Cork City could only manage a draw in the Munster derby with Waterford City at Turners Cross tonight but Derry failed to capitalise by drawing at home to Bray Wanderers.
Cork went ahead with their first threatening attack of the evening after 32 minutes. Neal Horgan brought the ball to the end line and crossed beautifully to Liam Kearney who turned the ball home from 16 yards out as the Waterford defence looked on.
Cork didn't have the advantage for long as Waterford equalised just before the break thanks to a Dean Mulcahy shot that took a slight deflection to nutmeg Michael Devine in the Cork goal.
Waterford battled hard for their draw even though Cork enjoyed more of the possession.
In the final minutes it became end to end stuff as both sides tried to take all three points but at the end of the day a draw was the fairest result.
Up in the Brandywell Stephen Kenny's Derry City side didn't take advantage of Cork's dropped points and had to wait until stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw with Bray.
It looked as if Bray had the points in the bag after a controversial goal from Colin Tresson on 76 minutes put them 2-1 up.
Derry pressed hard for a point and were awarded deep in injury time when Wanderers defender Brian McGovern headed into his own goal following a Derry corner.
Results in full
Premier Division Cork City 1 Waterford United 1 Derry City 2 Bray Wanderers 2 Shamrock Rovers 0 St Patrick's Athletic 0 UCD 1 Finn Harps 1
First Division Galway United 1 Sligo Rovers 1 Limerick FC 0 Kilkenny City 1