Michael Wilson reports from the Ryan McBride Brandywell
JOSH THOMAS’ 91ST-MINUTE goal capped a remarkable late Derry City turnaround as the Candystripes welcomed home James McClean with three points against Sligo Rovers on Friday night.
Tiernan Lynch’s team trailed for 80 minutes and were running out of time when full-back Alex Bannon ignited a nervous Brandywell with a fantastic 25-yard equaliser. And the roof came off 10 minutes later when Welsh striker Thomas made amends for two misses by winding his way into the Sligo area and bending a brilliant low finish beyond Rovers ‘keeper Sam Sargeant to send the home fans into raptures.
It was little more than the home side deserved after a match in which they dominated the ball but only really found top gear in the closing stages.
Tiernan Lynch handed starts to six of his close season signings, former Ireland captain McClean resuming the central midfield role he had occupied to great effect alongside Carl Winchester in the President’s Cup final. The debuts meant only three of the team that started last season’s opening fixture at Shelbourne – Lynch’s first game in charge – survived.
John Russell’s visitors had been cast in the role of party poopers and it was part they seemed to relish in an uneventful opening half-hour in which Derry dominated possession without managing to test Sam Sargeant in the Rovers goal.
Advertisement
If anything, it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous and it was from one of their fast breaking counter attacks that the deadlock was finally broken with a goal to puncture the carnival Brandywell atmosphere on the half-hour mark.
A move that started down the Sligo left ended with Alex Nolan recycling the back post cross to full-back Jeannot Esua whose lovely right wing centre found the unmarked Jad Hakiki in acres of space and he finished well from 10 yards.
𝔾𝕠𝕒𝕝!
Sligo Rovers take the lead! Jad Hakiki fires into the bottom left after a brilliant cross from Jeannot Esua.
Derry’s response was immediate and saw a Thomas shot on the turn easily gathered by Sargeant before the summer loan signing from Swansea then scooped over from close range after a Patrick McClean header fell at his feet.
Duffy was next to test his luck with a 20-yard shot that had Sargeant scrambling but the home side should have been level seconds before the break when James Clarke couldn’t quite stretch enough inside the six yard box to touch home Brandon Fleming’s inviting low cross.
There were unsavoury scenes during the break as rivals fans briefly clashed before play resumed with a notable increase in Derry intensity.
Clarke saw his header drift just wide form a McClean corner before Markey robbed Gareth McElroy on 52 minutes and sent Thomas in on goal only to see Sargeant produced an excellent low save.
The home side went closer still seconds later when Sargeant was again called into action, this time tipping Carl Winchester’s 20 yard drive on to the crossbar as Derry laid siege to the visitors’ goal.
They should have had their equaliser on 70 minutes when Clarke’s delightful cross from the right found Thomas ghosting in between defenders but he sent his side-footed finish wide and a gilt when he should have hit the target.
Related Reads
'I probably would have gone down a much, much darker path if this pitch wasn’t here'
Stakes never higher in League of Ireland's game of risk and reward
League of Ireland top goalscorer: Five players who could top the charts this season
The pressure had to tell and when it did, the goal arrived from the unlikeliest of sources, Bannon unleashing a fabulous 25 yard shot that screamed into the top corner for the full-back’s fourth goal since joining Derry in July 2025.
With the temperature reaching fever pitch, the scene was set for a hero and Derry found two.
Derry City (4-4-2): Brian Maher, Alex Bannon, Patrick McClean, Rob Slevin, Brandon Fleming, Carl Winchester, James McClean, Darragh Markey (Adam O’Reilly, 59), Michael Duffy, James Clarke, Josh Thomas.
Sligo Rovers (4-2-3-1): Sam Sargeant, Sebastian Quirk, Will Fitzgerald, Jad Hakiki (Kyle McDonagh, 79), Cian Kavanagh (Archie Meekison, 59), Oliver Denham, Alex Nolan, Ryan O’Kane (Sean Stewart, 65), Jeannot Esua, Gareth McElroy, Daire Patton (Ciaron Harkin, 79).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
3 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Late, late show: Welsh debutant bags 91st-minute winner to complete Derry City turnaround
Derry City 2
Sligo Rovers 1
Michael Wilson reports from the Ryan McBride Brandywell
JOSH THOMAS’ 91ST-MINUTE goal capped a remarkable late Derry City turnaround as the Candystripes welcomed home James McClean with three points against Sligo Rovers on Friday night.
Tiernan Lynch’s team trailed for 80 minutes and were running out of time when full-back Alex Bannon ignited a nervous Brandywell with a fantastic 25-yard equaliser. And the roof came off 10 minutes later when Welsh striker Thomas made amends for two misses by winding his way into the Sligo area and bending a brilliant low finish beyond Rovers ‘keeper Sam Sargeant to send the home fans into raptures.
It was little more than the home side deserved after a match in which they dominated the ball but only really found top gear in the closing stages.
Tiernan Lynch handed starts to six of his close season signings, former Ireland captain McClean resuming the central midfield role he had occupied to great effect alongside Carl Winchester in the President’s Cup final. The debuts meant only three of the team that started last season’s opening fixture at Shelbourne – Lynch’s first game in charge – survived.
John Russell’s visitors had been cast in the role of party poopers and it was part they seemed to relish in an uneventful opening half-hour in which Derry dominated possession without managing to test Sam Sargeant in the Rovers goal.
If anything, it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous and it was from one of their fast breaking counter attacks that the deadlock was finally broken with a goal to puncture the carnival Brandywell atmosphere on the half-hour mark.
A move that started down the Sligo left ended with Alex Nolan recycling the back post cross to full-back Jeannot Esua whose lovely right wing centre found the unmarked Jad Hakiki in acres of space and he finished well from 10 yards.
Derry’s response was immediate and saw a Thomas shot on the turn easily gathered by Sargeant before the summer loan signing from Swansea then scooped over from close range after a Patrick McClean header fell at his feet.
Duffy was next to test his luck with a 20-yard shot that had Sargeant scrambling but the home side should have been level seconds before the break when James Clarke couldn’t quite stretch enough inside the six yard box to touch home Brandon Fleming’s inviting low cross.
There were unsavoury scenes during the break as rivals fans briefly clashed before play resumed with a notable increase in Derry intensity.
Clarke saw his header drift just wide form a McClean corner before Markey robbed Gareth McElroy on 52 minutes and sent Thomas in on goal only to see Sargeant produced an excellent low save.
The home side went closer still seconds later when Sargeant was again called into action, this time tipping Carl Winchester’s 20 yard drive on to the crossbar as Derry laid siege to the visitors’ goal.
They should have had their equaliser on 70 minutes when Clarke’s delightful cross from the right found Thomas ghosting in between defenders but he sent his side-footed finish wide and a gilt when he should have hit the target.
The pressure had to tell and when it did, the goal arrived from the unlikeliest of sources, Bannon unleashing a fabulous 25 yard shot that screamed into the top corner for the full-back’s fourth goal since joining Derry in July 2025.
With the temperature reaching fever pitch, the scene was set for a hero and Derry found two.
Derry City (4-4-2): Brian Maher, Alex Bannon, Patrick McClean, Rob Slevin, Brandon Fleming, Carl Winchester, James McClean, Darragh Markey (Adam O’Reilly, 59), Michael Duffy, James Clarke, Josh Thomas.
Sligo Rovers (4-2-3-1): Sam Sargeant, Sebastian Quirk, Will Fitzgerald, Jad Hakiki (Kyle McDonagh, 79), Cian Kavanagh (Archie Meekison, 59), Oliver Denham, Alex Nolan, Ryan O’Kane (Sean Stewart, 65), Jeannot Esua, Gareth McElroy, Daire Patton (Ciaron Harkin, 79).
Referee: Neil Doyle.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Football League of Ireland LOI Match Report Soccer