Carlsberg FAI Cup Semi Final
Derry City 5  – 0  Sligo Rovers
Tuesday 31 October, 2006, The Brandywell
Attendance: 3300 est
Carlsberg Man of the Match  Mark Farren

Classical music, fireworks and the anticipation of another thriller set the scene for the rematch between Derry City and Sligo Rovers last night in the Brandywell. However, despite promising openings, the game was effectively over in a nine minute period in the first half when Derry’s clinical finishing shattered Rovers cup dreams.

Both managers were set to keep faith with their starting eleven from Sunday’s game, until just before the kick-off when John O’Hara dislocated a finger in the warm-up and was replaced by Richard Brush.

Different venue, different coloured jerseys, but the same passion and fervour that was on display on Sunday was immediately on show as the teams continued from where they left. It was open season, free-flowing and end to end.

On five minutes, the lively Adam Hughes struck from distance but Forde was well positioned and gathered easily. Rovers were in the ascendancy again on ten minutes when, following good work on the left by Kudozovic, McTiernan received the ball on the edge of the box, but tight marking by Hutton meant that McTiernan’s shot lacked venom when Mansaram looked to be a better option in space.

The home side countered immediately, Ciaran Martyn ending a good McGlynn run with an effort from the edge of the box that stretched Brush. Moments later they combined again, this time Martyn heading on target.

It was far from one way traffic as Rovers foraged down the right, trying to take advantage of Rovers front line pace to beat the offside trap. They came close a couple of times thanks to Mansaram and McTiernan’s half chances.

Midway through the half, it looked like Harpal Singh was through on goal, but he was hauled back by the Assistant Referee’s flag, in what looked to be a harsh decision.

As the game approached the half hour, McGlynn and Martyn again combined down the Derry right to set up Beckett on the edge of the box, but his effort was ballooned well over. A minute later, another attack down the right, the ball fell to McCourt on the left side of the box but his tantalising pass hung in front of the goal, and somehow Derry failed to convert.
 
It proved to be stay of execution. On thirty three minutes, McGlynn once more raided down the right, beating Turner before placing a pinpoint cross to the left side of the box where McCourt half volleyed first time into the far corner of the net.

It got worse on thirty nine minutes when Turner took McGlynn down in the box to concede a penalty and up stepped Beckett to slot home, to the right of Brush.

Derry effectively wrapped the game up on forty two minutes, when good work by Mark Farren on the left opened up the Rovers defence before he pulled back to Sligo native, Ciaran Martyn, who drilled a low shot to Brush’s left.

Rovers fans at half-time were philosophical, hoping against hope that a historic come-back would materialise, but within a minute of the restart, as Rovers pushed forward, Derry broke and Molloy sent Farren on his way. McNamara was beaten as he forced Farren wide, but to no avail as the Derry man steadied himself and placed a curling shot from a tight angle past Brush and in off the post for number four.

The Bit O’Red were rattled and indeed could have gone further behind in the ensuing minutes when McCourt spurned a couple of gilt-edged opportunities.

As the game settled, the visitors regained some confidence, making their passes without making serious inroads as they were restricted to pot-shots from Kudozovic and McTiernan.
 
The Candystripes were persistently dangerous on the break though, and  Deery and Martyn both took their chances from outside the box without reward.

Choice Aisien came in with twenty minutes remaining providing a focal point for the front-line, but despite showing well, and setting up a half chance for Hughes, his efforts failed to trouble Forde.

Insult was added to injury when McKenzie was caught in possession in injury time, Deery broke forward setting McCourt free on the left hand side of the box, but Brush got out quickly to deny McCourt, however, the rebound fell to Martyn who side-footed the ball into an empty to end Rovers cup dreams and to keep the Candystripes on track for a historic treble.

Teams

Derry City
David Forde, Eddie McCallion, Sean Hargan, Petter Hutton, Ciaran Martyn, Gary Beckett (Kevin Deery 57 mins), Ken Oman (Clive Delaney 77 mins), Gareth McGlynn, Barry Molloy (Ruairdhi Higgins 83 mins), Mark Farren, Pat McCourt

Subs not used: Kevin McHugh, Pat Jennings (GK), Stephen O’Flynn, Shaun Holmes

Sligo Rovers
Richard Brush, Gavin Peers, Chris Turner, Michael McNamara, Liam Burns (Jamie McKenzie 62 mins), Conor O’Grady, Adam Hughes, Fahrudin Kudozovic, Darrren Mansaram (Keith Foy 53 mins), Paul McTiernan (Choice Aisien 71 mins), Harpal Singh

Subs not used: Gary Curran, Seamus Coleman, Sean Flannery (GK), Sean Kelly

Bookings: Gavin Peers

Officials
Referee  Declan Hanney
Assistant Referee 1  Damien McGrath
Assistant Referee 2 Fran Cunningham
Fourth Official Damien Hancock