There were mixed feelings among the anxious home fans as Bohemians came from behind to gain a point against ten-man Derry City at Dalymount Park on Friday evening.
Bohs have failed to win a game since a late winner over Galway United on March 13 and they paid the price here for a really tepid offering in the first 45 minutes.
James Olayinka's goal had Derry in front on 39 minutes but Bohemians, inspired by substitute Ross Tierney, roared back level within seven minutes of the restart through Markuss Strods.
Adam O'Reilly, so excellent in the opening half but reflective of Derry's struggles in that he faded in the second, saw red for a second yellow with eight minutes to go after a slightly late challenge on Adam McDonnell.
Both managers will have regrets here. From Tiernan Lynch's perspective, Derry had Bohs reeling at the break but offered precious little in the second half.
As for Alan Reynolds, who only ever seems a handful of bad results away from needle in the Jodi Stand, he will know that a draw at home to Derry does not represent a good result – but at least Bohs' spirit could hardly be faulted.
Tierney, not surprising given his recent form, was dropped by Reynolds, with Niall Morahan coming in. McDonnell also made way, with Colm Whelan starting alongside Douglas James-Taylor up top for the hosts.
It was Whelan who worked an opening of sorts for Dawson Devoy seven minutes in, yet the midfield general was unable to trouble Eddie Beach.
Derry, living a little off their inspiring win over Shamrock Rovers at Celtic Park, were much the better team in the opening ten minutes, without fashioning a clear opportunity.
Bohs fans were torn between frustration at the team's fall from the top of the table, and wanting to get behind a team of men perhaps now slightly struggling for confidence.
James-Taylor, who has had limited impact since joining the Gypsies, it could be sensed that he has yet to convince the home fans that he belongs in Dalymount.
It was a game devoid of pretty much everything until the opening goal. O'Reilly had been excellent for the Candystripes to this point, and he found space on the right to pass into Olayinka, whose effort was far from perfect but still found a way, somewhat apologetically, beyond the despairing Kacper Chorazka.
It felt like the crowd were turning on Bohs, and Derry nearly made it 2-0 in the next attack, with the home side fashioning some excellent blocks, the ball went out for a corner that came to nought.
With frustration from the stands mouting, several Bohs fans had a go at the management team going down the tunnel at the end of the opening half – there is no place to hide when things are not going so well in Dalymount. Pre-match, Reynolds spoke of Bohs having overall had a decent season, but this was not a convincing first half from the Gypsies, who never got going.
Tierney, the birthday of whose seven-year-old boy was announced on the tannoy pre-match, was introduced at half-time for James-Taylor and was nearly in within a couple of minutes.
A a superb intervention from Carl Winchester denied the sub, who tailed the Ballymun native almost for the duration of his run.
Setbacks can prove beneficial: Tierney was inspired in the opening few minutes and was almost lifting the struggling hosts on his own.
Bohs were level six minutes after the break; it was well worth the prior frustration for the home fans. A delicious assist from former City striker Colm Whelan played Strods in and, while the Latvian had a difficult angle with which to work, he drilled beyond Beach.
After a first half so drab, it was difficult to understand how the first dozen minutes of the second could have been so eventful. After fumbling a tame enough shot, Kacper Chorazka had to fashion a brilliant double-save; right down the other end, Whelan unwittingly got in the way of a Tierney half-volley which may well have been going in. Breathless stuff.
Michael Duffy's reappearance after an injury boosted the Foylesiders and they grew into the final quarter. The game's most bizarre moment, which had the visiting Derry press corps energized, saw Pat Hickey catch the ball mid-air about 35 yards out, with Derry strikers closing in.
Rob Harvey merely booked the American, which looked the correct call, though even the whistler must have wondered what Hickey was doing.
Deep in injury time, Devoy could see his name light up as the ball fell to him alone outside the box from a partially cleared corner; however, he drove over the bar. The Bohs players left the pitch to general applause.
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power (Josh Harper 86), Patrick Hickey, Sam Todd, Senan Mullen (Cian Byrne 76); Markuss Strods (Conor Parsons 86), Dawson Devoy, Niall Morahan (Adam McDonnell 76), Dayle Rooney; Douglas James-Taylor (Ross Tierney 46), Colm Whelan.
Derry City: Eddie Beach; Barry Cotter, Jamie Stott, Patrick McClean, Brandon Fleming; Carl Winchester (Cameron Dummigan 51), Adam O'Reilly; James Clarke, Darragh Markey (Ben Doherty 77), James Olayinka (Michael Duffy 68); Josh Thomas (Dipo Akinyemi 68).
Referee: Rob Harvey.
Watch Lyon v Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals on Saturday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
