Derry's road travails continue in draw with Dundalk

Dundalk set a new club record for most consecutive clean sheets at home in the league to give their survival hopes a shot in the arm against Derry City at Oriel Park.

However, the Louth men's seventh consecutive shut-out on their own patch was a blow to the Candystripes, who missed out on a chance to close the gap on Shelbourne at the top of the table to just three points after they lost at home to Sligo Rovers.

Ruaidhrí Higgins’ side have now taken just two points from their last three matches, with their return of just two wins away from home so far putting a serious dent in their title hopes.

While Jon Daly’s first home match in charge failed to yield a win, this result at least brought his new side to within two points of neighbours Drogheda Utd at the foot of the table.

He now returns to his old stomping ground of Richmond Park on Monday, less than a month after his departure from St Pat’s, no doubt happy with the effort his depleted squad gave him following his first full week at the helm.

Having not conceded in their previous six home matches, the home side almost coughed up a goal inside the first 80 seconds when slack play at the back saw Paul McMullan slip Adam O’Reilly in on the right, only for the former St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder to be denied by a strong right arm from Ross Munro.

The Candystripes went close again on 23 minutes when Munro redeemed himself for walking outside his area with the ball in his hand by saving the follow up effort from Will Patching with a good low stop to his left.

Dundalk then should have been ahead five minutes later when Cameron Elliott broke on the right before pulling back to his fellow Scot Jamie Gullan but the striker’s effort into the ground bounced up and over with just