League of Ireland Premier Division: Derry City 0 St Pat’s 0
Draw specialists Derry City’s winless run stretched to five matches as they held St Patrick’s Athletic to a scoreless draw at Celtic Park.
Tiernan Lynch’s troops have now drawn nine of their 18 league matches as the season reached its midway point, with the Candystripes in sixth spot with just four wins on the board.
It’s one win in the last five for St Pat’s, who remain in second spot, 11 points clear of Derry in second spot. Derry, playing without a recognised striker, enjoyed the best of the chances, and Joseph Anang made a brilliant save to deny Kevin dos Santos in the first half.
Substitute Henry Rylah should have scored when he swung his boot at Barry Cotter’s long throw-in deep into stoppage time.
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Lynch made two changes to the team that drew 2-2 at Waterford last week: skipper Michael Duffy was ruled out with an Achilles injury and Dipo Akinyemi was dropped to the bench.
James McClean came in, wearing the captain’s armband after recovering from his hip injury, making his first appearance since his red card against Dundalk at Oriel Park last month.
It was the former Ireland international’s 100th appearance for his hometown club and the first time he was deployed in his familiar left wing position since his return from Wrexham.
Stephen Kenny also made two changes from the Dubliners’ defeat to Shelbourne as Tom Grivosti replaced the suspended Seán Hoare and Darragh Nugent came in for Barry Baggley.
Derry enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening stages. After a neat passing move five minutes in, dos Santos sent an inswinging cross from the right and McClean’s glancing header went wide of the far post.
Joseph Anang made a terrific save to deny dos Santos, who was played through the middle by a sublimely weighted pass from Adam O’Reilly on 14 minutes.
With the last action of the first half McClean’s corner was whipped into a packed six-yard box and Conor Barr was unable to direct his glancing header on target as it sailed past the far post.
Brandon Fleming skipped past his man and crossed into the six-yard box toward James Olayinka, who mistimed his jump and the chance was lost.
Immediately, the visitors responded as Kian Leavy ran from deep inside his own half as Cameron Dummigan struggled to keep on his heels. He showed an impressive burst of pace to get into the Derry box and fired dangerously across the face of goal but Ryan Edmondson couldn’t reach it.
Former Hull City fullback Fleming tried his luck from 25 yards but it was straight into the hands of Anang.
O’Reilly produced a quality cross towards the back post where Olayinka was in space but the ex-Arsenal man scuffed his strike into the hands of Anang.
There was a four-minute delay from the 61st minute due to a drone above the pitch, causing referee Aaron O’Dowd to stop play.
Eddie Beach played into the feet of James Clarke, who neatly turned it around the corner to O’Reilly to start a lovely move for the home side. The midfielder returned the pass and when Clarke burst into the box he fired over the bar.
Pat’s sub Romal Palmer cut inside before laying the ball into the path of Leavy, who forced a smart reaction save from Beach – his first of the night on 73 minutes.
Cotter’s long throw-in in the sixth minute of added time fell to Rylah, who drifted in behind the Saints’ defence, but he miscued his volley from inside the six-yard box and Anang gathered.
It was a glorious chance for Derry, who scored five times this season after the 90-minute mark but on this occasion it wasn’t to be as both teams settled for a point apiece.
Derry City: Beach, Cotter, Barr, Stott, Fleming; O’Reilly, Dummigan (Markey 72), Olayinka; Dos Santos, Clarke (Thomas 82), McClean (Rylah 61).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang, Grivosti, Redmond, Turner; Browne (Baggley 60), Lennon, Forrester (Palmer 72) Nugent, Elbouzedi (Breslin 60); Leavy, Edmondson (Keena 81).
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd (Dublin).
