Third-place Waterford FC maintained their seven-point gap with Shamrock Rovers in the SSE Airtricity League tonight after a 1-1 draw with Bohemian FC at the RSC.
A Dinny Corcoran header put the Gypsies ahead in the first half but the much-improved Blues equalised after the break following a powerful run from Bastien Hery.
The Blues included three debutantes in their starting line-up, with former international Noel Hunt slotting in for top-scorer Courtney Duffus while local lad Dessie Hutchinson slot into their midfield diamond after returning home from Brighton and Hove Albion this summer.
Keith Long made five changes from the side who defeated St Patrick's Athletic at Dalymount Park last weekend, welcoming back Keith Buckley, Keith Ward and JJ Lunney into midfield.
The visitors had the game's first real chance when Ward flicked a pass across the box to Corcoran but the striker's effort from 12 yards out was well saved by Blues netminder Matthew Connor.
Hunt made a number of darting runs behind the Bohs' defence in the opening quarter and Shane Supple kept him off the scoresheet in the 17th minute following Paul Keegan's floated ball at the end of a move which was started by a clean tackle from new-boy Noe Baba.
The Phibsborough side were on top in the first half and felt they should have had a penalty when Corcoran was felled by David Webster while Connor acrobatically tipped a looping Buckley header over minutes later following a Derek Pender cross. The Gypsies didn't have to wait long to take the lead however as Corcoran impressively steered the resulting corner from Kevin Devaney high into the net.
Gavan Holohan had Alan Reynolds side's best chance to equalise before the opening half concluded but he failed to keep his volley down after controlling a Hutchinson corner with his chest.
Ward was given time to unleash a shot which stung the hands of Connor following the restart and as the Blues stepped forward and enjoyed more of the ball, Bohs were threatening to counter, although their swift link-up play lacked the intricacy required to create a shot on goal.
Just after the hour mark it was the home side who found the back of the net following a swift attack. After a crunching Baba tackle on the edge of the Waterford box, the ball fell to a marauding Hery who, having flicked the ball beyond a Bohs' man on the half way line, carried the ball towards the goal before powerfully poking the ball beneath Supple.
The Blues were the likelier side to find a winner as the game continued but they couldn't create a clear chance over the final half hour. Hutchinson, Holohan and Feely all had efforts which were deflected on their way towards the target, the last of which was well tipped wide by the Boh's keeper in the final minutes of the game, but they had to settle for a point which the resolute visitors deserved over the 90 minutes.
Waterford FC: Matthew Connor; Noe Baba, Kenny Browne, Dave Webster, Dylan Barnett; Paul Keegan (C); Dessie Hutchinson (Puri, 74), Bastien Hery; Gavan Holohan (O'Halloran, 83); Noel Hunt (Feely, 55), Ismahil Akinade.
Substitutes: Niall Corbett (GK), Sander Puri, Courtney Duffus, Dean O'Halloran, Dean Walsh, Rory Feely, Shane Griffin.
Bohemian FC: Shane Supple; Derek Pender (C), Rob Cornwall, Dan Casey (Byrne, 45), Darragh Leahy; JJ Lunney, Oscar Brennan; Keith Buckley, Keith Ward (Kavanagh, 74), Kevin Devaney; Dinny Corcoran.
Substitutes: Sean Bohan (GK), Dan Byrne, Karl Moore, Danny Grant, Paddy Kavanagh, Paddy Kirk, Eoghan Stokes.
