Last-gasp Will Patching penalty wins it for Derry City!

Derry City 2

Sligo Rovers 1

Will Patching scored a penalty deep into added time to win a dramatic game against Sligo Rovers.

The midfielder scored his first league goal of the season from the spot, just when it seemed that Sligo goalkeeper Luke McNicholas had denied Derry City with a late penalty save from Ben Doherty.

Derry City took the lead on the half hour thanks to an incisive through ball from Brandon Kavanagh, and an emphatic finish by McGonigle who swept home his third goal of the season.

It was almost 2-0 within minutes as Kavanagh then sent Duffy racing down the left, and the winger cut inti the penalty area before trying his luck from the tightest of angles, but McNicholas was equal to it, parrying it over for a corner.

Sligo responded quickly however, and the Brandywell was silenced when former City defender Danny Lafferty levelled just 10 minutes later. Niall Morahan did brilliantly to create space in the middle of the pitch and he sent Lafferty forward into space, with the full back drilling the ball low past Brian Maher and into the net from 18 yards.

There was real controversy on the stroke of half time when Nando Pijnaker misjudged the bounce of the ball and wiped out Ben Doherty on his way to goal. Referee Neil Doyle produced a yellow card for the foul, but with Doherty the last man, it could well have been more.

Patching looked to be Derry’s best chance of a winner and he came close again on 75 minutes when he collected a pass from Ronan Boyce just inside the area, and he attempted to find the top corner with a brilliant curling effort which just cleared the crossbar.

Derry City dominated the closing stages, and Doherty almost scored a spectacular second on 81 minutes when he met Patrick McEleney’s pass with a superb first time effort which hit the inside of the post and somehow stayed out.

Moments later, Doherty took aim again, but this time his shot was blatantly blocked by the half of John Mahon, and referee Neil Doyle pointed to the penalty spot. Doherty stepped up to put his team back in front, but his effort was saved by McNicholas, who also stopped Doherty’s rebound.

It looked as if that would be enough for Sligo, but deep in added time, Cian Kavanagh was fouled, and Patching made no mistake to ensure all three points for Derry City

Teams

DERRY CITY: Maher, Boyce, Connolly (S McEleney 85’), McJannet, Doherty; Diallo (P McEleney 68’), Dummigan (C Kavanagh 85’), Kavanagh (Patching 64’); Duffy, McGonigle (Mullen 64’), McMullan.

SLIGO ROVERS: McNicholas, Brannefalk, Radosavljevic (Campbell 93’), Pijnaker, Lafferty (Cawley 68’), Bolger (Browning 78’), Morahan, Liivak; Mahon, Fitzgerald, Mata.

REFEREE: Mr Neil Doyle (Dublin).