Derry City's Conference League hopes still alive after narrow defeat in Rijeka

DERRY CITY must overturn a slender 1-0 deficit at Brandywell to keep alive their Uefa Conference League hopes after classy Croatia international Toni Fruk scored the only goal of the game in the second qualifying round first leg tie at the Stadion Rujevica.

The £10 million-rated attacking midfielder - reportedly a summer transfer target of Premiership-bound Hull City and Ajax - fired Rijeka ahead six minutes into the second half with a left-footed finish from close range.

Up until that point in the tie the Candy Stripes had restricted the Croatian side to long-range efforts with neither goalkeeper troubled in the opening half of a tentative clash by the Adriatic.

Michael Duffy had the best of the goalscoring opportunity in that opening 45 minutes when his strike from an angle deflected agonisingly wide of the far post.

Fresh from his return from the FIFA World Cup with Croatia, Fruk came to the party with that expertly taken finish on 51 minutes and if truth be told, Derry were fortunate not to be further behind in the tie.

New signing Brooklyn Lyons-Foster cleared Daniel Adu-Adjei's shot off the line before Brian Maher saved the follow-up effort from Amer Gojak.

Substitute Justas Lasickas also came so close to adding a second for the home side in stoppage time but Derry will be delighted the tie remains alive going into the return leg at Brandywell next week.

Tiernan Lynch handed a debut to 25-year-old Londoner Lyons-Foster who signed this week from HJK Helsinki, starting the former England youth international at right-back. He was one of seven changes made since Sunday's 3-0 FAI Cup second round win over Tolka Rovers at Brandywell.

The small band of approximately 50 travelling Derry fans was housed in the iconic metal cage at the ground which is nestled between a cliff and the Adriatic Sea.

The Candystripes supporters will have been pleased with their team's first half showing despite the fact the visitors saw little of the ball.

Although it may have been Rijeka's first competitive match of the season, they dominated possession with 77% in the opening half. and on two minutes Portuguese midfielder Tiago Dantas screwed his 25 yard shot wide of the Derry goal.

The Croatian side were restricted to shots from distance and on 24 minutes Branko Pavić reacted quickest to Barry Cotter's defensive clearance but his shot on the half volley went well wide of the target.

Derry had the best chance of the first half from Michael Duffy's free-kick into a crowded penalty area. The ball dropped to Brandon Fleming and the ex-Hull City man clipped it towards the back post where Duffy ran into the box, turned past Dantas and his shot was deflected agonisingly past the far post.

Neither goalkeeper was tested in the opening 45 minutes but Rijeka needed just six minutes of the second half to break the deadlock. Dantas' slick pass was directed into the path of Fruk by the outstretched leg of Patrick McClean and the Croatian international fired clinically past Maher to give the home side the lead.

It could have worsened for the Foylesiders seven minutes later after a quick break; Dantas played in Adu-Adjei but Lyons-Foster brilliantly cleared his 10-yard shot off the line. The rebound fell to Gojak and his strike from an acute angle was turned behind by Maher for a corner.

Lynch made a triple substitution just after the hour mark in a bid to get a foothold in the game with Adam O'Reilly, James Clarke and Cameron Dummigan entering the fray.

O'Reilly made an instant impact and when he made a lung-bursting run from inside his own half during a promising Derry counter attack on 74 minutes, his dangerous cross towards Duffy at the back was cut out superbly by Fruk at full stretch.

Despite a spirited finish to the game, Derry were fortunate not to be trailing a two-goal deficit as substitute Justas Lasickas' effort at full stretch from a corner kick in stoppage time went narrowly wide of the back post.

The final whistle blew, bringing relief to the Derry players who know their European fate remains in their hands as they take the tie back to Foyleside.

Derry City: Maher; Lyons-Foster (Barr 75), P. McClean, Stott (Dummigan 62), Fleming; Cotter, Olayinka (Burns 80), Twisk (O'Reilly 62), Duffy; Chapman; Boyce (Clarke 62).

Rijeka: Todorović; Janković, Majstorović, Barco, Pavić, Fruk (Lasickas 91), Gojak (Rukavina 79), Adu-Adjei (Jurić 69), Oreč, Dantas, Devetak. Referee - Jose Luis Munuera (Spain).