Georgie Kelly's 95th minute volley denies Derry City victory in six goal thriller at Bohs

GEORGIE KELLY's stunning 95th minute volley denied Derry City victory in an enthralling six goal thriller at Dalymount Park.

With so much at stake in this rearranged league clash both sets of players left everything on the pitch in a game which swung from end to end from the off.

Three of the six goals were contenders for goal of the month and Liam Burt's opener after eight minutes was one of the standouts.

Derry deservedly got back on terms thanks to Jamie McGonigle's spectacular curling effort into the top corner on 63 minutes - his 100th career goal and a special one at that!

McGonigle turned provider on 76 minutes as Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe bravely got his head to the ball and it trickled over the line to give City the lead for the first time.

Ex-City striker Kelly headed Bohs back into the game four minutes later and James Akintunde looked to have won it in the 91st minute when he lobbed the advancing James Talbot.

However, in the fifth minute of injury time, Kelly showed why he's at the top of the goalscoring charts with a powerful volley into the back of the Derry net to secure a point.

Ruaidhri Higgins was forced to reshuffle his pack as the Candystripes were hit by a triple suspension.

Joe Thomson was serving the first of his three match ban for violent conduct in the North West derby draw against Finn Harps in City's last outing 10 days ago.

And the experienced Danny Lafferty and Cameron McJannet - scorer of that winning second half brace on Derry's last visit to Dalymount - were also suspended after accumulating five yellow cards respectively.

Darren Cole came back into the fold for his first start since the 1-0 defeat to St Pat's at Richmond Park back in July 9th. Jack Malone was also restored to the starting line-up for his 50th league appearance while Jamie McGonigle returned on the left side of a three-pronged attack alongside Akintunde and Junior.

Just a single point separated the two teams ahead of this rearranged fixture and there was much at stake in the race for European qualification.

Higgins opted for an offensive 3-4-3 formation with Evan McLaughlin and Boyce operating as wingbacks and Derry started with real attacking intent. Junior did well to nip in front of Keith Buckley 25 yards from the Bohs goal before winning a free-kick off the Bohs skipper.

When Evan McLaughlin delivered dangerously towards the back post from the right side, Ronan Boyce's effort was blocked on the line before Cole somehow fired the rebound over the crossbar under pressure from four yards.

For all of Derry's good work in the opening stages it was Bohs who broke the deadlock after a quick break on eight minutes. Anto Breslin sent a superb ball into the Derry box and when Tierney dummied, the ball bounced off the leg of Toal and fell kindly to Georgie Kelly with his back to goal. The ex-City striker laid the ball into the path of Burt who fired an unstoppable right footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Derry responded well and from Evan McLaughlin's inswinging cross from the left Junior rose highest but headed straight into the hands of James Talbot on 15 minutes.

Moments later McGonigle got onto the end of a long ball from Ciaron Harkin, took a touch to take him beyond the advancing Talbot but was forced wide and the Bohs keeper managed to recover and make the save.

McGonigle found himself in on goal once more on 18 minutes but Rob Cornwall did well to track back and block the striker's shot as the ball went behind for a goal kick.

Gartside was called into action on 28 minutes after a brilliant move from Bohs as Dawson Devoy picked out Burt.

The pacey Bohs attacker cut onto his left foot with a neat flick to take him away from Coll but his close range strike was parried over the bar by a stunning point blank save from the Derry keeper.

Devoy then flashed a free-kick from 30 yards just wide of the post via a slight deflection off a Derry defender during a period of sustained pressure from the home side.

Andy Lyons' low cross was steered into the path of Burt by Toal's outstretched leg but this time the Scotsman didn't have the accuracy and fired over the bar.

Derry finished the half strongly with several inviting crosses into the box but couldn't find the equaliser before the break.

Burt played a neat pass into the path of Devoy two minutes after the restart but the midfielder's low strike from 16 yards was gathered by Gartside at the second attempt.

Kelly went down under the challenge of Toal inside Derry's six yard box but referee Rob Harvey was well placed and penalised the Bohs striker for simulation.

Toal recovered well to charge down Devoy's goalbound strike on 53 minutes after deflecting Burt's initial cross into the path of the Bohs midfielder.

Bohs were peppering the Derry box with crosses and eventually a defensive header fell to Burt on the edge of the danger area and he fired his shot across goal and wide.

Gartside did well to save from Burt's powerful free-kick on 62 minutes.

And almost immediately at the other end McGonigle cut inside on his right foot on the left side of the Bohs penalty area and curled a stunning strike into the far corner of the net.

Derry had the bit between their teeth and when Akintunde chested the ball down with his back to goal, Boyce attacked it and fired straight at Talbot.

Bohs found themselves three on three on the counter but Ciaron Harkin made two outstanding tackles to turnover the play.

Substitute Will Fitzgerald latched onto the ball, rode several tackles before finding the well timed run of McGonigle.

The striker cut back onto his left foot and crossed towards the back post where Junior ghosted in behind his marker and his brave header crept over the line to turn the game on its head.

Derry's lead lasted just four minutes. Gartside made an excellent save from Devoy's strike but Bohs kept the ball alive and crossed towards the six yard box where Kelly towered above the City defence and powered his header into the top corner.

Cole was booked for pulling back Kelly who had turned him well just outside the Derry 18 yard box with three minutes remaining.

Keith Ward tried to curl the resultant free-kick into the top corner but Gartside turned it over the crossbar.

Derry stunned their hosts in stoppage time as Akintunde latched onto Coll's searching ball through the middle before applying a deft touch over the head of the advancing Talbot.

Derry looked on their way to three valuable points but in the fifth minute of stoppage time the ball was played into Kelly who volleyed clinically into the net to salvage a point for the Gypsies.

Bohemians: Talbot: Lyons (Feely 77), Cornwall, Finnerty, Breslin; Buckley (Levingston 77), Tierney (Mullins 90), Devoy; Coote (Ward, 40), Kelly, Burt; Subs Not Used - McGuinness, Wilson, Kelly, Idowu, Kiernan.

Derry City: Gartside: Cole, Boyce, Toal, Coll; Malone (Fitzgerald 71), Harkin, McLaughlin (Storey 95); Ogedi-Uzokwe, McGonigle, Akintunde; Subs Not Used - Lemoignan, Ferry, McChrystal, Harris, C. McLaughlin, Porter, O. McLaughlin.

Referee - Rob Harvey (Dublin).