DERRY MAY BE the City of Culture for the remainder of 2013 but most of the class on display at the Brandywell tonight will be flying back to Turkey in the morning.
Trabzonspor braved a dogged effort by Derry City to eventually ease past their hosts 3-0. The scoreline made it 7-2 on aggregate and sees the Turks advance in the Europa League.
Derry’s exit means European football is now a tiny footnote in an otherwise keenly contested Airtricity League season.
The match was tied 0-0 at the break with chances at a premium and Trabzonspor content to play possession football and get bodies behind the ball as much as possible. When the first goal came it was a cruel blow.
Derry attacked at one end and spurned a chance from a corner before the Turkish side broke upfield. Olcan Adin made the inroads but the trickling ball should have been cleared before striker Paul Henrique poked home.
That goal ended all of City’s hopes and, their confidence and sharpness deflating, the visitors pounced again. 82 minutes were on the clock when Henriques crisply finished to double the lead on the night.
Derry pressed for a late consolation but another break from Trabzonspor resulted in a goal for substitute Abdulkadir Ozdemir in injury time.
