Dundalk 2
Derry City 2
Keith Wallace reports from Oriel Park
EOGHAN STOKES SPRUNG from the bench to claim an unlikely point for Derry City, who battled back from two goals behind to shock defending champions Dundalk whose six-match winning streak at Oriel Park came to an end.
The first half was an evenly-matched affair, which saw Derry handle their fancied opponents well. However, it was the visitors’ experienced goalkeeper Peter Cherrie who was almost villain and then hero as he twice denied Michael Duffy.
The opener would arrive six minutes after the restart and it was well worth waiting for as Jordan Flores’ magic feet formed the path for Patrick Hoban to hammer in. Hoban was on the mark again by the hour, as he finished at the same post after Seán Gannon’s deep right-wing cross.
Dundalk were rampant, but they were stopped in their tracks when Darren Cole arrowed a 68th-minute shot into the bottom corner. The Oriel Park faithful were silenced 10 minutes from time when Hoban was shown a red card, and Stokes — only just on the pitch — converted from the penalty spot to rescue a draw.
Dundalk head coach Vinny Perth had made two changes to the team that won in Waterford on Monday, as captain Brian Gartland and the injured Jamie McGrath – who was on crutches – were replaced by Daniel Cleary and RSC goalscoring hero Flores.
Opposite number Declan Devine also freshened up his team with two switches from the home defeat by Bohemians on the same night. Ally Gilchrist and top marksman David Parkhouse were handed starts, as Patrick McClean and Stokes dropped to the bench.
Dundalk had won six on the bounce at home, while Derry had managed well away from the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, unbeaten in six on the road. The Candystripes started in confident and composed fashion, and they almost orchestrated a lovely opener on 19 minutes.
Their young midfield duo of Ciaron Harkin and Greg Sloggett were at the heart of it, with a pass spread wide to Jamie McDonagh on the right. His delivery into the box dropped to his skipper Barry McNamee in space, but he got under the shot and it went harmlessly off target.
Dundalk – with Derry’s dangerous hometown duo Patrick McEleney and Duffy in their front four – were doing little to threaten. Dubliner Daniel Kelly set about changing that all on his own near the half-hour, but his surging run was dealt with as the hosts’ frustration grew.
The champions’ breakthrough almost came from a Derry mistake on 36 minutes as Hoban chased down Cherrie and won possession. His pull-back from the by-line was to Duffy’s feet 12 yards out, but the in-form winger was denied by a fine Cherrie block.
McDonagh fired in another dangerous cross late in the first period but Seán Gannon was alert at the back post to deny a tap-in for Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe.
Cherrie produced an even better stop right on half-time when another ex-Derry man, Dean Jarvis, delivered a cross onto the head of Duffy but his header was brilliantly turned away by the visiting goalkeeper.
Dundalk, though, struck the front on 51 minutes. Flores’ trickery on the edge of the box was magnificent and his through-ball was weighted perfectly for Hoban who fired past Cherrie at his near post.
Moments later, it was close to 2-0 when Hoban turned provider for Kelly, whose shot was tipped over by Cherrie at the second attempt.
By the hour-mark, the advantage was doubled when Gannon’s deep cross from the right was met by Hoban who finished into the same side of the net.
However, as Dundalk went in search of a third, they were caught cold as Cole got Derry back into the game from nowhere with a fine finish from the 18-yard line.
The game totally turned on 80 minutes when a dangerous free-kick led to a scramble and it ended with Hoban being sent off after an incident in the box. Stokes was cool from the spot to extend Derry’s excellent recent record on the road.
DUNDALK: Gary Rogers, Seán Gannon, Daniel Cleary, Seán Hoare, Dean Jarvis, Chris Shields, Jordan Flores (John Mountney, 70), Daniel Kelly (Georgie Kelly, 83), Patrick McEleney, Michael Duffy, Patrick Hoban.
DERRY CITY: Peter Cherrie, Darren Cole, Eoin Toal, Ally Gilchrist, Ciarán Coll, Ciaron Harkin (Eoghan Stokes, 78), Greg Sloggett, Jamie McDonagh (Aidy Delap, 67), Barry McNamee, Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe (Patrick McClean, 90), David Parkhouse.
Referee: Robert Hennessy (Limerick).
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