In the early stages, Bohs seemed to focus their play down the flanks and found themselves in positions to deliver balls into the danger zone but on each occasion the final ball was lacking accuracy.

The Students looked lacklustre in the opening period and they gifted Bohs the first opportunity on 13 minutes as Devaney won the ball from their defence and it ran into the path of Jason Byrne who fired his effort straight at UCD keeper Conor O’Donnell.

The evergreen striker was also presented with a chance just before the 20-minute mark after Paddy Kavanagh found him from the right-hand side but this time he scuffed his shot into the side netting.

Bohs had the better of it during this period without ever looking like finding the net but the game changed utterly on the half-hour mark as the home side were reduced to 10 men. Uncharacteristically, David Mulcahy lost a battle in midfield which allowed Chris Mulhall to spring a ball over the top for Robbie Benson. The Students skipper then seemed to cut across Lopes and in the ensuing tangle fell over. Referee Paul McLaughlin, who was fully 30 yards from the incident, was not only sure enough to whistle for a foul but also produced a red card for the Gypsies’ centre-half.

UCD, buoyed by their man advantage, then had their best spell of the half. A series of corners ratcheted up the pressure and on the third delivery Hugh Douglas met the ball with a point blank header six yards out which seemed destined for the net only for Delany to claw it away. A stunning save.

The same UCD defender then had a free header from another set piece which he nodded over. A corner from the other end then saw the ten men nearly take the lead just before the half as Mulcahy ghosted in at the back post but could only head it over the upright.

The heavens opened at half-time, reflecting the mood of the Jodi Stand faithful, but Owen Heary’s side enjoyed the vast majority of the possession in the second half. Karl Moore, who looked a danger all evening, tried to break deadlock eight minutes into the second period with a wonderful solo run cutting in from the left wing but his shot from the edge of the area lacked the sufficient power to beat O’Donnell.

Bohs were still in control as the game entered its final quarter but were finding it hard to break down the opposition who, despite the man advantage, seemed happy to concentrate on defence. First Kavanagh had an effort which was deflected wide and then the former Birmingham City man set up substitute Craig Walsh whose shot was blocked by one of the wall defenders clad in white.

Then, completely against the run of play, UCD nearly scored what would have been a stunning opener, after nice play from defence, a lovely one-two between Robbie Creevy and Benson saw the latter curl a beautiful shot past Delany but on to the post.

Craig Walsh’s introduction seemed to give Bohs new attacking impetus and with 15 minutes remaining, he found himself through on goal after being slipped in by Jason Byrne but his near-post effort was denied by O’Donnell.

The Students’ netminder proved himself again against Walsh as he saved an effort from a tight angle after the midfielder had been put through by a Byrne flick-on.

There would be one final chance to secure that long awaited home league win in the 94th minute as good work from Kavanagh found Jason Byrne near the penalty spot but his hooked effort could only find the grateful arms of O’Donnell.

So despite a good display with a man down, another frustrating evening at Dalymount for Bohemians. They travel next Friday to Drogheda hoping for a more fortunate outcome.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Steven Beattie, Roberto Lopes, Daniel Byrne, Derek Pender, Paddy Kavanagh, David Mulcahy (c), Ryan McEvoy, Karl Moore, Kevin Devaney Craig Walsh 62), Jason Byrne. Subs Not Used: Lee Murphy, Anto Murphy, Jake Hyland, Stephen Traynor, Andy Mulligan, Eoin Wearen.

UCD: Conor O’Donnell, Mark Langtry, James Kavanagh, Hugh Douglas, Tomas Boyle, Robbie Creevy, Colm Crowe (Gary Burke 76) , Robbie Benson (c), Cillian Morrison (Thomas O’Halloran 79) , Chris Mulhall, Samir Belhout. Subs Not Used: Mark McGinley, Gareth Matthews,Michael Barker, Dwayne Wilson, Sean Coyne.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

Heary made just one change to the team that drew in Cork last week, with Dinny Corcoran replacing the suspended Craig Walsh. Taking up from where they left off on the banks of the Lee, Bohs came out of the blocks at a ferocious pace. First, Paddy Kavanagh fed Corcoran who swiveled in the box, and saw his shot deflected over for a corner by the legs of Derry keeper Ger Doherty. Bohs kept up the pressure, and scored brilliantly on 3 minutes. Karl Moore put in his best performance of the season by far, and was instrumental in the opener. He gave Roddy Collins Jr an absolute roasting down the left flank, looked up, and pulled a pinpoint cross back to – who else – Jason Byrne, who steered a lovely left-footed shot into the far corner. Byrne’s 5th league goal of the season, and Brendan Bradley’s record inches ever closer.

The great start continued as Bohs piled on more pressure from a Kavanagh corner, which came back to the taker via Aidan Price. Kavanagh cut outside his man and whipped a curling shot towards the top corner, but Doherty palmed it away smartly. Byrne could have had a similar second when Steven Beattie marauded forward from right back, but this time the shot went agonizingly wide of the opposite post. Corners were looking dangerous for Bohs, and Byrne was denied by an amazing point-blank save from Doherty following a fizzed centre from Kavanagh. Just a minute after that, Derry grabbed an unlikely equalizer.

Aidan Price had a torrid first half, and got himself into a clumsy tangle with Patrick McEleney that saw the Derry man skip through and pull across a lovely ball that had to be cut out by Steven Beattie. The ball was recycled out to McEleney who cut back inside from the right wing, and unleashed a delicious left foot curler that caught the upright of Lee Murphy’s goal and slid into the net. No doubt that McEleney meant it, and a Goal of the Month contender was born.

Although that was in the 42nd minute, there was still time for a flash of action before the break. A waist-high bouncing ball was contested and won by Dave Mulcahy, but Rory Patterson came late to the party with a raised-studs challenge. Mulcahy was caught on the thigh, and referee Anthony Buttimer reached for his back pocket to send Patterson off.

Clearly still struggling from the quad injury that made him a doubt for the game, Aidan Price was spared the second half after being replaced by new signing Eoin Wearen at the break. The first ten minutes of the 2nd period saw Bohs pressing their one-man advantage. The excellent Moore continued to give poor Roddy Jr nightmares right in front of Roddy Senior, who prowled the dugout in his finest Louis Copeland suit. Neither Collins could stop Moore, who flashed a perfect ball across the six yard box that was just begging to be tapped in. Paddy Kavanagh whipped an equally good ball from the opposite wing that Byrne couldn’t quite get his head to. Then, on 55 minutes, Bohs were halted in their tracks.

An off the ball incident involving Dinny Corcoran and Ryan McBride was spotted by the near-side linesman, who flagged for a good 15 seconds before Buttimer spotted him (the play was continuing on the opposite wing). Buttimer trundled over to his assistant, who whispered his instructions, and Corcoran was given a straight red. The Derry players were gesturing that Dinny had kicked out at McBride, which, if true, was a silly action with Bohs in the ascendancy.

With 10 v 10 for the remaining half hour, Derry managed to stem the flow of Bohs chances, but the Gyspies continued to dominate possession. Moore was bizarrely replaced by Kevin Devaney, and the substitute had a great chance to feed Kavanagh in the dying moments, but the ball was just too far ahead of PK, who mis-controlled and allowed Derry to clear. One third of the season gone, Bohs have just 3 points from 6 home games. Heary will be hoping that tally is doubled next week against UCD. Before that, Champions St Pats travel to Dalymount for an EA Sports last 16 cup tie.

Bohemians: Lee Murphy, Derek Pender, Roberto Lopes, Aidan Price (Eoin Wearen 45), Steven Beattie, Paddy Kavanagh, Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy, Karl Moore (Kevin Devaney 76), Dinny Corcoran, Jason Byrne. Subs not used: Dean Delany, Stephen Traynor, Jake Hyland, Darragh Reynor, Keith Buckley.

Derry City: Ger Doherty Roddy Collins Jr, Cliff Byrne , Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry, Patrick McEleney (Raymond Foy 82), Jon Paul McGovern, Danny Ventre, Michael Duffy (Ryan Curran 60), Enda Curran (Mark Stewart, 76), Rory Patterson. Subs not used: Ciaran Gallagher, Dean Jarvis, Nathan Boyle, Tony McNamee.

Mr Green Bohemian Man of the Match: Jason Byrne

Jason Byrne returned to the starting line-up in place of Philly McCabe as the only change from the team that were beaten by Sligo Rovers on Monday. That meant Steven Beattie was moved into a right-back position, with Byrne ploughing a lone furrow up front. Unfortunately for both sets of fans – including the raucous travelling supporters – the game was doomed from the beginning to suffer from the effects of the weather. At around 7pm, the heavens opened over Turner’s Cross, and a fierce wind blew from the Shed End towards the Bohs fans in the opposite corner. The wind was at Cork’s back in the first half, and naturally they dominated possession.

City’s wing duo of Billy Dennehy and Liam Kearney were the home side’s two key dangermen, and they created a succession of half-chances in the middle of the half once the home side had acclimatised to the gale. Bohs took longer to get used to the conditions, with Derek Pender and Karl Moore faring the worst with a string of slips and misjudgements. Jason Byrne was actually Bohs’ stand out player in the first period – his hold up play and control were relieving pressure on the back four at regular intervals. The only real chance of the first half came when Kearney got in behind Beattie on the left flank, but his cutback was agonisingly ahead of a sliding Dennehy. The half time whistle was greeted with real enthusiasm from the away fans – they sensed the change of ends could be a defining moment in the match.

Almost straight from the kick-off, Heary’s men signalled their intent. A lovely interchange between Pender and Paddy Kavanagh got the Karl Moore in behind the Cork defence. He delayed his pass perfectly until the midfield runners arrived. He picked Ryan McEvoy out, but the bearded wonder blazed over from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy. Almost inevitably – the league leaders punished that miss. A seemingly over-hit pass to Kearney held up in the wind, and allowed the former Shamrock Rovers man to pull the ball across the face of goal. It skidded all the way to the back post, where Mark O’Sullivan got a toe on the ball in front of Pender, who clearly brought him down. Dennehy stepped up, cleared the water from his eyes, and sent Lee Murphy the wrong way to put the home side in front.

Credit to Bohs, they didn’t let the goal faze them –and hit back within 3 minutes. Paddy Kavanagh was excellent in the second half, and his beautifully-floated cross was destined for the back post – a fact read perfectly by Jason Byrne. The veteran striker stepped off Dan Murray, judged the cross like a master, and bulleted his header into the far corner. He could, and possibly should, have given Bohs the lead with 12 minutes to go. McEvoy was the provider this time, pulling the ball across for Byrne whose shot almost squirmed under McNulty’s body – but the Cork keeper grabbed the ball at the second attempt. The game looked to be petering out to a 1-1 draw without further incident, until an explosion of action in injury time. First, Bohs sub Kevin Devaney let fly with a thunderous 25 yard drive that crashed off the crossbar – McNulty beaten all ends up. Then, with all 3 minutes of added time elapsed, Cork looked to have grabbed a winner. Rob Lehane’s cross was fumbled by Murphy, and Mark O’Sullivan scrambled the ball home. However, referee Neil Doyle adjudged that Murphy was fouled, and Bohs breathed again.

Cork City: Mark McNulty, John Kavanagh (Iarfhlaith Davoren 65), Dan Murray, John Dunleavy, Brian Lenihan, Billy Dennehy, Colin Healy, Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley (Dave O’Leary 80), Liam Kearney (Rob Lehane 71), Mark O’Sullivan. Subs not used: Matt Gledhill, Anthony Elding, Andy O’Connell, Ian Turner.

Bohemians: Lee Murphy, Steven Beattie, Aidan Price (Dan Byrne 64), Robert Lopes, Derek Pender, Paddy Kavanagh, Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy, Craig Walsh (Kevin Devaney 82), Karl Moore, Jason Byrne. Subs not used: Dean Delany, Jake Hyland, Stephen Traynor, Darragh Reynor, Keith Buckley.

Bohemianfc.com Man of the Match: Jason Byrne