Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch expressed his disappointment following a 1-0 defeat to Rijeka in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, marking the end of their European journey.

In the second leg at the Brandywell, Derry faced an uphill battle after Daniel Adu-Adjei scored for Rijeka just 14 minutes into the match, extending their lead from the first leg.

Despite a bright start, Derry struggled to create significant chances, failing to test Aleksa Todorovic adequately. Lynch stated,

"I am hugely disappointed. I think we need to be a team that plays a little bit more and becomes a little bit braver and, when you do that, things happen."

Lynch highlighted the importance of confidence and belief in their ability to compete at this level, acknowledging that they were punished for their mistakes.

Before the match, there was optimism among fans after a promising performance in the first leg. However, that hope dwindled when Rijeka scored early, allowing them to control the pace of the game.

Lynch reflected on the turning point:

• Micky Duffy and Liam Boyce both had chances to equalize, but Duffy's opportunity fell short.
• Boyce, who had a slight hamstring issue, was expected to be pivotal but couldn’t deliver when it mattered.

Lynch noted that conceding the first goal knocked the wind out of Derry, as they felt they could compete until that moment. With this defeat, Rijeka secured their place in the third qualifying round, where they will face Ilves of Finland.