Derry City take a point but miss big opportunity against Bohemians

Derry City 1

Bohemians 1

Pat Hoban's 14th league goal of the season was not enough for Derry City on a night of frustration at the Brandywell.

Derry City fought back for a point against Bohemians but they could not get the win they needed to take a huge step towards the league title.

Hoban’s second half header cancelled out Archie Meekinson’s first half goal as yet another golden opportunity passed the Candystripes by. It is now just one win in eight league games for Derry City, who have moved to within three points of league leaders Shelbourne with on game in hand.

It was a night of nerves at the Brandywell and it told in a largely poor first half display.

In the first three minutes, Bohs managed something they failed to manage in almost 100 minutes at Dalymount Park last week, and that was a serious shot on target. Dayle Rooney was allowed to drift inside and run at the Derry goal unchallenged and he eventually had no choice but to shoot, with Brian Maher doing just enough to turn the ball over for a corner.

Derry started the game very slowly, but a free kick on nine minutes gave the home side their first sight of the Bohs goal.

Will Patching considered it, but it was no surprise that Michael Duffy took control, and his whipped effort almost brought the fans to their feet, as Kacper Chorazka did well to tip it onto the crossbar. That crossbar was still shaking moments later when Duffy delivered the corner straight onto the head of an unmarked Pat Hoban, but the striker headed wide.

A brilliant goal line clearance then denied Derry as Bohs survived by the thinnest of margins. Hoban played Duffy in to the byline, and his pull back looked like a ta in for Paul McMullan, who took a second to adjust his feet before getting is shot away, only to be denied by Jordan Flores on the line. The rebound fell for Hoban, but the striker, like McMullan seconds earlier, couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet in time, and the chance was gone.

Yet it was Bohs who struck first on 20 minutes, when a simple low cross from Rooney was allowed to go right across the face of the penalty area, all the way to the back post where Archie Meekinson side-footed in to make it 1-0.

Derry could have had an immediate equaliser when Ronan Boyce’s pass put Hoban in behind, but Chorazka was out quickly to block and yet another chance had gone.

The goal the Brandywell fans pleaded for came just past the hour mark and it was as simple as it was crucial, with Hoban powering home a brilliant header from Duffy’s corner to make it 1-1.

One goal was not good enough however and the home side poured forward in search of a winner. It should have come on 76 minutes when Duffy set Mullen away down the left and his pinpoint cross looked a certain goal for McMullan coming in at the back post, but the winger smashed the ball against the post with the goal gaping.

There was to be no late winner and City now must beat Sligo Rovers on Monday to move top with three games to go.

Teams

Derry City: Maher, Boyce, Connolly, Wisdom, Doherty (Mullen 57’) Diallo, O'Reilly, Patching (Coll 68’); Duffy, Hoban, McMullan (Robertson 87’).

Bohemians: Chorazka, Kirk, Mills, Byrne, Flores (Carroll 75’) McDonnell (McManus 85’), Devoy; Meekison (Grant 70’), Tierney, Rooney; Clarke (Piszczek 75’).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).