A point each was not the result these two ambitious clubs wanted when the battle of the cities ended in a draw in front of 3,000 fans at a wet Turner's Cross.
Mark Farran had the visitors in front at half time when he scored a break away goal against the run of play; he beat the offside trap to shoot past Mark McNulty.
But Cork City scored a deserved equaliser when Darren Murphy did the work that set up John O'Flynn to shoot home the equaliser mid way through the second half.
Coming into the game both sides needed a win to ignite their championship challenges after recent setbacks. Cork who lay in fifth position at the start of play - two points ahead of sixth in the table Derry City - had lost to Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park on
Tuesday night.
The visitors had dropped two home points to Waterford at the Brandywell on the same evening after that game finished one goal each. As a result three points was important before the clubs faced a week off from action next weekend.
Both managers made a number of changes with Cork's Damien Richardson leaving out four players – notably goalkeeper Michael Devine; a keeper who many regard as the best in the league.
Derry's caretaker player/boss Peter Hutton left out Ruadhri Higgins, Peter Hynes and Kevin McHugh with Greg O'Halloran starting against his old club in midfield.
Despite dominating the first half Cork found themselves trailing at the break when Mark Farran raced on to a quick free kick from Gareth McGlynn and despite appeals for offside Farran tucked the ball past Mark McNulty for a 40th minute lead goal.
The home side had peppered the Derry goal but until then but Pat Jennings made two brilliant saves to deny them a lead goal.
He first tipped away a 25 yard drive from full back Darragh Ryan, before diving full length to touch over a shot from Cork's Republic of Ireland midfielder Joe Gamble who was capped twice by Steve Staunton in the tour to the United States.
Cork equalised on 65 minutes when Darragh Murphy broke into the penalty area and had a shot blocked, the ball broke to John O'Flynn who swept a shot past Jennings from 12 yards.
Roy O'Donovan almost won it for Cork but he lifted an O'Flynn pass over the crossbar with six minutes remaining.
CORK: Devine; Horgan, Murray, Kelly, Ryan; Kearney, Murphy, Gamble, Woods; O'Donovan, O'Flynn.
Substitutes: Behan for Kearney 80 minutes, O'Callaghan for Kelly 82 minutes.
DERRY: Jennings; McCallion, Oman, Kelly, Rogers; McGlynn, Molloy, O'Halloran, Brennan; Farran, Beckett.
Substitutes: Higgins for O'Halloran h/t, McHugh for Beckett 66 minutes.
