Derry City’s Europa League campaign concluded with a defeat to CSKA Sofia at the Brandywell Stadium, a match overshadowed by disturbances in the stands.

The Candystripes leveled the tie on aggregate just two minutes into the second half when Ellis Chapman headed in front for the home side.

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With strong support from their fans, Derry looked poised to win until referee Jasmin Sabotic interrupted the match before the hour mark due to a section of visiting fans attempting to breach the home supporters’ area in the shared Southend Park stand.

Some Derry City fans stepped onto the pitch as officials worked to restore order, and play resumed nearly 15 minutes later.

However, the interruption shifted the momentum of the match. Ioannis Pittas, who scored twice in the first leg, seized on a defensive mix-up to put CSKA back in front in the 76th minute.

Derry City sought a late equalizer, but further misfortune struck as Barry Cotter accidentally scored an own goal in the 108th minute, pushing the aggregate score to 5-3 and prompting objects to be thrown at CSKA goalkeeper Dimiar Emitov from the North Stand.

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The match began amid a cacophony of cheers from both sets of fans, with the sun shining down on the well-prepared pitch at Brandywell.

Derry settled in well and nearly took the lead in the 12th minute, following an impressive run by Kevin dos Santos down the left flank.

Dodging three defenders, dos Santos delivered a precise ball across the goal that Adam O’Reilly just missed connecting with.

Ioannis Pittas, already a threat from the first leg, nearly broke the deadlock soon after, but Derry keeper Brian Maher blocked his attempt with quick reflexes.

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On 35 minutes, Leandro Godoy had a goal-bound header thwarted by Patrick McClean, and the striker later squandered a chance from eight yards out on 41 minutes after finding space from a corner.

As half-time approached, the hosts came close to leveling the tie on aggregate again, thanks to more brilliant play from dos Santos, who found Michael Duffy. Duffy’s powerful shot from a tight angle hit the post.

After the break, Derry City finally got their reward when Ellis Chapman headed in a knock-back from Brandon Fleming, invigorating the home crowd.

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However, the lengthy match delay shifted the game’s dynamics again, allowing Pittas to exploit a gap between Patrick McClean and Brian Maher to regain the lead for the visitors with 14 minutes remaining.

Despite intensifying their efforts in the final stages, Derry City could not find an answer to extend their Europa League adventure and will now drop into the Conference League, facing NK Rijeka of Croatia in the second qualifying round.