Trabzonspor 4 Derry City 2: Somehow keeping the tie alive for the second leg at the Brandywell next week was Derry City's mission to this far flung corner of Europe.
And while Declan Devine's side were outclassed for much of the match, Trabzonspor will come to Foyleside with more than a tinge of doubt in their minds as they failed to kill off the tie tonight after big away goals from David McDaid and Paddy Kavanagh gave Derry plenty to dwell on.
In a rollercoaster first half, the raucous crowd, who never let the din dip, were treated to five goals, with the only surprise being that they weren’t all for the home side.
Hoping to keep a disciplined shape was Derry’s game plan, but they were all too easily cut open by a side fielding five full internationals and found themselves 2-0 down inside 15 minutes.
Winger Volkan Sen, who switched flanks regularly with Olcan Adin, caused Derry problems when he ran at them. And the Turkish international was involved as Trabzonspor got the early lead they craved on 10 minutes following a neat passing build-up.
Incisive Poland international Adrian Mierzejewski, whom Devine pinpointed as the danger man pre-match, worked a one-two with Sen to play Adin in on the left.
Ger Doherty made a good stop with his feet. But the ball spun into the air with Mierzejewski's overhead kick deflecting to the net off Eoghan Osborne's knee.
That was the impetus Trabzonspor needed and they punished a goalkeeping mistake to double their lead five minutes later. Adin left fly from some 25 yards off his left foot, Doherty spilled the slippy ball and Brazilian Paulo Henrique was on to it in a flash to scoop the loose ball to the net.
Rattled they may have been, but a piece of opportunism by McDaid got Derry right back into the game on 24 minutes.
A mistake by Argentinian midfielder Gustavo Colman gifted the ball to McDaid who then touched it through the legs of Giray Kacar before rifling a stunning left-footer to the corner of Onur Kivrak's net for a brilliant finish.
Trabzonspor almost responded within a minute as Doherty redeemed his earlier lapse with a fine save to touch Sen’s lob into the air before Ruaidhri Higgins put the ball out for a corner.
Incredibly, Derry levelled it on 32 minutes with a textbook counterattack.
Barry Molloy brilliantly won a tackle on the edge of his own box before playing a sublime ball in behind for the run of Paddy Kavanagh.
The Dubliner cut inside and fired to the near bottom corner of the net with the help of a deflection for a big first goal for the club.
In a game you couldn’t take your eyes off, Trabzonspor regained the lead six minutes before the break.
Barry McNamee was harshly penalised for a challenge on Sen on the right. Adin whipped the free-kick in with plenty of pace and the ball flew into the Derry net off the head of Molloy.
Trabzonspor came out with added intent in the second half and had a goal disallowed before Kacar finished downward header from Mierzejewski’s corner to add their fourth goal.
Doherty then saved well from Sen and Mierzejewski, while Molloy cleared off the line from Colman as Derry held on.
Substitute Ryan McBride then almost snatched a third for Derry, two minutes into stoppage time, when drilling a shot narrowly wide.
Trabzonspor: Kivrak; Yavru, Kacar, Yumlu, Celustka; Akgun, Colman; Sen (Oztekin, 80), Mierzejewski (Gomes Da Costa, 67), Adin; Henrique (Gural, 75).
Derry City: Doherty; Madden, Greacen, S. McEleney, Osborne; Kavanagh (McBride, 64), Molloy, Higgins, P. McEleney (Duffy, 73); B. McNamee; McDaid (Griffin, 86).
Referee: Artyom Kuchin (Kazakhstan).
