League of Ireland, Premier Division/Derry City 1 St Patrick's Athletic 0:A 66th minute own goal by St Patrick's Athletic's right back William Gibson dealt a crushing blow to the Dubliners' league aspirations at the Brandywell last night.

The win, which has extended Derry's unbeaten run to eleven domestic games, came from a long ball into the City half by midfielder Ruaidhri Higgins.

Two St Pat's defenders as well as goalkeeper Barry Ryan moved towards the ball but Gibson, unaware that his goalkeeper had moved off his line, headed the ball past the stranded Ryan and both the defender and goalkeeper could only watch in frustration as the ball rolled slowly into the net. Derry City dominated an action-packed first half which saw both teams miss goal scoring chances.

The first fell to City striker Mark Farren in the second minute but he fired his left foot drive wide of the left hand upright. Five minutes later Derry's Kevin Deery's 20-yard right foot shot was narrowly wide and in the 16th minute Kevin McHugh's angled shot from 16 yards was just inches off target.

St Pat's came close to taking the lead when Derry midfielder Barry Molloy deflected Joseph Ndo's inswinging corner towards the City net but goalkeeper Pat Jennings produced a top class reflex save to save Molloy's blushes.

Six minutes later Mark Quigley swept past City centre half Peter Hutton but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Jennings. Derry had another chance to open the scoring in the 38th minute when Kevin Deery's shot through a crowded six-yard box rolled wide of Ryan's left hand post.

The pace of the game remained relentless after the break and Derry again came close to scoring in the 52nd minute but Farren drilled a shot wide. Ndo should have given St Patrick's the lead in the 54th minute but he lifted Keane's free kick wide of the target.

And Derry squandered another scoring opportunity in the 56th minute when McHugh fired wide again from ten yards.

DERRY CITY: Jennings, McCallion, Hutton, Oman, Brennan, Higgins, Martyn, Molloy, Farren, McHugh (McGlynn 85) and Deery (Hargan 79).

ST PATRICK'S ATHELTIC: Ryan, Gibson, Rogers, Paisley, Frost, Kirby (Fitzpatrick 81), Ndo, Brennnan, Quigley, Barker (O'Neill 68), and Keane (Guy 70).

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).