Dundalk 2
Derry City 2
Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park
DUNDALK STOPPED THEIR Premier Division rot this afternoon after playing out an enthralling 2-2 draw with Derry City.
The Lilywhites fell behind in the first half, as the impressive Ben Doherty opened the scoring. However, they incredibly went 2-1 ahead in the second period, after a 50-second blitz saw both Robbie Benson and Johannes Yli-Kokko get themselves on the scoresheet.
However, Cian Kavanagh rescued a point for Derry with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Derry were looking the far more likely to open the scoring throughout the first half, with their first chance arriving inside three minutes through Sadou Diallo, who cracked a volley onto the crossbar after the Dundalk rearguard had failed to clear a Doherty corner.
The Candystripes had another opportunity, again through Doherty, whose set-piece delivery was sliced by stand-in Dundalk skipper Benson before Ciaran Coll fired over.
Doherty was Derry’s most creative outlet, and it was another corner from the left-winger that yielded another chance for the visitors, as Ryan Graydon planted a header just wide.
Andy Boyle was a late omission from the original teamsheet for Dundalk, but the hosts were dealt a further blow on 38 minutes, when Greg Sloggett – later spotted on crutches and sporting a bandage on his left foot – pulled up injured and had to be stretchered off.
Dundalk’s best spell of the half soon followed in spite of that adversity, however, with John Martin doing well to win a header before Archie Davies got the better of Coll to launch a powerful shot which had to be well saved by Derry goalkeeper Brian Maher.
The resulting corner from the right was taken short by Benson and out to Keith Ward, whose cross was cleared by Diallo, but only as far as Davies, who then fired miles over.
Derry rather deservedly broke the deadlock on 44 minutes through Doherty, having initially started a move which resulted in Graydon teasing both Yli-Kokko and Robbie McCourt, finished neatly into the bottom corner after being set up by his teammate.
And it should have been 2-0 just three minutes into the second half, when from an Adam O’Reilly right-field cross, Doherty got in ahead of Davies before somehow turning over.
The visitors had another chance after substitute Kavanagh headed wide from yet another Doherty corner, but this game seemed to turn on its axis after a frustrated Dundalk head coach Stephen O’Donnell was booked by referee Robert Hennessy in the 62nd minute.
Ward’s inswinging free-kick delivery from the left was nearly headed into his own net by Ronan Boyce, who was rather lucky the astute Maher was more than alert to the danger.
Then came Dundalk’s equaliser on 71 minutes through Benson, who headed home from another Ward delivery; while The Lilywhites incredibly went 2-1 ahead straight from the resulting kick-off, with the racing Yli-Kokko dispossessing Diallo before slotting home.
The drama at Oriel was far from finished, however, and Derry levelled matters once more on 79 minutes, when Will Patching’s free was headed into the net by Kavanagh.
Dundalk had what looked a strong penalty appeal waved away by Hennessy after that, but Wasiri Williams was shown a straight red card by the referee in the closing stages.
Michael Duffy almost snatched it for The Candystripes deep in stoppage-time, but thankfully for Dundalk, his curling shot was wide of the mark, as the game finished 2-2.
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Hayden Muller, Wasiri Williams, Darragh Leahy, Robbie McCourt (Patrick Hoban 51); Connor Malley (Alfie Lewis 85), Greg Sloggett (Johannes Yli-Kokko 38), Robbie Benson; Keith Ward (Ryan O’Kane 85); John Martin (Rayhaan Tulloch 51).
Derry City: Brian Maher; Ronan Boyce, Shane McEleney, Cameron McJannet, Ciaran Coll (Ollie O’Neill 76); Adam O’Reilly, Sadou Diallo; Ryan Graydon (Michael Duffy 76), Jordan McEneff (Will Patching 45+4), Ben Doherty; Jamie McGonigle (Cian Kavanagh 53).
Referee: Robert Hennessy
Attendance: 2,377