Cockhill Celtic were held to a one-all draw by Derry City Reserves this afternoon as Gavin Cullen’s men lost their perfect start to the Ulster Senior League season.
Cockhill Celtic 1 Derry City Reserves 1
In slick conditions in Cockhill, it was a very even first half with the home team having a one goal advantage at half time, but Derry rallied in the second half and deserved a share of the spoils.
On nine minutes, a Ryan Varma corner was headed goalwards by Garbhan Friel but cleared off the line.
Ronan Doherty cut in from the right side but was denied by a brilliant low save from Jason McCallion.
Derry had a big chance on 21 minutes when Caolan McLaughlin sprung the Cockhill offside trap but shot straight at Lee McCarron.
Cockhill took the lead on 28 minutes when great movement and interplay from the Cockhill forwards released Mark Coyle for a shot. Although Rhys McDermott blocked the shot, it fell to Mark Moran who swept home.
Derry continued to create chances and should have equalised when Callum Boyle was through. If anything, he had too much time and his eventual shot was well saved by McCarron.
The second half started in a similarly open fashion with Derry trying to equalise and Cockhill looking for the second goal.
Moran thought he’d supplied it when his goal-bound effort was brilliantly tipped onto the post by McCallion.
On 61 minutes Coyle worked an opening on the left but chose to cross when a shot looked on.
Cockhill were made to rue these missed chances when Caolan McLaughlin beat McCarron to a long through ball to equalise.
Cockhill huffed and puffed after this looking for a winning goal, looking most dangerous from set pieces.
Indeed they almost snatched the win when another Friel header was hacked off the line.
Derry continued to look to the ever-willing Aidy Delap to fashion a chance on the break but the draw was a fair result.
