Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins sees the first leg outcome as an opportunity for his team to progress to the final stage before the group stage of football. Despite a close-run affair played on a poor surface, the Candystripes still have a chance to advance, with Derry’s Ruaidhri Higgins feeling encouraged by the vulnerabilities shown by their opponents, Tobol, who previously shocked Basel in the competition.
Higgins expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance, considering their prospects of qualifying for the next round. “It gives us a real, real fighting chance of going through to the playoff and that’s what we wanted coming out here, we wanted the tie to be alive coming home,” said the Derry boss.
The second half of the match saw an increase in activity after a scoreless first half. Both teams struggled with the poor surface, particularly when trying to play out from the back. Derry had their moments on the attack, but the generous refereeing decisions allowed Tobol players to halt their counters with aggressive tackles.
The frustration for Higgins lies in the lapse of concentration that led to Tobol’s goal. Derry’s defensive discipline restricted their opponents to speculative efforts, but a momentary lapse allowed Asrankulov to find the top corner with a powerful strike.
Despite the disappointment, Derry still had a chance to equalize, with a botched clearance from Tobol’s goalkeeper providing a gift opportunity. However, Duffy’s decisive strike went into the side netting instead of finding the back of the net.
Derry City will travel to Dublin next week believing they can turn the tie around, as they feel capable of securing a positive result. Higgins emphasized that the team’s focus will now shift towards their upcoming league match with Drogheda United.
The lineup for Tobol consisted of Konovalov, Kairov, Rogac, Mladovic, Asrankulov, Zharynbetov, Orazov, Muzkhikov, Chesnokov, Vukadinovic, and Deble. Meanwhile, Derry City fielded Maher, Boyce, McJannet, Connolly, Doherty, Diallo, O’Reilly, McMullan, Patching, Duffy, and C Kavanagh.
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