St Patrick's Athletic - 2 Derry City - 2 Chris Adamson was the local hero with two superb late saves to prevent St Patrick's from throwing this rollercoaster game away. With the match finely balanced at 2-2 going into the final 20 minutes, Adamson made his first brilliant stop to tip Gary Beckett's shot up onto the crossbar and out to safety.

Billy Clery then also seemed certain to score 10 minutes from time after Ciarán Martyn's flick put him in the clear, but again Adamson saved superbly.

In an exciting, albeit mistake-ridden, first half the sides shared four goals with Derry trooping off at the interval after coming from 2-0 down. St Pat's survived a couple of early scares to take the lead on 27 minutes. Derry goalkeeper Alan Gough failed to punch as Clive Delaney forced a second successive corner kick off Clery. Keith Fahey whipped the ball over and Delaney headed home at the back post.

A bizarre own goal increased St Pat's lead four minutes later. With Gough off his line, a ball from Karim El Khebyr ricocheted off his striker Gary McPhee, struck defender Peter Hutton and looped over the stranded goalkeeper into the net.

A brilliant goal gave Derry heart on 38 minutes. Robbie Hedderman sent a sublime pass to Michael Holt. The ex-St Pat's striker knocked the ball past El Khebyr, got in behind him, and hooked the ball into the top corner of his net.

Another bad goal from St Pat's view gifted Derry an equaliser in the 45th minute. Darragh Maguire needlessly touched Martyn's overhit through ball, inadvertently setting up Gary Beckett who scored.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderville, Delaney, Maguire, El Khyber; Dunne, Fahey, Murphy, Mbabazi; Freeman, McPhee.

DERRY CITY: Gough; McCallion, Hutton, Clery, Hargan; McGlynn, Doherty, Martyn, Hedderman; Beckett (Coyle, 87 mins.), Holt.

Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford).