Derry City 1-1 Cork City

Cork City will feel hard done by at a breezy Brandywell on Sunday when referee Ritchie Winters failed to award what appeared a clear-cut penalty claim against Derry in the 90th minute.

And as the Leesiders enter the High Court hopeful of reaching agreement with the Revenue Commissioners on Monday morning, it was clear in the second half of this game that Paul Doolin's playing staff have not given up the hope of finishing the season in a prominent league position.

With so many first-choice players missing from both sides, Derry's failure to leapfrog Cork in the table will prove hugely disappointing and, indeed, hopes of a confidence boost before this Thursday night's game in Bulgaria against CSKA Sofia in the Europa League fell by the wayside.

Despite what was a poor game overall, with a strong wind the dominant factor, Cork entered the break on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline when captain Dan Murray appeared to help a Ger O'Brien cross into his own net in the 45th minute.

However, following the change of ends, Cork clearly upped their performance and they got their reward when subsitute Shane Duggan drilled the ball home from the edge of the area in the 51st minute after Neal Horgan had played him in.

In the end, it was probably a fair result but both sides certainly had their chances to win what was, overall, a poor encounter.

The home side created the first clear-cut opening when the lively Gareth McGlynn set Aaron Nash up to score, but the striker flashed his shot across the face of goal and wide when he should have done better.

But Cork were dangerous and in the 25th minute, Guntars Silagailis really should have broken the deadlock.

With Eddie McCallion failing to intercept a through ball, the Latvian gained possession and found himself in a one-on-one situation, but it was Derry keeper Ger Doherty who denied the striker from 12 yards.

Mark Farren had a shot blocked on the Cork goal-line by Danny Murphy while Ciaran Martyn's effort was also smothered by a packed home defence.

However, in added time at the end of the opening period, the home side's pressure finally paid off.

Ger O'Brien swung in a cross from the left flank and, assisted by the wind, the ball appeared to find its way to the net off the head of Murray, giving keeper Dan Connor no chance.

While Derry will have been delighted at the break, Cork were equally happy six minutes after the re-start when they equalised.

And it was a 46th-minute substitute who netted with his first touch of the game.

A stray Derry City pass from defence allowed Horgan to burst forward on the right and when he cut the ball back to the edge of the area, Shane Duggan drove a ferocious shot to the net from 16 yards, giving Doherty no chance.

Cork continued to push and Billy Dennehy had a low shot saved by Doherty in the 65th minute, while Derry's Thomas Stewart directed a shot wide of the target in the 72nd minute.

In the final minute, Derry's Barry Molloy appeared to bring Billy Dennehy down inside the penalty area and while the visitors screamed for a spot-kick, the referee refused to entertain those requests before sounding the final whistle.

Derry City: Doherty; McCallion, Molloy, Hutton, O'Brien; McGlynn, Higgins, Martyn (Deery, 80), Stewart; Nash (McManus, 66), Farren.

Cork City: Connor' Horgan, Long, Murray, Murphy; Kiely (O'Neill, 61), Lordan, O'Donnell (Duggan, 46), Dennehy; Silagailis (Cambridge, 70), Kuduzovic.

Referee: Ritchie Winters.