FC Pyunik 2-0 Derry City

Derry City's dreams of repeating last season's UEFA Cup run in this year's Champions League was brought to a bitterly disappointing halt in the searing heat of Armenia.

And the fact that both FC Pyunik goals could have been avoided at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan, will not have helped the Brandywell side who face the long trip home.

In the end, the chances John Robertson's men failed to take advantage of in the first leg did not help Derry's cause, but the Foylesiders will feel particularly aggrieved at not being awarded what appeared a clear-cut first half penalty claim.

It was also clear that Lady Luck had not made the long journey to Eastern Europe with the Candystripes when two powerful Darren Kelly headers were not rewarded with goals.

Played on a difficult surface, the eircom League side were restricted to long distance efforts but Kevin McHugh, Barry Molloy and Eddie McCallion's efforts failed to trouble Pyunik keeper, Gevorg Kasparov.

The home side grabbed the vital breakthrough in the 29th minute having worked the ball forward from the centre of the park but it was a strike Derry really should have avoided.

Right winger, Levon Pachajryan, who had caused Derry problems on his flank, played a pivotal role in the opening goal having been set free by Gevorg Ghazaryan.

After getting in behind Killian Brennan, Pachajryans cross saw the alert Arsen Avetisyan's snapshot superbly blocked by Jennings from point blank range.

But the Candystripes dithered when attempting to clear the loose ball and the striker regained possession to squeeze the ball home from six yards on the turn.

And Derry were fortunate not to fall further behind in the 35th minute when a stinging shot from Ghazaryan was magnificently parried by Jennings but, on this occasion the keeper gained possession.

Derry's difficulties were then compounded by the loss of skipper, Barry Molloy, four minutes from the break with what appeared an ankle problem.

Greg O'Halloran entered the fray just before the Foylesiders were denied what appeared a stonewall penalty in the 43rd minute.

Ciaran Martyn burst into the penalty area and as he waited for the ball to come down, he was clearly impeded by Pyunik midfielder, Rafael Nazaryan, but the Slovenian referee refused to intervene.

The northern club refused to be intimidated and in the 45th minute they went so close to levelling matters.

A Kevin Deery free-kick saw Sammy Morrow sneak in at the back post and while the former Hibs player poked the ball across the face goal, the visitors had no one there to take advantage.
 
After the break, Jennings was forced into action again in the 54th minute when he pulled off another top stop to deny Ghazaryan.
 
Having won a corner on the hour, Derry will have felt aggrieved when Kelly's bullet header crashed off the crossbar with the Pyunik keeper beaten.

With the home side now deploying a strictly defensive 4-5-1 formation and content to hit on the counter, they killed the tie off in the 66th minute, their tricky right-winger, Pachajyan, playing an integral role.

His low cross into the danger area found Ghazaryan in space and his low shot took a deflection off the leg of Ken Oman, giving Jennings no chance from ten yards.

Try as they did to get back into the game, Derry's best chance afterwards was fashioned by another set-piece situation.

It was Kelly again getting onto Ruaidhri Higgins' cross but his powerful downward header was blocked on the goal-line by the Pyunik keeper.

Pyunik will now face Shakhtar Donetsk in the next round of the competition.

FC Pyunik - 4-4-2 - Kasparov; Hovespyan, Dokhoyan, Arzumanyan, Tateosjan; Pachajyan, Nazaryan (Yeoigaryan, 58 mins.), Mkhitaryan, Mkrtchyan; Avetisyan (H. Mkhitaryan 68 mins.), Ghazaryan (Sahakyan, 82 mins).
 
Derry City - 4-5-1 - Jennings; McCallion, Kelly, Oman, Brennan; McHugh, Martyn, Deery (Higgins, 83 mins.), Molloy (O'Halloran, 41 mins.), McCourt (Farren, 64 mins.); Morrow.
 
Referee - Mr Robert Kranyk (Slovenia).