Derry City dominate Sligo Rovers at the Brandywell

Derry City 3

Sligo Rovers 0

Danny Mullen was the star as Derry City won successive league games for the first time since last June, and for the first time under Tiernan Lynch. 

The City striker scored in each half to ensure three valuable points for the Candystripes, who have now managed successive league victories over Sligo for the first time since 2021.

With Lynch watching on from the stands following his red card at Eamonn Deacy Park, Derry started the game brightly and Whyte could have scored twice in the opening eight minutes, but shot straight at Sligo goalkeeper Sam Sargeant after good work from Michael Duffy each time.

The ball was falling to Whyte each time, and it was a case of third time lucky, if not for Whyte, then at least for Derry City as the opening goal came on 15 minutes. Sam Todd’s deep cross was headed away, but only to Whyte on the edge of the area, and while his shot was blocked, it fell kindly for Danny Mullen, who did look to control the ball with his arm before he turned and first the ball through Sargeant and into the net.

The goal only encouraged Derry and they almost doubled their lead on 20 minutes, Todd’s pass forward taken into his stride by Duffy, who twisted and turned before forcing Sargeant into a good save at his near post, as he pushed the ball behind for a corner.

It was a dominant first half from the home side who made it 2-0 on 25 minutes when Whyte finally got it right with his best moment in a Derry City shirt. Hakiki was dispossessed in Derry’s half and Whyte took control, racing 60 yards and leaving Doyle-Hayes for dead as he raced through on goal before sliding the ball under Sargeant with a confident finish.

It took Sligo until 10 minutes before half-time to trouble Brian Maher at the other end and it was a chance they should have taken. Will Fitzgerald’s free-kick into the area was controlled by Gareth McElroy, before it came into the path of former Derry striker Cian Kavanagh, who could only toe poke it at Maher from close range.

The game was ended as a contest less than 60 seconds into the second half when Michael Duffy’s free-kick into a crowded area was powerfully headed into the net by Danny Mullen for his second goal of the game.

It was just a matter of how many goals Derry City would score and they came so close to their fourth midway through the second half when substitute Liam Boyce played Duffy through, but his low effort was saved well by Sargeant again, who deflected it wide of the goal.

Tiernan Lynch was able to ring the changes late on and two of them almost combine for a fourth Derry City goal. Teenager Sean Patton used his speed to race in from the left wing and his ball across goal looked certain to set up Liam Boyce for a tap in, but the striker somehow shot over the bar under pressure.

Teams

Derry City: B Maher, R Boyce (Cann 74’), M Connolly, K Holt, S Todd, C Winchester, R Benson (O’Reilly 64’), G Whyte (L Boyce 64’), D Thomas, D Mullen (Patton 74’), M Duffy (McMullan 82’).

Sligo Rovers: S Sargeant, R Hutchinson, J Hakiki (Wolfe 60’), R Manning (Mallon 60’), J Mahon, C Reynolds (Patton 60’), W Fitzgerald (Van Hattum 83’), O Elding, J Doyle-Hayes, G McElroy, C Kavanagh (Lomboto 60’).

Referee: Marc Lynch.