Candystripes aiming to keep European dream alive against Rijeka
Boosted by a wave of summer signings and returning fitness, Derry City prepare for an all-out assault to force a historic comeback
Tiernan Lynch and his Derry City FC side will hope another packed Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium can inspire a famous European comeback on Thursday evening when Croatian giants HNK Rijeka visit Foyleside for the second leg of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie.
The Candystripes trail 1-0 after Toni Fruk's second-half strike proved decisive on the Adriatic coast last week.
While the slender deficit leaves the tie very much alive, Lynch's men know they were fortunate at times to escape Croatia with just a single-goal deficit, as Rijeka squandered a string of gilt-edged opportunities through Niko Janković, Amer Gojak, Daniel Adu Adjei and Justas Lasickas.
Despite those scares, Derry return home with genuine belief. They have already shown this summer that they can trouble high-calibre European opposition at the Brandywell, producing an outstanding display against CSKA Sofia before eventually succumbing after a controversial 20-minute interruption for crowd trouble completely altered the momentum of the tie.
Lynch will be hoping the atmosphere generated that night can be recreated once more. The Lone Moor Road venue has long been one of the League of Ireland's most intimidating grounds on European nights, and another capacity crowd could prove a crucial factor if Derry are to extend their continental adventure by another fortnight.
The squad available to the Belfast native is also considerably stronger than the one that travelled to Bulgaria just a few weeks ago for their opening European bout. Having been stretched to the limit by injuries earlier this summer, Derry have significantly bolstered their troops during the transfer window.
Nick Twisk, Christy Grogan, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, Ellis Chapman and Darragh Burns have all been integrated into the squad, while the return to fitness of experienced figures such as James Clarke, Liam Boyce and Cameron Dummigan has added much-needed depth ahead of a pivotal period in the season.
Stopping Fruk, however, remains Derry's biggest challenge. The Croatian international dictated proceedings throughout the first leg and demonstrated exactly why he has become one of the most sought-after players in the region.
The attacking midfielder, who has reportedly attracted interest from Ajax and newly promoted Premier League side Hull City, possesses the creativity and composure capable of deciding ties at this level.
However, one factor that could yet work in Derry's favour is fitness. While the Candystripes are midway through their domestic campaign, Rijeka are still building towards the start of the Croatian league season, meaning last week's encounter was their first competitive fixture of the year. As the contest wore on in Croatia, there were signs the hosts began to tire, and Derry will hope a similar pattern emerges in the return leg.
The key, however, will be remaining firmly in the tie for as long as possible. If the hosts can keep the deficit at a single goal heading into the closing stages, the energy of the Brandywell crowd could become a decisive factor and transform the evening into another memorable European occasion.
One player who strengthened his claims for a starting place is Adam O'Reilly. The former Preston North End midfielder began the first leg on the bench, with Dutch midfielder Nick Twisk preferred from the outset, but his second-half introduction injected fresh energy into Derry's midfield.
O'Reilly was instrumental in the visitors' best attacking move of the night, bursting forward from midfield before releasing Michael Duffy, whose effort was denied only by an outstanding last-ditch interception from Fruk.
With only one goal separating the sides, Lynch knows his team are firmly in the contest. A victory by a single goal would force extra time, while a two-goal success would send Derry through to the third qualifying round.
Against one of Croatia's traditional heavyweights, it represents a formidable challenge, but after their display against CSKA Sofia, the Candystripes have every reason to believe another memorable European night may yet await on Foyleside.