SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Shamrock Rovers 2 Derry City 2
DERRY City were minutes away from a statement victory at champions Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on Monday evening.
Marcus Poom’s 92nd-minute header earned the Hoops a 2-2 draw against their title rivals.
The encounter was a top-class affair, despite the horrendous wintry conditions and really came to life in the second half.
After taking the lead thanks to Darragh Burns’s first goal for the club, it was City who took the lead thanks to goals from Pat Hoban and Daniel Mullen, but Poom’s late header meant it was a share of the spoils.
Derry boss Ruaidhrí Higgins will be disappointed with the late leveller, but pleased by his side’s overall performance.
City were forced into a change prior to kick-off as Will Patching picked up an injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Jordan McEneff.
The home side were inches away from taking a 13th-minute lead as Aaron Greene broke in behind the City back-line, but the ex-Sligo Rovers man fired just wide from the left hand side of the box.
Derry themselves went close moments later as Ronan Boyce broke out from defence, but his well-hit effort from just outside the box was well gathered by Rovers keeper Leon Pohls.
The Hoops missed a great chance to break the deadlock on 20 minutes as Burns’ right wing centre found Graham Burke ghosting in at the back post. However, the midfielder fired wide from close range with only City netminder Brian Maher to beat.
Despite the terrible conditions both sides played the encounter like a basketball game and it was Derry who missed a golden chance to take the lead on 23 minutes as Ben Doherty’s right wing centre was flicked on by Boyce and Cameron McJannet failed to make proper contact with the goal at his mercy.
The clear-cut openings continued just after the midway point of the first half, with both Aaron Greene and Michael Duffy drawing saves out of Maher and Pohls respectively.
Just before the break Duffy found space inside the Rovers box. His shot from the left hand side of the box was goal-bound but for a tremendous last-ditch block by Joshua Honohan.
Derry started the second half on the front foot and went close on 50 minutes. Pohls was unable to hold onto Paul McMullan’s right wing cross but Duffy was unable to turn the loose ball into the unguarded net.
Soon after Dylan Watts’ inswinging corner from the left found an unmarked Honohan, but the defender’s powerful header, which would have caused Maher all sorts of trouble, was well blocked by Ben Doherty.
Just before the hour mark, Maher did well diving to his left to keep out Poom’s close-range header, but the home side did take the lead on 59 minutes as Burke’s clever pass in behind Doherty released Burns and the MK Dons loanee made no mistake, side-footing past Maher from 12 yards.
The woodwork came to Rovers’ rescue on 69 minutes as Doherty raced down the left before his cut-back found Duffy, whose side-footed strike took a deflection on its way onto the crossbar.
Derry were rightfully awarded a penalty on 71 minutes as Watts brought down Hoban inside the box. The ex-Dundalk man made no mistake with the spot-kick, sending Pohls the wrong way.
The Foylesiders then took the lead on 84 minutes as McMullan’s left-wing corner was lifted to the back post and substitute Mullen threw himself at the cross to bundle the ball home from virtually on the goal line, his second in as many games.
Deep into stoppage time, the home side snatched a point as man-of-the-match Burns saw his right-wing cross find Poom at the back post and the Estonian midfielder headed home from close range.
Shamrock Rovers Pohls, Honohan, Cleary, Grace; Burns, O’Neill, Watts, Poom; Burke (Lopes 88); Greene (Kenny 64), Gaffney.
Derry City Maher, Boyce (Kelly 65), Connolly, S McEleney, McJannett; O’Reilly, McEneff (Mullen 78), Doherty; McMullan, Hoban (Coll 88), Duffy (Todd 78).
Referee Damien MacGraith (Mayo)