Derry City boss Ruaidhri Higgins says Dundalk stalemate was a 'kick in the teeth'

It was 'one-way traffic'; 'Wave after wave' of attacks and Higgins rated the final 45 minutes as 'the best we've played this season without a shadow of a doubt'.

Few would argue about that assessment but this goes down as an opportunity lost. An opportunity to turn the screw on winless Shamrock Rovers who were held to a draw against Shelbourne in Tolka Park.

An opportunity to issue a real statement in terms of the team's title credentials if it wasn't already evident.

Rovers are going for four league titles in a row but they've now gone five games without registering victory. Six if you count Derry's dominant victory in the President's Cup. Derry must punish them when they can.

It's already a seven point margin between the two favourites to contest the league title this season. It should've been more! But if Derry can produce these sort of performances and have 11 points on the board from a possible 15 without the services of Michael Duffy, Cameron Dummigan, Cameron McJannet et al, bearing in mind they've travelled to Tallaght and Richmond Park already, it surely bodes well for the rest of the season. Their squad depth and quality provides the staying power they lacked last year.

Derry dropped 25 points at Brandywell last term and Higgins knows that home form must be rectified this season if they're to close the eventual but misleading 13 gap margin from last year and clinch a first league title since 1997. Against Dundalk they just couldn't find a way.

"I thought there wasn't much in it in the first half but the second half was one-way traffic," said Higgins. "We completely dominated the second half and I'm absolutely gutted for the players and the effort they put in that they didn't come away with the three points.

"It was wave after wave and they (Dundalk) were looking for the final whistle. They're an excellent team but I think that second half performance was the best we've played this season without a shadow of a doubt and we haven't taken the three points we deserved.

"That second 45 minutes, if we play like that for the remainder of the season we'll be a smashing team and we'll be right there,"

Considering it was the third game in seven days which followed back to back trips to Dublin, the seven point return isn't too shabby.

"And we've played three of the top four from last year so it's not a bad start," Higgins pointed out. "It's frustrating that we didn't win but I'm really proud of the performance and in particular the second half.

“If we keep playing at those levels then we'll pick up a lot of points. We've had real difficult fixtures. If you had offered me 11 points from 15 from the first five games I would have shaken your hand and taken it. The players and staff have been brilliant and there's a clear identity and hunger in the team that's there for everyone to see. If we keep playing like that, particularly second half, we'll be there or thereabouts."