Cretaro strikes to end Derry's run

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:Derry City 1 Sligo Rovers 2

RAFAEL CRETARO, the smallest man on the pitch, emerged a Sligo hero at the Brandywell last night, his 89th-minute goal ending Derry City’s unbeaten record in the Premier Division.

With the home side having dominated, the Tubbercurry native raced on to the loose ball after substitute Owen Torpey had blocked Clive Delaney’s defensive clearance.

Racing from the halfway line the diminutive striker gleefully guided the ball home in a one-on-one situation with Derry goalkeeper Gerard Doherty.

Two goals in the space of as many minutes brought the first half to life, but it was Sligo, always content to hit on the break, who broke the deadlock.

Ex-Derry winger Owen Morrison sent Romauld Boco scampering clear and while his shot took a slight deflection of the foot of Mark McChrystal, it help steer the ball wide of the outstretched Doherty.

But the home side bounced back almost immediately when the ball had been worked to the other end. Sammy Morrow swept the ball to the back post where the unmarked Gareth McGlynn did well to volley the ball into the Sligo net from an acute angle.

DERRY CITY:Doherty; McCallion, McChrystal, Delaney, O'Brien (McClean, 87); McGlynn, Molloy, Martyn (Farren 68), Kearney (Higgins, 80); Morrow, Stewart.

SLIGO ROVERS:Brush; Keane, Peers, Ventre, Holmes; Morrison (Cash, 67), Ryan, O'Grady, Doherty(McTiernan, 80); Cretaro, Boco (Torpey, 78).

Referee:D Hancock (Dublin).