Derry City denied at the death as Shamrock Rovers strike late to earn draw

Danny Mullen bundles the ball in to put Derry ahead

An injury time header from Markus Poom denied Derry City a win at Shamrock Rovers in a dramatic finale at Tallaght.

Ruaidhri Higgins’ team looked to be heading to a huge victory with goals from Pat Hoban and Danny Mullen overturning Darragh Burns’ earlier opener, but Poom levelled the game on 92 minutes to save his team from defeat.

In an entertaining first-half, Derry should have scored with their first corner of the game as they cut through Rovers, but Cameron McJannet couldn’t finish just yards from goal; the City captain directing his effort straight at Leon Pohls.

Another good chance came and went for the visitors on 25 minutes when Adam O’Reilly’s brilliant curling pass from wide on the right found Michael Duffy coming at the back post, but the winger was unable to get enough power on his shot and Pohls again saved easily.

The Rovers keeper was a very relieved man just five minutes into the second-half, however, when he came to collect a Paul McMullan cross but spilled the ball into the path of Duffy, who could open scoop the ball over the bar with the goal gaping.

The home side took the lead just before the hour mark when Jordan McEneff lost possession and Burke picked out the run of Burns in behind Ben Doherty, allowing the winger to fire the ball between the legs of Brian Maher to give his team the advantage.

Derry came so close to equalising on 70 minutes when Doherty brilliantly won the ball from Burns on the left wing and picked out Duffy, but his effort deflected onto the crossbar with the keeper beaten.

But Derry didn’t have long to wait to level. A scramble in the Rovers area saw McJannet win the ball whilst grounded and it was collected by Hoban, who