Sligo edge a bit closer

Sligo Rovers 4 Derry C 1:DERRY CITY manager Declan Devine was "bitterly disappointed" after slack defending let table toppers Sligo Rovers in for a couple of soft goals at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.

Ian Baraclough’s side are now eight points clear at the top of the table and on course for their first league title since 1977 – and will hardly get easier goals in their remaining four matches.

“You cannot come to the best team in the country and concede four soft goals . . . it was a comedy of errors and we need to get over this defeat quickly,” said Devine.

Lee Lynch and Gavin Peers caused some anxious moments for the visitors following a Joseph Ndo free kick at the start of the first half, before Patrick McEleney had a good effort saved by Gary Rogers at the other end.

Ndo floated a corner kick into the Derry box in the 13th minute and the ball ended up in the Candystripes net off Ryan McBride from a goalmouth scramble.

The home side went two ahead in the 35th minute when Rafael Cretaro took advantage of slack marking in the Derry defence to slot the ball home. Cretaro struck again 11 minutes into the second half with a simple tap in to put the game out of the visitors’ reach.

Derry’s consolation was the best goal of the game in the 69th minute, when a quick break up the town end of the ground put Ruaidhri Higgins in possession and his clever flighted ball was drilled past Rogers by David McDaid. But more sloppy defending by the visitors allowed Lee Lynch to score Sligo’s fourth in the 76th minute.

Ian Baraclough said afterwards it was a case of “getting the basics right, keeping our focus and getting on with the job. We took our chances when they came and the picture is a lot clearer than at the beginning of the week”.

SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Conneely, McGuinness, Peers, Gaynor Millien, Lynch (Cawley, 80), Ndo, Ventre, Cretaro (Connolly, 80), Quigley (Buchanan, 67).

DERRY CITY: Doherty, McCaffrey, Greacen (S McEleney 74), Higgins, Deery (Curran, 2), McDaid, P McEleney (Murphy 64), McBride, Madden, Farren, McNamee.

Referee: P Tuite (Dublin).