Derry City dramatically ended their seven hour goal drought in Tolka Park on Friday but they could only claim a point in a frantic, scrappy encounter against Shamrock Rovers.

The point was enough to see City rise to third in the eircom League but it was Cork referee Alan Kelly who was the decisive figure in a game where both sides failed to find their rhythm with quality, flowing football subjugated in favour of gritty commitment.

Rovers opened the scoring through a controversial penalty in the first half, Kelly judging Peter Hutton to have handled Padraig Almond's goal-bound effort - despite Almond having appeared to control the ball with his arm himself just moments before.

City were right to feel aggrieved but can claim some vindication from the circumstances of their late equaliser. Conor Sammon was in the right place to nod towards goal from close range, after Gareth McGlynn's goal-bound effort had crashed off the crossbar, and despite Barry Murphy's despairing save, the linesman awarded the goal, securing the Candystripes' a share of the spoils.

Both strikes, then, featuring a touch of fortune but the managers will surely be satisfied with a point, though Stephen Kenny will be increasingly concerned by his side's inability to convert possession into meaningful opportunities. Although City once again bossed the game, it was the home side who created the games best opportunities - Eoin Doyle is surely a contender for 'miss of the century' after he inexplicably poked wide in from just two yards in front of an open goal minutes into the second half.

It was Rovers too who made the brighter start with the pace of a youthful forward line causing uncertainty in the Derry defence. After eight minutes Doyle had the first half chance of the game when he picked up a pass from Eric McGill, got away from Clive Delaney but fired his shot well over from 18-yards.

Two minutes later the home side fashioned a great opportunity to open the scoring when Darragh Maguire slipped a neat ball into Almond, who forced a fine save from Gerald Doherty, the keeper scrambling down to his right to keep out the young striker's 15-yard effort.

Fortunately Derry were suitably shocked into action. Farren was unlucky not to latch onto a route one bombing clearance from Doherty before Delaney headed wide from an Owen Morrison free kick after 19 minutes.

Moments later Morrison troubled Murphy in the Rovers goal when he turned inside his man on the edge of the box before unleashing a fierce drive that the Republic of Ireland U-23 'keeper did well to turn over the bar.

Derry's resurgence came to a grinding halt, however, just a minute later when Kelly awarded Rovers a dubious penalty and Almond clinically dispatched the ball low to Doherty's right.

The Candystripes were rocking. Rovers retreated, happy to defend while hitting Derry on the break while City's attacking was laboured and wasteful. Despite this Molloy almost converted Sammon's 39th minute cross, his header flashing wide, while Niall McGinn caused embarrassment to Murphy when the highly-rated keeper spilled his speculative effort only to reclaim it at the second attempt.

Shamrock Rovers could have claimed all three points, just two minutes into the second half, when Doyle conspired to poke his two yard, in front of an open goal, effort wide while under no pressure whatsoever.

It was a major let off for City who continued to struggle for rhythm, the game degenerating into a scrappy midfield tussle with the emphasis on physicality.

After 70 minutes Kenny had seen enough and he sent Kevin McHugh on for McGinn, reverting to a 4-3-3 system, with Morrison playing just behind the strikers, and this tactical switch paid almost immediate dividends as Derry finally broke the Shamrock Rovers rearguard.

Morrison picked up possession with his back to goal and set off on a mazy run, beating two men, before setting McGlynn through with an incisive pass and the winger-cum-right back wasted no time in unleashing a shot that dipped over Murphy and off the crossbar only to fall into the path of the onrushing Sammon who saw his header saved by the Rovers 'keeper but the goal was awarded by the linesman.

After the equaliser it was frantic, and full-blooded and both sides threw caution to the wind in an effort to claim all three points.

McHugh thumped a 20-yard effort straight at Murphy while, at the other end, Ger O'Brien saw his cross turned away for a corner just before Dessie Baker could supply the finish.


DERRY CITY: Doherty; McGlynn, Hutton, Delaney, Gray; McGinn (McHugh, 70mins), Molloy (McCallion, 49), Higgins, Morrison; Sammon; Farren (Deery, 89).
Unused subs;- Simon John Treacy; Callaghan.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Barry Murphy; O'Brien, Price, Ferguson, Corey Treacy; Rice, McGill, Maguire, Tyrell (Sean O'Connor, 65); Almond (Alan Murphy, 78) Doyle (Baker, 67).
Unused subs;- Coleman; Danny O'Connor.

Referee: Mr. Alan Kelly (Cork).