Despite having to settle for a share of the spoils against Bohemians, Derry City boss Kevin Mahon took great satisfaction from his side's spirited display at the Brandywell on Saturday night.
Mahon hopes his players will maintain the same level of commitment as he prepares them for the trip to Athlone Town on Wednesday to play in the first leg of the Eircom League Cup final. "We should have won the match having dominated the scoring chances but, in the end, I have to be happy with a point," he said.
While the home side may have dominated, they could so easily have lost the game in the 81st minute when Bohemians striker, Jamie Harris, was presented with the best chance of the night. Having received the ball on the edge of the Derry six-yard box, Harris brought the best out of keeper, David Platt, who parried the shot.
And Mahon was the first to heap praise on his keeper. "David Platt made an excellent save and, overall, he had an excellent game in difficult conditions. His performance will give him confidence as he has been criticised over recent weeks.
"We will now travel to Athlone in the right frame of mine and, having performed so bravely in this game, our confidence levels have been boosted significantly," he added.
Derry's accomplished striker, Liam Coyle, appeared the only home player capable of scoring during the first half but Bohemians keeper, Wayne Russell, produced a five-star display.
Russell did particularly well in the 17th minute when he dived full stretch across his goal-line to finger-tip Coyle's blistering low volley wide off his post.
And, in the 42nd minute, Coyle really should have scored when Russell failed to intercept Johnny McIvor's corner. The striker, positioned at the back post, headed the ball narrowly wide.
DERRY CITY - Platt; McCallion, Kelly, Hutton, Gallagher; Moran, Hegarty, Doherty, McIvor; Coyle, McCaul.
BOHEMIANS - Russell; T O'Connor, Maher, John, Mullen; Byrne, Caffrey, Hunt, Dempsey; Harris, Swan. Subs: O'Hanlon for Caffrey (13 mins), G O'Connor for Swan and Kelly for Mullen (both 70 mins).
Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).
Bray Wanderers leapfrogged two places to go back to the top of the First Division table after an emphatic 3-0 defeat of Home Farm/Fingal on Saturday night, as rivals Longford Town lost 2-1 at Kilkenny City.
There was never any doubting the result at Whitehall once Kieran O'Brien put Bray in front after 13 minutes when, running straight onto a kick-out from John Walsh, he headed over Stephen O'Reilly at the other end.
New signing Paul Keegan scored his first goal for the club on 56 minutes when his volley went in off O'Reilly after first cannoning back off the crossbar. Barry O'Connor added the third four minutes later, heading home Ciaran Ryan's corner.
Kilkenny proved they will be there or thereabout in the promotion shake-up after coming from behind to beat Longford at Buckley Park. Kilkenny played the final 35 minutes with 10 men after Aidan Forde was sent-off for a second bookable offence.
