Sam Todd sent off, but Derry City hold on for a point at Shelbourne

Shelbourne 0

Derry City 0

Derry City remain three points behind Shelbourne after holding on for a point at Tolka Park after playing with 10 men for over 65 minutes. 

Defender Sam Todd was red carded 10 minutes before half time, a huge moment in a game which the Candystripes had bossed until that point. 

Even with a man short, Derry City continue to provide a threat in the second half, and Ruaidhri Higgins’ team come out with plenty of credit given the circumstances. That is in contrast to Shelbourne, who wasted a real opportunity to put the fate of the title in their hands, testing Brian Maher only once in 90 minutes.

Derry City were the first to threaten and Conor Kearns saved his team on 15 minutes. A free kick to the edge of the area saw Ciaran Coll head the ball back into the penalty area where Pat Hoban flicked it into the oath of Michael Duffy who had a clear shot at goal, but his well-struck volley was pushed away by the Shelbourne goalkeeper.

Duffy then found himself one on one with defender Sam Bone following an incisive pass from Cameron Dummigan, and the winger got a yard to shoot, but blazed over from a tight angle with is left foot.

The visitors were comfortable throughout the first half, but the game took a dramatic turn 10 minutes before the break when they were reduced to ten men. Defender Sam Todd, already on a yellow card, was outsmarted by Liam Burt and instinctively reached out to pull the Shelbourne man back, giving referee Daian McGraith no option other than to produce the red card.

Still, Derry had a chance to take the lead just before the break when Kearns passed the ball straight to Duffy, but the winger was unable to take advantage, shooting straight at the goalkeeper under pressure from backtracking defenders.

It took Shelbourne an hour before they managed their first shot on target, and it came in the form of a snapshot from Harry Wood, who brought a smart save from Brian Maher with an effort from the edge of the area.

But that was the best that the home side could manage, with neither team able to produce the quality needed to make the breakthrough in what was the sixth successive draw between the sides.

Teams

Shelbourne: Kearns, Gannon, Ledwidge, Griffin, Lunney, Wood (Tulloch 73’), Coyle (Caffrey 45’), Martin (Smith 57’), Bone, Jarvis, Burt (Coote 74’). 

Derry City: Maher, Doherty, Connolly, Coll, Todd, Dummigan, O’Reilly, Patching, Duffy (Mullen 79’), McMullan (Kelly 69’), Hoban (Diallo 90’).

Referee: Damian McGraith