Cian Kavanagh heads equaliser as Derry City draw with Dundalk

EQUALISER: Cian Kavanagh of Derry City heads to score his side's second goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Derry City at Oriel Park. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Dundalk 2 Derry City 2 

Cian Kavanagh’s 79th minute header rescued a point for Derry City against Dundalk at Oriel Park to prevent the Candystripes from suffering a third straight league defeat.

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ side looked destined to bounce back from back-to-back home defeats over the Easter weekend against Drogheda Utd and Bohemians when Ben Doherty fired them ahead a minute before half-time.

However, despite dominating proceedings throughout, a minute of madness midway through the half in which they conceded two goals inside 50 seconds from Robbie Benson and Johannes Yli-Kokko briefly threatened an upset from Stephen O’Donnell’s side - who themselves had lost their last three league matches.

The visitors almost took the lead as early as the third minute when Sadou Diallo rattled the crossbar but there were few other clear cut chances apart from that.

Dundalk, who lost Andy Boyle in the warm-up, were then dealt a further blow on 38 minutes when Greg Sloggett departed with an ankle injury. His replacement Yli-Kokko was guilty of being caught in possession by Doherty for Derry’s opener on 44 minutes. He fed the ball right to Graydon before receiving it back at the edge of the box and curling a superb left foot shot around Darragh Leahy and Nathan Shepperd to the bottom left hand corner.

Doherty and Kavanagh would have chances to extend the Candystripes’ lead on the restart but they were left shell-shocked when the home side got back on level terms on 71 minutes with Ward’s free kick from the left steered brilliantly to the bottom right hand corner by the head of Benson for what was his 75th career goal.

Within 50 seconds, Dundalk were in front as immediately from the kick-off Yli-Kokko caught Diallo napping in possession and nicked it off him to race through and slot past Maher.

Derry did manage to level on 79 minutes with Cian Kavanagh rising unmarked to tower a header from Doherty’s free kick past Shepperd to the top left hand corner.

Williams was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Ollie O’Neill on 86 minutes but despite the numerical advantage Derry couldn’t find a breakthrough in five minutes of stoppage time despite former Lilywhite winger Michael Duffy flashing an effort just wide in the 94th minute.

It meant that Dundalk avoided a fourth straight league defeat of their own, something which hadn't occurred since 2012.

Dundalk: Shepperd; Muller, Leahy, Williams, McCourt (Hoban 51); Davies, Sloggett (Yli-Kokko 38), Ward (O’Kane 85), Malley (Lewis 85), Benson; Martin (Tulloch 51).

Derry City: Maher; Boyce, McEleney, McJannet (O’Neill 76), Coll (Duffy 76); Diallo, O’Reilly; Graydon, McEneff (Patching 45+4), Doherty; McGonigle (C Kavanagh 53).

Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick).