Derry captain Paul Curran marked his 500th appearance for the club with a goal against Finn Harps - his only previous club - in what was a hugely entertaining local derby in Ballybofey on Saturday night.

Curran, who received a special presentation from the home side before the game, reacted quickest when Michael McHugh headed back across goal in the 16th minute to level the game.

Two minutes earlier Jonathan Speak, one of five former Derry players in the Harps team, had put the home side ahead with a well-taken header following a corner from Jonathan Minnock. Harps had deserved that lead, but once Curran levelled, Derry had the best of things for most of the half.

However, a flying header from Fergal Harkin almost put Harps ahead in the 24th minute, but David Platt, one of four former Harps men in the Derry side, made an easy save.

Gary Beckett almost broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Brian McKenna's clearance rebounded off him but the ball went wide of the target, while Liam Coyle also blasted wide in the 44th minute as Derry pressed.

The visitors, who saw Beckett's effort hacked off the line by Minnock in the 51st minute, took the lead in the 62nd when Michael McHugh raced past the Harps defence and slid the ball under McKenna to make it 2-1.

However, three minutes later Harps were level. Minnock and McGrenaghan linked well on the left and when a cross was fired into the box Tom Mohan nipped in to head home his third goal in three games for Harps.

Finn Harps: McKenna, Vaudequin, Minnock, Boyle, Dykes, O'Brien, Mohan, McGettigan (McGrenaghan 54), Speak, Mulligan (Dowling 80), Harkin.

Derry City: Platt, McCallion, Hargan, Hutton, Curran, McCann (Kelly 85), Doherty, Hegarty, Coyle (McCaul h.t.), Beckett, McHugh.

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).