Bohemians raised the league championship flag before kick-off but could not break down a resolute Derry City at Dalymount Park tonight.
The Candystripes beat Pat Fenlon’s side on their last visit to Phibsboro – the day Bohs were presented with the trophy – and are many people’s outside bets for a title crack themselves.
City showed with their display in the thrilling FAI Ford Cup Final that they can match the Gypsies but this tie had little of that afternoon's excitement.
Stephen Kenny’s side got off to an excellent start when Thomas Stewart put them in front after eight minutes but Killian Brennan equalised just seven minutes later with a stunning free-kick.
Bohs made one change from the side that beat Dundalk first time out with Gary Deegan replacing the injured Glen Cronin.
Derry brought in Mark McChrystal into their defence as Clive Delaney was suspended while Liam Kearney made his debut on the left in place of the injured Sammy Morrow with Tom Stewart moving into attack.
Joseph Ndo was the first to test either keeper with an inventive attempt from wide on the left in the seventh minute but Derry ‘keeper Ger Doherty dealt with the situation by palming away the well-struck effort.
From their very next attack Derry took the lead as Stewart found the bottom right corner of the Bohs net with a blistering strike from the edge of the box after good work by Gareth McGlynn.
Bohs responded positively to the set-back and had a penalty appeal waved away in the tenth minute when Peter Hutton appeared to handle under pressure from Deegan.
The Gypsies were level by the 15th minute. Killian Brennan was taken down 25 yards from the Derry goal then stepped up to produce a stunning curled free-kick that found the net via Doherty’s left upright.
Brennan’s free-kicks were a trademark of his season last year and this finish was as good as any he produced in 2008.
The home side came close from another dead-ball situation in the 26th minute when Paul Keegan’s low free-kick was whipped in to Neale Fenn and he had one strike blocked by Stewart then another by McChrystal.
Glen Crowe was unfortunate not to put Bohs ahead in the 59th minute when he got onto a long punt by keeper Brian Murphy but his lobbed effort landed on the roof of the Candystripes net.
Less than a minute later Mark Farren got on the end of a Ruaidhri Higgins through ball but his poked effort clipped off the on-coming Bohs keeper and trickled narrowly wide.
Crowe was then denied by Doherty in the 66th minute when he got behind the City defence and his low strike was batted away by the Derry custodian.
The two sides cancelled each other out from there on in and a draw was a fair result. Next up for Bohs is a home clash with Shamrock Rovers while Derry host Cork City.
Bohemians: B Murphy; A Murphy, Heary, McGuiness, Rossiter (Oman 28), Ndo, Keegan, Deegan, Brennan (Carey 68), Crowe, Fenn (J Byrne 85). Subs – Gregg, Powell.
Derry City: Doherty; O’Brien, Hutton, McChrystal, Gray, McGlynn, Molloy, Higgins (Martyn 80), Kearney (McClean 87), Farren (McCallion 92), Stewart. Subs – Jennings, Scullion.
Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).
Bohemians 1-1 Derry City
