THEY are rarer than they should be but they're worth waiting for. A wondrous strike from Liam Coyle, only his fourth of the season but fit to grace any league, 13 minutes from time last night, stymied the champions' title revival at source. A packed Richmond Park gulped collectively in disbelief.

It was another non-vintage performance by the leaders, another two points dropped and so further sustenance for the chasing teams. But Derry will have rightly drawn most of the contentment on their long journey home, for it left St Patrick's still nine points adrift and rueing a crucial win that got away.

St Patrick's have only themselves to blame. They had chances to finish off the visitors early in the second half but made the cardinal error of lying too deeply thereafter practically inviting a relatively uninspired Derry (Coyle apart) onto them.

It wasn't a classic. There were a mite too many long balls and chances were at a premium.

Nonetheless, St Patrick's had the better of them, and the best player on view in Eddie Gormley. He was flying, and more than anyone (though central midfield sidekick Keith Long was an equally willing ally) was prepared to gamble in bringing the ball down amid the ping-pong around him.

Four incidents about 15 to 20 minutes into the game was an accurate enough barometer of the first period. Gormley and Long in turn sought to control the ball despite tight marking and apply some passing.

Pleas for earlier longer balls were summarily met by an imposing, all-action Gavin Dykes as he generally outjumped Johnny Glynn. The latter did provide a lot of nuisance value, won a few free-kicks, and former teammate Tony O'Dowd took exception to one late charge.

Soon after the cameos from Long and Gormley (his, naturally, would also include some-head juggling, nutmegging, back-heeled volleyed flicks and whatever else), their direct foes Peter Hutton and Paul Hegarty launched long, first-time balls 30 to 40 yards clear of Coyle and Sean Hargan and straight to Brian McKenna.

Admittedly they had a strong wind behind them, were bedding in Declan Boyle at right-full back and Paul Curran was vying with Coyle for the hobbler of the night award from early on.

However, there was comparatively more freedom and fluency in the home side's play. Early apprehension in the home defence was underlined when O'Dowd failed to gather a Gormley free at the first attempt; Gormley then releasing Glynn for an excellent - first-time low cross behind the defence which Martin Reilly at full stretch steered just wide.

On the half-hour, Reilly's opportunism ended the stalemate. Glynn was again a factor when Brian McKenna's long punt reached the edge of the Derry area, Reilly outmanoeuvring Curran and tucking a low 20-yard shot inside O'Dowd's right post.

Derry woke bp, forcing some corners. McKenna needed to be strong in the air, the John McDonnell Mick Moody central defensive partnership was required to be at its best while the impressive Paul Campbell and Ray Carolan were each alert to fleeting dangers beyond the far post.

Containing Peter Hutton's runs, mostly through Long, Patrick's survived the pre and post-interval bursts fairly comfortably, and then had their chances to seal the game Reilly shooting just wide (when he might have chipped)

after McDonnell had imperiously intercepted and picked him out, before a superbly controlled waist-high volley off his supposedly weaker left foot by Long was met with an equally superb tip-over by O'Dowd.

Gradually, the St Patrick's back four began to lie too deep, and the midfield on top of them. The marking remained tight, but Hegarty became noticeably more influential as a passer. Clearances to the outnumbered Glynn and Reilly were coming back just as quickly: as when Curran brought down one unimpeded five yards inside his own half alter 77 minutes.

He picked out Ryan Coyle; then it was inside to Hegarty, inside to Keddy and on to Liam Coyle who, with his back to Moody and the St Patrick's goal, turned onto his right foot and drilled a crisply struck, curling 25-yard drive into the top right corner.

Derry looked briefly the stronger, but Jason Byrne's arrival rejuvenated the St Patrick's attack and perhaps showed them what might have been.