DERRY CITY are hanging on by their fingernails.
Joe Thomson kept the title race on life support with a late equaliser against Shelbourne - after the Candystripes appeared to have pulled the plug with a sloppy second-half concession.
Substitute Thomson’s back-post finish from Michael Duffy’s left-wing cross means Derry need a win in Sligo on Monday to keep their faint Premier Division hopes alive.
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That would reduce the deficit with Shamrock Rovers to five points with two games to play, including a trip tomorrow week to Tallaght Stadium.
It’s tough to see them turning this one around. A win last night, which would have been their 10th in a row in all competitions, and there might be more optimism around Foyleside this morning.
But Shelbourne did to Derry what they did for 80-odd minutes to Shamrock Rovers almost a fortnight ago.
In Tallaght Stadium they displayed the type of defensive organisation that was the mark of Jose Mourinho’s title-winning Chelsea sides.
Duff did his best work as a player at the other end of the pitch, but he clearly learned a thing or two from his old boss, as Shels once again put the shackles on a top side.
But as with the Rovers game, they just couldn’t hang on for the three points. At least, from Shels’ perspective, they left the Ryan McBride Brandywell with one.
For all the hosts’ possession, there were very few notes on the ‘Derry chances’ side of the ledger.
The one big opportunity that did come their way arrived moments after word spread around the Brandywell of St Patrick’s Athletic’s opener against Rovers.
At this stage, there was a fizz of excitement around the Bogside ground.
Had Ronan Boyce converted Will Patching’s free on seven minutes, the roof would have been ripped off the stands on either side of the pitch.
Allowed a free header at the back post, however, the defender fluffed his lines badly.
Shels wing-back Kameron Ledwidge tested his former Ireland underage teammate Brian Maher with a rasping 30-yard drive on 12 minutes.
Jamie McGonigle fired wide of the visitors’ goal after a good ball forward by Candystripes defender Mark Connolly, while Patrick McEleney was off-target from distance.
These two sides will meet again in the FAI Cup final on November 13. Fingers crossed for a better spectacle.
Chances were few and far between after the break, with Duffy and Patching both off-target, before Shelbourne’s shock opener.
Maher, usually so reliable with his distribution, cleared the ball straight to Jack Moylan at the edge of the area. Moylan returned the ball with interest, driving his shot high into the roof of the net.
Derry pressed for an equaliser and it almost came via the head of Connolly, but his back-post effort flew over the bar.
Then on 83 minutes Duffy’s cross was met by Thomson at the back post and he finished past Clarke.
They had chances to win it in injury-time, with James Akintunde’s glancing header just missing the target.
As the final whistle went, there was an acceptance among the Brandywell faithful that their double hopes had all but disappeared. Failure to win in Sligo on Monday will confirm that.
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