A 58th minute strike from Derry striker Gary Beckett rescued a point for them against fourth-placed St Pat's, a side who have beaten them three times this season, at the Brandywell.
Lying perilously in ninth place, Gavin Dykes' City welcomed back Peter Hutton from suspension and old hands Sean Hargan and Billy Clery and they were 1-0 down against the run of play.
Gary McPhee’s 27th minute shot from just inside the area looked to have sent the Dubliners to just their third league win in ten games, following a poor run of form.
City goalkeeper Alan Gough got a hand to the Saints’ striker’s effort but it proved too powerful. Derry should have taken the lead after 12 minutes when Gareth McGlynn wrong-footed Pat’s defender Clive Delaney, but the former Irish U18 international’s left-footed drive from ten yards was straight at Chris Adamson in the Dubliners’ goal.
McPhee’s goal was slightly against the run of play and it was McGlynn again who could have made amends eight minutes before the interval, when Adamson muddled a clearance from just outside his area. But as the Derry midfielder sought to control the ball, he was adjudged to have handled with the goal at his mercy.
Thirteen minutes after the break, Derry had their equaliser when Beckett go on the end of a good move involving Hutton and strike partner Michael Holt to glance home his first goal in ten games.
It's one point Dykes will hope to turn into four on Friday as the Candystripes travel to UCD's Belfield Park for a must win game.
CORK CITY 0 LONGFORD TOWN 0
Even the first-half introduction of start striker John O’ Flynn, out injured since early September with a knee injury, couldn’t help City to their fourth win of four over Longford this season.
In poor conditions, Longford nearly took the lead after 15 minutes when Vinny Perth connected well from 18 yards, but his rising shot went wide of Michael Devine’s left upright. Irish U20 striker Kevin Doyle was not getting the required service up front for City but was bolstered with the introduction of O’ Flynn after the midpoint of the half.
City’s top scorer on fourteen league goals, had a couple of half chances but the game had stalemate written all over it as the half ended all square.
Cork had the better of the second half with George O’Callaghan going close with an acrobatic overhead kick on 48 minutes, and Longford troubled the home defence when substitute Brian Byrne almost netted from an Alan Kirby corner, but the points were shared at Turner’s Cross.
The result sees Pat Dolan’s side remain third, ten points behind new leaders Bohemians and Cup winners Longford still in seventh, five points ahead of relegation-threatened Drogheda.