CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: FC PYUNIK 2 DERRY CITY 0 (FC PYUNIK WIN 2-0 ON AGGREGATE)
By Garry Doyle
The Mirror, UK
Eire Edition
July 26, 2007 Thursday
City lose Arm wrestle
MORAL victories – the curse of Irish football in the past – raised
its ugly face again yesterday.
In a defeat which resembled the dozens that have come for eircom
League sides in Europe before – Derry City crashed out of the
Champions League, citing missed opportunities and dodgy refereeing
as the reasons why.
Yet those weren’t the only factors explaining Derry’s downfall. The
cost-cutting but energy-sapping journey to get to Armenia, coupled
with the soaring temperatures in its capital Yerevan during yesterday’s
game, also explains their downfall.
As did some poor defending. The second Pyunik goal was a copy-cat
of the first – when a burst by Levon Pachajyan down the right was
followed by hesitancy in the Derry penalty area – and then by some
cool finishing.
Which was more than Derry could produce in either leg. Despite
dominating the home tie and despite creating six good openings
yesterday, Derry failed to take any of them.
And that’s the bottom line. Pyunik defended better, were tactically
cuter and then crucially, more ruthless in the opposing penalty area.
As a result, they go through and Derry go home. City boss John
Robertson, inset, said: "It’s hugely disappointing. I felt we deserved
more from the game. "There wasn’t much between the sides but when you
look back over the two legs, the fact remains that whatever breaks
there were, went Pyunik’s way. That’s not an excuse. That’s reality."
Derry came here knowing that the first goal of this tie would be the
decisive one. Yet despite creating the first chance of the game –
one that saw Kevin McHugh shoot narrowly over from 25 yards, Derry
found themselves behind.
And they can curse Pachajyan for that. The Armenian international
was a constant thorn in Killian Bren-nan’s side right through this
match – and raced right past him in the 28th minute before crossing
for Arsen Avetisyan. Avetisyan’s initial shot was superbly blocked
by Pat Jennings, Derry’s keeper, but no defender was alert enough to
clear the danger.
They quickly paid the price as Avetisyan swivelled on the six-yard-line
before firing the rebound in.
There and then you questioned the decision to omit those old warhorses,
Peter Hutton and Sean Hargan, from the Derry defence.
And as the game wore on and Derry tired, the logic of the club’s
decision to fly by commercial airlines rather than spend three times
as much money chartering a flight, also became a consideration.
Yet perhaps the biggest decision which cost them this tie was the
one made by the Slovenian referee, Robert Krajnc, who opted against
giving Derry a penalty on the stroke of half time after Ciaran Martyn
was clearly fouled by Rafael Nazaryan.
But, as Robertson said, the breaks didn’t go their way – not when
Sammy Morrow’s shot crept across the face of goal, or when Eddie
McCallion’s drive from 25 yards shivered the upright, or when Ken
Oman’s strike ended wide.
Instead, when this game was in the melting pot, Pyunik managed to
survive, showing decent composure in defence, which was something
Derry lacked.
And yet, their defenders – McCallion, Brennan, Oman and Darren Kelly
were all threats going forward.
And in the 60th minute the second decisive moment of the game arrived
when Kelly headed Brennan’s corner onto the Pyunik crossbar.
"A goal then would have given us the tie," said Robertson. "At the
very least we would have been in the driving seat."
Instead they were on their way out. For six minutes after coming
so close to an equaliser, Derry found themselves two goals behind,
victims of a classic counter-attack.
Again it came down the Pyunik right. Again Pachajyan was involved.
Again the defending was poor. Again the ball dribbled over the
goal-line – the only difference being that it was Gevorg Ghazaryan
who provided the finish this time.
And that was that. The concluding 24 minutes were played out – Derry
chasing an impossible dream, coming close to scoring again with
another Kelly header from another set-piece.
And so, for the first time since Shelbourne lost to Malta’s Hibernians
five years ago, there will be no Irish side in the second round of
the Champions League.