Top two can’t be separated as Dundalk and Derry draw

Dundalk 1 Derry City 1

There was no separating the top two at Oriel Park on Friday night as Dundalk and Derry City ended the game with 10 aside and a goal apiece.

David McMillan’s classy finish gave the reigning champions an early lead but Chris Shields’ 55th minute sending off, followed by Barry McNamee’s equaliser, nine minutes later, saw the pendulum swing Derry’s way.

Referee Padraigh Sutton, who produced a staggering 11 cards on the night, levelled matters when he dismissed Conor McCormack with 15 minutes to go but the Candystripes held on to take something from the border venue for the first time since 2013.

Things didn’t look too promising for Kenny Shiels’ men when they fell behind after just three and a half minutes.

Dane Massey’s quick free on the left caught City full back Niclas Vemmulund napping and Ronan Finn exposed his error, picking out McMillan who controlled the ball with his right before instantly sending a left footed toe poke across Ger Doherty into the bottom corner.

Dundalk looked to hammer home their advantage and Brian Gartland rose unmarked to meet a Darren Meenan corner six minutes later but his header hit McMillan who just couldn’t adjust his feet to divert the ball goalwards.

Daryl Horgan, who has been in sizzling form of late, then cut in from the left to leave Harry Monaghan in his wake but his right footed effort crept just wide of Doherty's post.

The visitors, with Greenore man McCormack seeing plenty of the ball, established a foothold in the game but they never looked like posing too much of a threat to Gary Rogers’ goal.

If the visitors looked toothless, Dundalk, on the other hand, brimmed with intent when they reached the final third and Finn was unlucky to see the latter part of a one two with Meenan just bounce away from him at the critical moment, allowing Doherty to gather.

The Derry City manager’s mood, if not his view, would have been altered in the 55th minute when Shields, who found his way into referee Sutton’s notebook just five minutes earlier, saw red for taking Rory Patterson down just past halfway.

The visitors showed few signs of making the extra man count but they stunned the home support by drawing level with their first real effort of the game in the 67th minute.

Harry Monaghan was the architect, his defence splitting pass sending Patterson in on the right. The striker’s effort was sublime, beating Rogers only to see it come back off the post. McNamee, however, was there to slide home the loose ball.

Derry’s momentum was checked nine minutes later when McCormack saw red at Oriel Park for the second time in his career by picking up another yellow for a foul on McMillan. Like Shields, the Greenore man had every right to feel a bit aggrieved.

Stephen Kenny sent on Ciaran Kilduff and Patrick McEleney in a bid to win the points and Stephen O’Donnell almost snatched the win in the 89th minute but his flying header was saved by Doherty.

DUNDALK: Rogers; Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey; O'Donnell, Shields; Meenan (McEleney 78), Finn, Horgan; McMillan (Kilduff 78).

DERRY CITY: Doherty; Vemmulund, McBride, Barry, Jarvis; McCormack, Monaghan; McEniff (Ward 65), McNamee, McGlynn (Curtis 14); Patterson.

Referee: Padraigh Sutton.