Dundalk 1

Derry City 1

Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park

DUNDALK’S UNDEFEATED HOME record was salvaged at the end of their 1-1 draw with Derry City – a result which keeps them second in the SSE Airtricity League.

On a night where leaders Shamrock Rovers were perhaps the real winners, James Akintunde put Derry ahead early on, and it looked as though they were going to become the first away side to win at Oriel Park this year before Patrick Hoban rescued it late on.

All three of Dundalk’s summer additions were named as substitutes from the off, but for Derry, there was a league bow for defender Mark Connolly, who made 20 appearances for The Lilywhites throughout the first half of the season, on loan from Dundee United.

Derry hit the front inside 12 minutes when some lackadaisical play from Greg Sloggett allowed Joe Thomson to nick the ball from behind him and into the path of Akintunde, who teased and tormented the Dundalk backline before slipping into the bottom corner. A disappointing start for the hosts was made worse by injuries to Paul Doyle and Daniel Kelly, who had to be replaced by Alfie Lewis and Ryan O’Kane before the half-hour mark.

The Candystripes could easily have made it 2-0 when Sadou Diallo played the onside Thomson through on goal, but Nathan Shepperd was on hand to deny the Scotsman. O’Kane has often been a shining light for The Lilywhites when summoned from the bench this season, and he forced Brian Maher to save well in first-half stoppage-time.

Sam Bone almost levelled matters three minutes into the second half when his jinking run inside the box took it beyond a few Derry players, but he drilled wide of the mark. Steven Bradley was next to try his luck when he collected from a beautiful Hoban cross-field pass, but the on-loan Hibernian winger’s effort flashed across the face of goal.

Sloggett headed off target from a Keith Ward corner, while seven minutes from time, O’Kane almost equalised from close range, only for Maher to somehow get to his effort.

Dundalk’s persistence finally paid off in deep in stoppage time when a beautiful ball from Bradley was powered home by the head of Hoban to rescue a late point for the hosts.

Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Lewis Macari (Robbie Benson 74), Sam Bone, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy; Greg Sloggett, Paul Doyle (Alfie Lewis 23); Steven Bradley, Joe Adams
(Keith Ward 74), Daniel Kelly (Ryan O’Kane 28); Patrick Hoban.

Derry City: Brian Maher; Cameron Dummigan, Mark Connolly, Shane McEleney, Cameron McJannet; Sadou Diallo, Patrick McEleney; Ryan Graydon (Brandon Kavanagh
77), Joe Thomson (Danny Lafferty 87), Declan Glass (Michael Duffy 77); James Akintunde (Jamie McGonigle 68).

Referee: Robert Hennessy

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