Two first half goals brought an end to Derry City's hopes of becoming the first Irish side to progress to the group stages of a European competition at the Parc des Princes on Thursday night.

Brazilian dead-ball expert Paulo Cesar was the creator, but Derry will be sorely disappointed by their failure to defend their goal from set-pieces on both occasions.

Cesar's sixth-minute corner found the head of unmarked midfielder Edouard Cisse, and his powerful downward header beat the combination of goalkeeper David Forde and Barry Molloy on the Derry goal-line.

The Candystripes were ill at ease from dead-ball deliveries all night, with another Cisse header cleared off the line from a Cesar corner.

Even at 1-0, Derry still had a chance in the knowledge that a goal of their would put them ahead on the away goals rule. However, the killer second goal came three minutes before the break, and this time it was a set-piece of a different kind.

A foul on Bernard Mendy close to the end-line just outside the Derry area brought the free kick, and with Derry anticipating another aerial delivery, Cesar cut it back to the unmarked Pauleta just outside the penalty spot.

The Portuguese star was perhaps fortunate that his strike found the net - a deflection from the boot of Killian Brennan took it past Forde - but the disappointing thing for Derry was that a goalscorer of such repute was allowed to find three yards of space in a crowded penalty area at such a vital juncture.

Derry were considerably better after the break, with manager Kevin Deery and Ciaran Martyn showing up well in midfield and manager Stephen Kenny sending on substitutes Kevin McHugh and Mark Farren to form a two-pronged attack.

But PSG still spurned several chances to add to their lead, with Pierre-Alain Frau blazing a clear opportunity over and their own sub Cristian Rodriguez missing three gilt-edged chances, first seeing Darren Kelly clear off the line before hitting two late chances went wide of Forde's near post.

In the end, the better side emerged on top, but Derry - their players and officials and thousands of fans who sang long into the night, long after the final whistle - will remember their night in the spot-light.