcome of the contest.
The man in the middle chalked off Pat Hoban’s first-half goal and just before the break he dismissed Adam O’Reilly for two questionable cautions, much to the frustration of the home support.
City made two changes from the side which lost in Gibraltar, with Ciaran Coll and Michael Duffy replacing Shane McEleney and Sadou Diallo, who both dropped to the bench.
Derry created their first opening on seven minutes as Duffy skipped inside from the left before seeing his near-post cross find Pat Hoban, but the striker headed over from close range.
Soon after Daniel Kelly’s right-wing centre found Hoban inside the box and he in turn found Paul McMullan, but the winger’s first-time strike from the left was well off target.
The visitors missed a great chance to take an 18th-minute lead as Carlos Garcia’s right-wing corner found an unmarked Ashton Taylor, but unlike last week, the big defender headed wide from 10 yards.
The woodwork came to City’s rescue on 24 minutes as Javi Forjan’s close-range header at the near post, which had goalkeeper Brian Maher worried, rattled the post before going wide.
Derry thought they had broken the deadlock on 29 minutes as Hoban headed home McMullan’s right-wing centre, but referee Chiaramonti disallowed the goal as he felt the ex-Dundalk man had fouled Magpies’ centre-back Ruben Diaz.
Maher was called into action on 36 minutes as Kelly’s misplaced pass only found Jack Storer, but the striker’s 20-yard strike had to be pushed away by the Derry net-minder.
The Brandywell men did take the lead two minutes later as Ben Doherty’s left-wing corner into the six-yard box found Mark Connolly, who got up well to nod home past ex-Glentoran shot-stopper Dayle Coleing.
Derry were reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances on 44 minutes as O’Reilly, who was cautioned earlier, received a second yellow card, after referee Chiaramonti felt the midfielder had dived inside the box under Juan Arguez’s challenge.
The Candystripes’ changed things up at the break with Kelly moving into right-back and Cameron Dummigan slotting into midfield. To their credit, the 10 men kept pushing forward at the start of the second half, with Duffy finding McMullan, but the winger’s angled drive from the right had to be tipped over by Coleing.
Derry doubled their advantage on 57 minutes as another Doherty corner from the right found Will Patching, his downward header was blocked and Hoban was on hand to turn home the loose ball.
On 72 minutes, Patching nearly scored a goal-of-the-season contender as his long-range free-kick caught out Coleing, but the effort landed on top of the net.
Minutes later, Magpies missed a great chance as Kevagn Ronco got in behind the City back-line, but instead of shooting he found Edu Salles, only for the substitute to fire over with the goal at his mercy.
Moments later, Derry had a super chance to score that crucial third goal, but McMullan side-footed wide after Hoban and substitute Daniel Mullen had done well to create the opening.
Good play on 104 minutes by City substitute Mullen ended with the Scottish striker seeing his 20-yard strike easily gathered by Coleing.
The visitors scored on 110 minutes against the run of play as Juan Arguez’s stunning 25-yard strike, which had Maher beaten, came crashing back off the crossbar and substitute Evan De Haro blasted home the rebound.
Derry were inches away from levelling things on 116 minutes as Coleing dropped Patching’s free-kick and Hoban’s stunning overhead kick, which was goalbound, was headed off the line by Taylor.
Derry City Maher, Dummigan (Diallo 78), Connolly (McEleney 90), Coll, Doherty (Whelan 105); O’Reilly, Patching, McMullan; Kelly (Todd 90), Hoban, Duffy (Mullen 79).
FCB Magpies Coleing, Taylor, Zuniga (Coombes 58), Diaz, Carrascal, Arguez, Garcia (Del Rio 112), Storer (De Haro HT), Forjan (Salles 60), Ronco (Valle 99), Bayode
Referee Antonie Chiaramonti (Andorra)
