Derry City will be the happier side following their 1-1 draw with champions Shelbourne at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
Adam O'Reilly's stunning finish gave Derry the lead just before the break, before Ademipo Odubeko equalised early in the second half, with neither side doing enough to claim all three points.
The point meant Derry, who slipped to third spot following Bohemians win over Waterford, sit seven points off fellow European hopefuls Shels, St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United with only a handful of games remaining.
After a cagey opening 20 minutes, it took until just after the mid-way point of the first half for the opening chance but Jamie Stott headed over from close range after Brandon Fleming's left wing centre had created the opening.
Derry broke the deadlock on 40 minutes, as free-scoring O'Reilly netted his fourth goal in four games when he cleverly lifted the ball over Shels goalkeeper Wessel Speel into the net while facing the opposite direction inside the six-yard box.
The Tolka Park men should have levelled things minutes later as Odubeko played the ball to an unmarked Daniel Kelly, but with only Brian Maher to beat, the former Derry winger blazed over from close range.
Right on the stroke of half-time some remarkable defending by Sam Todd denied Shels an equaliser when he somehow made a last-ditch tackle right on the goal-line to deny Ali Coote.
The midfielder had broke in behind the City back-line before his initial shot was saved by Maher. It fell perfectly right into his path and just as he was about to turn the loose ball home into the empty net, the Derry defender got back to somehow divert the danger and Kelly's rebound effort was kept out by the City net-minder.
The final piece of action in the first half saw City striker Dipo Akinyemi pick up what looked like a serious thigh injury when he tried to race in behind the Shels back-line and he was replaced by Danny Mullen at the break.
Joey O'Brien's side equalised on 55 minutes when Odubeko was on hand to turn the ball home from close range after Maher had done well to keep out Kerr McInroy's initial strike, after Shels cut through the City back-line to get in.
Both sides made a host of changes in the second half as they both tried to win the game, but in truth neither team did enough to claim all three points, with only McInroy having an effort, which was well off target.
Derry City: Brian Maher, Robbie Benson (Cameron Dummigan 76), Alex Bannon (Mark Connolly 76), Jamie Stoff, Sam Todd, Brandon Fleming; Carl Winchester (Gavin Whyte 64), Sadou Diallo; Adam O'Reilly, Michael Duffy; Dipo Akinyemi (Danny Mullen HT).
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel, Milan Mbeng, Paddy Barrett, Sam Bone, James Norris; JJ Lunney (Jack Henry-Francis 66), Kerr McInroy (Mark Coyle 85), Ali Coote (Sean Boyd 66); Daniel Kelly (Evan Caffrey 75), Ademipo Odubeko (John Martin 85), Harry Wood.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).
