Longford Town - 1 Derry City - 1 Longford will regard Saturday's result as two points dropped,missing a host of first-half chances as Derry rarely threatened Stephen O'Brien's goal.

Brian Byrne should have put the home side in front after 16 minutes and five minutes later Eric Lavine was denied by a fingertip save from Derry keeper Alan Gough.

However, the visitors should have taken the lead in the 53rd minute. Jamie Hughes put Ciaran Martyn through but the former UCD man was denied by a brilliant reflex save from O'Brien.

But it was the Midlanders who broke the deadlock in the 59th minute thanks to Alan Kirby's superb finish.

But Liam Coyle took advantage of some dreadful defending in the 80th minute before squeezing the ball home from a very tight angle.

Longford substitute Paddy Mulvihill blasted wide four minutes later.

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien, Murphy, Dillon, Silke, Ferguson, Perth, Kirby, Sheridan, Lavine, Byrne, Crowe.sub - Mulvihill for Crowe(55).

DERRY CITY: Gough, McCallion, Hargan, Harkin, McLaughlin, Doherty, McCready, Martyn, Coyle, Hughes, Deery, subs - Beckett for Hughes (65); Mullan for Coyle (86).

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin)

Longford Town ... 1

Derry City ... 1