By Donal Ryan
Derry City left it late to break down a spirited Sligo Rovers, as Josh Thomas scored in the 90th minute to secure a 2-1 win at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on the opening night of the season.
It looked as though an upset was on the cards after Sligo Rovers took the lead in the first half through Jad Hakiki, but goals within the final ten minutes from Alex Bannon and Thomas secured the points for Derry.
Derry named a strong team to start, unchanged from the President’s Cup victory against Shamrock Rovers, while Sligo Rovers handed competitive debuts to Alex Nolan and Jeannot Esua, with academy graduate Daire Patton starting in midfield.
There has not been much to separate these sides over…