Ever at the forefront of the campaign to improve the standing of the National League, St Patrick's Athletic were dishing out the goodies at Inchicore last night. Everything a reporter could want, from refreshments to a notebook and pen (provided free of charge) - throw in a goal or two to write about and, for us at least, it would have been a dream start to the new campaign.

That, however, proved to be beyond Pat Dolan's men on their first night of the season. Felix Healy, not surprisingly, pointed to the absence of Paul Heggarty and Liam Coyle, undoubtedly key players from last year's title-winning Derry side, as reasons for their lack of firepower.

The performance the City team produced without them, however, only seemed to underline the fact that, unless Healy's injury problems are as limited for the remainder of this season as they were for just about the whole of last, more cover is needed if Derry are to become the first club in a decade to retain the championship title.

For much of this game Derry relied on their ability to defend solidly around their area but towards the end of the contest they did not really even manage that and had Tommy Gaynor (three times) or Robbie Devereux taken advantage of outstanding chances late on, then the home side would have taken all three points from an encounter which took a long time to settle into a rhythm.

When it did it was the Dubliners who were calling the tune with new signings Thomas Morgan and Trevor Molloy promising much for the future and Robbie Devereux providing balance on the right-hand side of midfield.

That they couldn't combine to find the back of the net through a second half that the home side dominated seemed remarkable, given the number of chances created but then Gavin Dykes and Paul Curran did a good deal to make life difficult for the local strike-force even if they did come off second best on the night.

Before the second half had even started, however, the home side should really have edged their way in front. The first period may not have produced as much by way of clear-cut chances but what few there were went the way of the Dubliners who, like their neighbours against Kilmarnock on Thursday, showed a frustrating degree of self-restraint in front of goal.

Martin Reilly, taken off through injury after 36 minutes, might well have opened the scoring well before that, when he nipped in between two defenders to steal a close-range shot which, as Tony O'Dowd rushed forward to block, he then sent over the bar.

More effective perhaps than O'Dowd in keeping the hosts at bay, however, was referee John McDermott, who, more than once, allowed the champions to ride their luck about their area, especially after just nine minutes when Paul Osam appeared to be bundled over from behind by something approaching a scrum of Derry players.

Afterwards the home side's manager declared himself happy with phase one of Dolanisation, remarking that "It's the start of a new era with a new team, a new approach and a new philosophy, so I'm delighted with the performance and only a little disappointed with the result because I think that the Derry lads will concede that we were the better side on the night."

The thought was, needless to say, a little on the optimistic side for Healy conceded nothing of the sort, particularly in relation to the first half in which, he claimed, his side had been on top.

That, as they say, is debatable but his conclusion, made with a slightly bewildered grin, that his men might have stolen it with two minutes remaining when "Peter should have scored," certainly is not.

Peter, Hutton that is, clearly should have bagged the winner when Kevin Brady fed Gary Beckett on the edge of the area and the 24-year-old sent him clean through on Trevor Wood. Amazingly, though, his shot from six yards out was well wide.

St Patrick's Athletic: Wood; Campbell, Lynch, Hawkins, Doyle; Devereaux, Morgan, Gormley, Osam; Molloy, Reilly. Subs: Gaynor for Reilly (36 mins).

Derry City: O'Dowd; Doherty, Curran, Dykes, Hargan; Mohan, Hutton, R Coyle, Keddy; Beckett, Reddan. Subs: Semple for Mohan (63 mins), Brady for reddan (77 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).