Derry City had to work hard to earn a scoreless 0-0 League of Ireland Premier Division draw against bottom-placed Dundalk at Oriel Park on Friday evening.
The salvaged one point keeps the Candystripes in second spot in the table but five points adrift of league leaders Shelbourne.
And Dundalk set a new club record for most consecutive clean sheets at home in the league to give their survival hopes a shot in the arm against Derry City at Oriel Park.
However, the Louth men’s seventh consecutive shut-out on their own patch was a blow to the Candystripes, who missed out on a chance to close the gap on Shelbourne at the top of the table to just three points after they lost at home to Sligo Rovers.
Ruaidhrí Higgins’ side have now taken just two points from their last three matches, with their return of just two wins away from home so far putting a serious dent in their title hopes.
While Jon Daly’s first home match in charge failed to yield a win, this result at least brought his new side to within two points of neighbours Drogheda Utd at the foot of the table.
He now returns to his old stomping ground of Richmond Park on Monday, less than a month after his departure from St Pat’s, no doubt happy with the effort his depleted squad gave him following his first full week at the helm.
Having not conceded in their previous six home matches, the home side almost coughed up a goal inside the first 80 seconds when slack play at the back saw Paul McMullan slip Adam O’Reilly in on the right, only for the former St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder to be denied by a strong right arm from Ross Munro.
The Candystripes went close again on 23 minutes when Munro redeemed himself for walking outside his area with the ball in his hand by saving the follow up effort from Will Patching with a good low stop to his left.
Dundalk then should have been ahead five minutes later when Cameron Elliott broke on the right before pulling back to his fellow Scot Jamie Gullan but the striker’s effort into the ground bounced up and over with just Brian Maher to beat.
The Louth men threatened again on 35 minutes with a brilliant break that was initiated by Paul Doyle, who released Daryl Horgan on the right. His cross picked out Elliott at the back post but the Scotsman’s header was tipped over at full stretch by Maher.
Both sides then had two further big chances before the break, with Patrick Hoban heading into the side-netting from McMullan’s cross on 41 minutes before Horgan headed tamely at Maher in stoppage time after the keeper had denied Elliott with his legs moments earlier.
Both McMullan and Michael Duffy both had efforts off target for Derry on the restart, with Sam Durrant doing likewise at the other end.
Dundalk should have at least worked Maher on the hour mark when a mistake by O’Reilly allowed Horgan to bear down on goal. His ball was helped on by Paul Doyle into the path of Gullan, who blazed over from about nine yards out with only the keeper to beat.
The home side then had penalty appeals turned away by referee Daniel Murphy two minutes later after Gullan’s header back across goal from Horgan’s free kick appeared to come off the arm of Ciaran Coll.
Gullan was left shaking his head in disbelief that he failed to find the breakthrough on 75 minutes when his piledriver was somehow kept out by Maher, who sprung high to his right to touch the ball over the bar.
Duffy and Patching then both had attempts off target in quick succession as Higgins introduced four subs in one go but it was one of Dundalk’s replacements, Ryan O’Kane, who went closest to a winner when he drilled just wide from distance five minutes from the end.
Ronan Boyce did have an effort deflect wide off Andy Boyle a minute after that but there would be no breakthrough at either end.
Dundalk: Ross Munro; Archie Davies, Zak Johnson, Andy Boyle, Zak Bradshaw; Daryl Horgan, Hayden Muller, Paul Doyle, Sam Durrant (Ryan O’Kane 58); Cameron Elliott (Eoin Kenny 78), Jamie Gullan.
Derry City: Brian Maher; Cameron Dummigan (Ronan Boyce 78), Mark Connolly, Shane McEleney, Ciaran Coll (Ben Doherty 78); Sadou Diallo (Daniel Kelly 78), Adam O’Reilly; Paul McMullan (Patrick McEleney 78), Will Patching, Michael Duffy (Danny Mullen 86); Patrick Hoban.
Referee: Daniel Murphy (Dublin).
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