No separating Sligo Rovers and Derry City at the Showgrounds

Sligo Rovers 0

Derry City 0

Derry City's wait for a win at the Sligo Showgrounds continues as they were held by Sligo Rovers in an entertaining game. 

The Candystripes went into the game looking to maintain the only 100% record in the division, but they never looked like scoring until deep into added time at the end of the game. 

Of greater concern to Ruaidhri Higgins ahead of games against St. Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers next week are injuries to midfield duo Patrick McEleney and Cameron Dummigan, who didn't reach half time.  

Sligo started positively and had Derry City on the back foot immediately, but it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the game. Patrick Hoban, with his first touch, played a superb reverse pass in behind the Sligo defence to pick out the run of Will Patching, but the midfielder shot well over the bar under pressure from scrambling red shirts.

Derry were struggling to impose themselves in the game in the first half, unable to keep possession for any amount of time, and giving the ball away again and again. Sligo, in contrast, were looking sharp and hungry and a constant threat when in possession, Simon Power and Conor Malley in particularly causing real concern for the visitors.

It was Power who was at the heart of a move which led to Sligo winning a free kick in a dangerous position just 20 yards from goal midway through the half, and the former Shamrock Rovers man came so close to scoring from the set-piece, his low effort attempting to catch out Brian Maher, but the ball flew just wide of the target.

There was yet more disappointment for City captain Patrick McEleney, who lasted just 38 minutes before having to be replaced by Adam O’Reilly. Having missed the game against Drogheda entirely, McEleney was desperate to get his season off and running after a disruptive 2023, but it wasn’t to be on this occasion.

Half Time 0-0

The energy and enterprise that was missing from the City performance in the first period was certainly evident in the opening minutes of the second, with Michael Duffy coming so close to opening the scoring. Paul McMullan found Patching in space in the middle and he in turn found Duffy, who was able to cut inside and shoot from 25 yards, but his effort took a slight deflection to send it spiralling wide of goal with Ed McGinty scrambling.

With just three minutes to go, it was clear that Derry needed something special to make the breakthrough and Patching tried his luck with a free kick from 30 yards, but it travelled wide of the target with McGinty content to see it wide.

City could have won it just seconds later when Duffy’s curling cross took a deflection and put it on the foot of Daniel Kelly alone at the back post, but the Derry winger had no time to react, as McGinty came out to block bravely, before claiming the loose ball. It was City’s only real chance in the game to that point.

Patching very nearly won the game in added time when his low effort almost caught McGinty out, but the Sligo goalkeeper dived to his right to push it around the post.

Teams

Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Wilson (Wiggett 77’), Hutchinson, Morahan, Pijnaker, Denham, Malley, Hartmann (Fitzgerald 74’), Power, Chapman (Barlow 74’), Mata (Waweru 82’).

Derry City: Maher, Todd, Boyce, McJannet (Doherty 76’), Connolly, Dummigan (McEneff 45’), Patching, Duffy, McMullan (Kelly 76’), P McEleney (O’Reilly 38’), Hoban.

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.