MIDFIELDER Johnny Lafferty netted a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a point for a Dergview side that had to play the majority of the second half of this intriguing Championship One clash with 10 men, following the sending off of striker Warner Mullen.

Mullen received a second yellow for a lunging challenge on Town skipper John Boyle on 56 minutes, giving Derry referee Stephen Wallace little option but to send the Strabane man for an early bath.

That was the first real sign of trouble for Harry McConkey's side, that had got their noses in front thanks to a 10th minute strike by ace marksman Ryan Campbell.

Mullen's dismissal changed the whole complexion of the game and Town, buoyed by last week's eye-catching 2-0 victory at Loughgall, duly upped the ante in search of an equaliser.

That leveller arrived with 15 minutes remaining when home netminder Stefan McCusker failed to make a John McAleenan strike stick and visiting midfielder Gregory Curtis gleefully swooped to convert the loose ball.

The Dergview goalkeeper was again at fault with five minutes remaining when he came rushing from his goal to clear the danger. The custodian though appeared to misjudge the pace of the ball and visiting substitute Keith Johnston couldn't believe his luck as he rolled the ball into a gaping net.

The hosts looked a beaten docket but from the depths of despair they mustered a late response, helped by the introduction of fresh legs in the form of Stephen Campbell and Nathan Cashel.

And it was a determined run by Cashel that led to the penalty two minutes into stoppage-time.

The pacey attacker beat Town goalkeeper Jonathan Park to Dwayne McManus's exquisite ball over the top and when he bravely headed goalwards Cashel was clattered by the visiting custodian.

Referee Wallace immediately pointed to the spot, duly dismissed Park and Lafferty kept his cool to ram home the equaliser.

In the end 10-man Dergview had got out jail although by the halfway point McConkey and Co. appeared well on the way to another three points.

Town certainly matched the hosts in terms of industry and endeavour but in the final third Dergview always had a creative edge with Campbell firing an early warning shot, after a one-two with strike partner Mullen on the right.

Apart from a flicked header by McAleenan, the visitors rarely troubled the home rearguard of Liam McMenamin, Johnny McCaskie, Gareth Gallagher and Gareth Porter and there was no real surprise when the hosts hit the front with barely 10 minutes on the clock.

A delightful pass over the top allowed Lafferty to spring the offside trap, lift the ball over advancing goalkeeper Park and Campbell came rushing through to steer the ball into a gaping net.

The early goal rocked the Co Armagh visitors as Dergview centre-back Johnny McCaskie headed over an Aaron Arkinson right-sided cross before Park held a curling effort by McManus who had cut inside after being sent scampering away on the left by Lafferty.

All of 29 minutes had elapsed before the visitors offered a tangible threat, McCusker saving brilliantly with his legs to thwart Jonathan Cowan with Lafferty completing the clearance.

But it was Dergview who finished the first 45 minutes on the attack, Burns, McManus, Arkinson and McMenamin all combining before Mullen superbly turned his marker to fire wide of Park's left post.

Mullen's next notable action earned the striker a second yellow and a long walk to the dressing-room. And from that point on the dynamics of the match changed dramatically.

Town sensed they had an opportunity to add Dergview's scalp to that of Loughgall as McAleenan just failed to get a clean connection on a teasing left-sided delivery by Curtis.

A brilliant block by Porter then denied raiding full-back Franco Trainer a certain equaliser before McAleenan was cautioned for using his hand to divert a cross into the net.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Dergview sporadically threatened with an audacious chip by Burns dropping just over while McManus teed-up McMenamin to cross for Lafferty, who couldn't keep his effort on target.

By now Cashel and Stephen Campbell had entered the fray but it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy.

And Warrenpoint dramatically turned the tables as Curtis and then Johnston capitalised on two goalkeeping errors.

A dejected Dergview though refused to throw in the towel and when Park pole-axed the surging Cashel, Lafferty grabbed a share of the spoils from the spot.

Dergview: McCusker, McMenamin, Porter, McCaskie, Gallagher, Burns, Arkinson, McManus, R. Campbell, Mullen, Lafferty subs Carlin (not used), Walsh (not used), Cashel (replaced Mullen 72), Friel (not used), S. Campbell (replaced Arkinson 70)

Warrenpoint Town: J. Parr, Trainor, O'Connor, Boyle, Cowan, Curtis, Kinney, Smith, S. Parr, McAleenan, McMullan subs McParland (not used), Johnston (replaced McMullan 83), Fegan (replaced Trainor 77), Crilly (replaced O'Connor 10), Lynch (not used)

By Tommy Nethery