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The winner of Ryan De Vries with three minutes remaining placed Sligo Rovers in fourth place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division by beating Derry City at the Showgrounds.
The New Zealander’s goal was the reward for Liam Buckley’s team, which overshadowed a close match and scored their first win in four.
Having gone three games without finding the net, there were some tough moments for Sligo at first.
Goalkeeper Ed McGinty spilled Adam Hamill’s second-minute corner kick but had substitute center midfielder Garry Buckley to thank when Corkman swept the ball towards safety with City danger Walter Figueira close by.
The Rovers’ hearts were racing again five minutes later when their defense allowed another Hamill corner to cross the face of the home goal.
While Jack Malone fired Derry’s next shot at goal in the 22nd minute, after a good job from Figueira down the middle.
The Rovers turned slowly in this tie, but struggled to find that hard-hitting decision in the final third.
Ronan Coughlan thought he might have had a kick on the spot in the half hour when he felt the hand of a Derry defender on his back as he challenged to reach the end of a Regan Donelon cross.
Referee Neil Doyle did not consider Sligo’s limited calls for a penalty before the ball finally landed on Jesse Devers. The Ballina native cutting his half volley high and wide over Pete Cherrie’s goal
Rovers top scorer Coughlan should have scored his fifth league goal of the season with nine minutes before halftime.
Busy Devers saw his opening volley rejected by Cherrie. The ball landed on Coughlan who, from three meters, could only hit the goalkeeper who was already grounded.
Former Derry forward Junior showed some silky touches to pull off a run of two with Coughlan in 54. The latter squared off for Niall Morahan, who dragged the ball off Cherrie’s post with an unconvincing blow.
Cherrie got in the way of Donelon’s attempt soon after, when the full-back took aim at the bottom corner. While City captain Conor McCormack couldn’t make the most of the space in front of him when he fired wide from a 30-yard free throw.
For the second game in a row, Derry City ruled out with a late winner as Ryan De Vries secured victory for @sligorovers tonight #rtesoccer #watchloi pic.twitter.com/DAAqMZAYjC
– Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) September 29, 2020
Derry’s replacement Steven Mallon approached from the angle at 64 as both sides continued to search for a starter.
It was then the visitor’s turn to rule out a clear scoring chance when the slippery Figueira hit the ball against the wood, after a squad ball from Ibrahim Meite left the Londoner with an empty goal.
Declan Devine’s charges were lamenting that failure when Sligo hit the winner shortly after.
City was unable to clear their lines when Alex Cooper’s crossover was allowed to make its way to Cherrie’s back post. De Vries on hand to guide home for his third goal of the year.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Darragh Noone, Teemu Penninkangas, Garry Buckley, Regan Donelon (Alex Cooper 80); Niall Morahan, Will Seymore; Jesse Devers (Lewis Banks 84), Ryan De Vries, Junior; Ronan Coughlan.
City of Derry: Peter Cherrie; Darren Cole, Eoin Toal, Cameron McJannett, Ciaran Coll; Conor McCormack, Jake Dunwoody (Ciaron Harkin 84); Adam Hamill; Jack Malone (Steven Mallon 60), James Akintunde (Ibrahim Meite 73), Walter Figueira.
Referee: Neil doyle
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