By Simon Collins

Copyright derryjournal

In-form Adam O’Reilly netted his fourth goal in four games with an instinctive close range lob over the head of 6ft 6” keeper Wessel Speel on 40 minutes. Derry have won seven points from losing positions in their previous three matches and so to go ahead was unfamiliar territory – the first time in six league fixtures they had opened the scoring! Despite brilliant saves from Brian Maher – the hero of the hour in Dalymount Park last Friday – in either half and a heroic goal-denying goal-line tackle from Sam Todd, Shelbourne fought back through Mipo Odubeko to earn a draw. It’s five matches unbeaten now for a resurgent Derry who are level on points with second placed Bohemians and seven ahead of fourth placed Shels with five games to go. Of course Shels played one of their two games in hand last night in Drogheda but Derry are in a strong position to secure one of the coveted European spots which could stretch to FOUR should Shamrock Rovers win the ‘double’. Lynch felt ‘mixed emotions’ directly after the game but no doubt he will be privately pleased with the outcome as they keep Shels at arm’s length for now. “I probably have mixed emotions to be honest,” said the Belfast man. “I think we’re a little bit frustrated and a little bit disappointed in the end. It feels a little bit like a defeat. There were some good things we did at times but we’re disappointed in the manner in the way we let the game play out rather than go and grab it by the throat and push it back in our favour. “I can’t criticise their effort or commitment like we always get from them. There’s probably just things in there we should’ve and could’ve done better with.” With Ronan Boyce suspended, Robbie Benson deputised at right wingback but Lynch felt they lost a ‘natural balance’. And when Dipo Akinyemi, who played a crucial role in the goal, went off with a thigh injury which could potentially end his season, it was another factor which ‘hurt’ Derry. “I think there were probably two things in it with that natural balance of Ronan Boyce on the right hand side and we probably didn’t get the same numbers going forward,” explained Lynch. “Robbie [Benson] came in and did a brilliant job for us but it’s not his natural position and he was never going to give you what Ronan gives you. That probably hurt us. “And then losing Dipo at half-time and we missed that presence on the frontline. So they were things we just had to deal with. We take that and move on.” It was a far cry from the enthralling 4-3 classic at Dalymount Park last weekend but Lynch didn’t want to sound too doom and gloom afterwards considering the level of opposition and how the result left the table. “Yeah it was probably a boring game if truth be told. The last number of weeks we’ve been absolutely superb with balls in box and numbers in box and box entries and all those types of things. We probably just didn’t get that tonight for whatever reason. “It wasn’t a lack of effort or a lack of commitment, it just didn’t go our way and we probably didn’t do enough to make it go our way and that’s probably where our disappointment lies. “I thought the boys were magnificent last week. I didn’t think they were bad tonight, we just didn’t do enough. We didn’t work their goalkeeper enough. We didn’t get the ball in their box enough and we didn’t work their back three enough so we’re disappointed in that. “We feel we probably didn’t do enough and we were under par tonight. We did lots of good things but there’s more in us than what we showed tonight.” Was it a good point given the circumstances? “You hope so. I thought Adam scored a great goal but then we were hugely disappointed with the goal we conceded. Just the manner of the goal and the timing of the goal. Every goal is preventable but that is something we have been preventing for the last number of weeks. “It sounds very doom and gloom but it shouldn’t be. There were good things out there tonight and we’ll take the positives. Well look at this on Monday again, openly and honestly and we’ll get ready for Drogheda. “Every game you want to go in with the three points in your pocket. We knew tonight was going to be a tough game. Shels are a good side and they’ve been in a decent run of form so we knew it was going to be difficult. There were lots of positives tonight. We’ll take our point and we’ll move on. “You’re at the business end of the season now. There’s still five games to go and we haven’t achieved anything as we stand here right now so there’s still so much to play for.”