Draw does Derry few favours

Derry City did themselves no favours ahead of next week’s
Champions League 1st qualifying round 2nd leg in Armenia. Derry drew
0-0 with Pyunik at the Brandywell as the Candystripes failed to make
anything of their superiority on the night.

Pat McCourt was an early threat for Derry and after winning a couple
of free kicks, he cut inside the visiting defence and drove a shot
which seemed destined for the top corner. However, goalkeeper Gevorg
Kasparov pulled off a stunning save to tip over.

Barry Molloy hit a bouncing shot which again forced the visiting
keeper to work after 16 minutes. Derry’s play saw them win twelve
corners to Pyunik’s none but a string of poor deliveries saw Derry
struggle to create much with their crossing in general below par.

In just his second game back since returning from a loan spell in
Norway, Ciaran Martyn looked like he was lacking match practice. He
just failed to connect with a dangerous cross on the half hour and
fired well wide of the target from a good position inside the Pyunik
box just before half-time.

Pyunik were not exactly overrun and although they didn’t do too much
offensively, the Derry defence still had to be alert. Peter Hutton
showed how valuable his experience is when he got back to pinch
possession from substitute Felix Hzeina in the Derry box just after
the break. Minutes later the same Pyunik player clattered into Hutton
with an apparent elbow leaving the Derry skipper reeling although he
was back in the thick of the action in no time.

Derry goalkeeper Pat Jennings was forced to flick clear with his feet
as a low long range Pyunik free kick somehow found a way through a
crowded area to his goal-mouth.

A typical McCourt run to the byline and lay off went unrewarded as no
Derry player could connect with the dangerous ball across the box. The
chance of the game arrived just before the hour as Martyn got in on
the end of Gareth McGlynn’s chipped cross into the box. Martyn’s
sidefoot volley was straight at the keeper though and would surely
have found the net had it been aimed anywhere else.

Jennings had an easy save when he grabbed a low turning shot as the
final twenty minutes of action arrived. Kevin McHugh dipped a shot
over the bar just seconds after arriving on the pitch but Pyunik
seemed more and more content to keep a clean-sheet.

Kasparov was worried on 71 minutes as Ken Oman’s long range shot
cannoned off the head of Molloy and spun wickedly just past the
upright. Oman headed at goal in the final five minutes as well but he
was too far out to trouble the visiting keeper.

After the game Derry boss John Robertson confirmed he was happy not to
concede an away goal and is hoping his side can get a score draw or
better next week to advance.

Derry City : Jennings, McCallion, Hargan, Hutton, Oman, Molloy,
McGlynn (Deery 58), McCourt, Martyn, Morrow (McHugh 68), Farren (Hynes
86).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress