Derry City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
Derry City kept their slim hopes of a Europa League qualification spot alive following a 0-0 draw with Shamrock Rovers, their main contenders for a fourth place finish in the league.
Rory Patterson missed out through injury.
With only two games left the result keeps Derry in fourth spot, three points ahead of Rovers.
Fourth place will guarantee qualification to play in next season’s Europa League if Sligo Rovers – currently in uncatchable third place in the league – win the Ford FAI Cup at the start of next month.
In a much improved performance, Derry almost snatched an injury time winner when Michael Rafter’s effort was brilliantly saved by visiting keeper Richard Brush.
Brandywell boss Declan Devine was relatively pleased with the outcome given he had do do without the services of striker, Rory Patterson, the league’s top goalscorer, who was forced out of the game after picking up an injury in training.
Derry keeper Gerard Doherty did well in the 35th minute when in a one-on-one situation with Rovers Conor Powell, he forced the opposing defender wide before coming out on top.
Michael Rafter and Mark Griffin, who had replaced Ruairi Higgins in the 51st minute, failed to capitalise when well placed before Rovers’ Ronan Finn squandered a chance to giver the visitors the lead.
Simon Madden could have won it for City in the dying minutes but failed to find the net.
Then, with the referee Sean Grant look at his watch, Brush blocked Rafter’s close range effort to ensure the fight fourth place goes on.
Derry City: Doherty, Madden, S McEleney, Molloy, Jarvis; P McEleney, Higgins (Griffin 51 mins), McNamee; McDaid, Rafter, Curran.
Shamrock Rovers: Brush, Sullivan, Oman, Foran, Powell (Ledwith 63); McCabe (O’Connor 77), Robinson, Ryan, Finn, Dennehy; Sheppard (Stewart 69).
Referee: Sean Grant.
