Friday night’s alright for fighting, Elton, but it’s even better when there’s Airtricity League football to keep us entertained. The weekend’s FAI Cup semi-finals leave us with much reduced league programme featuring just two games tonight. Never mind, because champions-elect Sligo Rovers are in Turner’s Cross where they’ll be looking to take a decisive step towards the title by taking all three points off Tommy Dunne’s Cork City.

Kick-off is at 8pm.

Here are your teams:

Cork City: Mark McNulty, Danny Murphy, Gavin Kavanagh, Kevin Murray, Kalen Spillane, Brian Lenihan, Daryl Horgan, John Dunleavy, Shane Duggan, Ian Turner, Vinny Sullivan. Substitutes: Stephen Kenny, Colin Healy, Kevin Burns, Garry Buckley, Dan Murray, Davin O’Neill, Keigan Parker.

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers, Jason McGuinness, Ross Gaynor, Seamus Conneely, Gavin Peers, Lee Lynch, Pascal Millien, Joseph Ndo, Danny Ventre, Raf Cretaro, Mark Quigley. Substitutes: Jeff Henderson, John Dillon, Ryan Connolly, David Cawley, Liam Buchanan, Richard Brush, Marty Owens.

KICK OFF: Lee Lynch and Mark Quigley get us underway.

Just a quick reminder on the state of play in the Airtricity League. Sligo have four games to play, including tonight’s, and need five points to secure the club’s first league title since 1977. Win tonight and they can wrap up the league in front of their own supporters against St Patrick’s Athletic next weekend.

In the Carlisle Grounds, Killian Brennan has given Shamrock Rovers the lead on 17 minutes with a free kick: Bray Wanderers 0-1 Shamrock Rovers

A half-chance for Cork as Daryl Horgan spots Jason McGuinness out of position and floats a ball over his head into the path of Vinny Sullivan in the Sligo area. Sullivan tries to take it back inside with his chest but it’s cut out by Danny Ventre tracking back to help out.

Seamus Conneely gets the better of Daryl Horgan down the right and slips the ball in to Pascal Millien who gets his shot off despite the attention of John Dunleavy, but drags it wide of McNulty’s post from 20 yards.

You can always trust Mark Quigley to pop up in any end-of-season highlights compilation and he tried to add another one to the list there, spotting McNulty off his line and attempting an audacious lob from the half-way line. He doesn’t catch it properly though and it zips off towards the corner flag, jeered on its way by the home support.

Brilliant by Quigley who splits the Cork back four with perfectly-weighted pass to Cretaro who gets himself goal-side of Gavin Kavanagh. McNulty is alive to the danger and throws himself at Cretaro’s feet, diverting the ball behind for a corner and taking a knock to the head for his trouble.

Ndo’s delivery from the corner is a dangerous one but McNulty makes enough space in the crowd to fist it away.

A bit of space opens up in front of Danny Ventre 30 yards from goal so he decides to try his luck. His low shot never troubles McNulty though and is well wide.

There’s been another goal in the Carlisle Grounds, and it’s another for Shamrock Rovers. Ken Oman heads home a Gary McCabe corner and it’s Bray Wanderers 0-2 Shamrock Rovers.

With 20 minutes gone back in Turner’s Cross, it’s all Sligo Rovers. The visitors are dominating possession, pressing and probing as they try to find a way through. Cork are defending well though and have restricted Sligo to long range efforts for the most part.

Seamus Conneely is getting quite a bit of joy out of his individual contest with Daryl Horgan down the right. He finds Mark Quigley on the edge of the box and the striker shows great strength to protect the ball before rolling it invitingly into the path of Danny Ventre. He skips a shot just wide of McNulty’s right post. Good effort.

Oooh, Raf Cretaro very nearly breaks the deadlock. He has all the time he needs to take the ball out of the sky, take two strides towards the penalty area, and pick his spot in the top right corner of McNulty’s goal. The keeper has to scramble to get across and will be relieved to see Cretaro’s curler just miss.

Ten minutes to go until the break and Cork have started to do better at stifling Sligo’s attacks higher up the pitch. You’d have to feel for the two Cork full-backs though who are the busiest players on the pitch — and not in a good way.

Vinny Sullivan wins a soft free from referee Derek Tomney and, after spending most of the half on the back foot, Cork have a chance to test the Sligo defence. Well, they should have but Danny Murphy overhits the free-kick straight into the stand behind Rogers’ goal.

Substitution: That’s disappointing for Seamus Conneely who is forced off with injury after just 43 minutes of what was turning into quite a productive evening. He’s replaced by David Cawley.

There’ll be one minute of injury time here. It looks like captain Danny Ventre has gone in to replace Conneely at right full with Cawley slotting in to the Sligo midfield.

HALF TIME: Cork City 0-0 Sligo Rovers

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in the Cross. One change for Cork as Colin Healy comes on to replace Ireland youth international Brian Lenihan who made his first competitive start for the club tonight.

Ross Gaynor tries to pick out Jason McGuinness on the edge of the City box and while the big defender wins the header, he can’t keep the ball from sailing harmlessly over McNulty’s bar.

A nice bit of play on the edge of the Cork box ends with Cretaro playing the ball back inside to Quigley, but the striker’s shot doesn’t trouble McNulty. Had Cretaro lifted his head and played the ball right instead of left, Millien was totally unmarked inside the box.

Daryl Horgan looks to have timed his run to beat the high line of Sligo’s back four but between them, McGuinness and Ventre get it spot on and the whistle goes for offside.

Brilliant work by Millien who chases down a lost cause on the right wing, wins back possession and fizzes a brilliant cross into the City box. After a bit of muddle, it’s scrambled away.

Back over at the Carlisle Grounds, Kieran Marty Waters has pulled one back for Bray. There’s about 20 minutes to play there — Bray Wanderers 1-2 Shamrock Rovers

Sunderland’s David Meyler is having a quiet night in after he was called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming qualifiers against Germany and the Faroe Isles. Here’s what he’s doing:

An hour gone, and you get the feeling that a goal either way might be enough to settle this. Yesterday, Sligo captain Danny Ventre said that a draw wouldn’t be the worst result in the world. That would leave them needing four points from three games to win the league but with Pat’s, Drogheda and Shamrock Rovers all still to come, three points would make for a much better night’s sleep.

Half-chance for Quigley who connects with a scissors kick from the edge of the box but McNulty is down to stop without too much difficulty.

Cork’s best chance of the match — and it could be a big save in the title-race. Ross Gaynor misjudges the flight of the ball and Ian Turner is able to shrug him off, taking a touch on his head and then with his thigh as he bears down on Rogers’ goal from the right. He goes to the keeper’s near post rather than across the face of the goal and Rogers gets down to force it behind for a corner.

Two chances in quick succession for Sligo who flood the Cork area in search of that goal. Quigley fresh-airs a shot from eight yards but the City defence can’t clear their lines. Millien cuts back in from the right and his shot is a dangerous one but comes off a defender and squirts harmlessly wide.

Big shout for a penalty from the home support… and they may have a point. A dropping ball bounced awkwardly in front of Jason McGuinness and as he tried to steer it past Vinny Sullivan, it looks like he may have controlled it with the inside of his arm. Sullivan appeals but referee Derek Tomney waves play on. Ooooh…

In Bray, Gary McCabe looks to have sealed all three points for Shamrock Rovers with a penalty. It’s nearly all over in that one. Bray Wanderers 1-3 Shamrock Rovers

15 minutes to play here and Cork have certainly given their supporters something to get excited about. They’ve been more adventurous in this second half, asking questions of Sligo’s high defensive line.

That should be 1-0 to Cork — and it would be, but for the post. Ian Turner sends in a brilliant cross from a corner, Kalen Spillane powers a header towards goal that has Rogers and Ndo both beaten but it strikers the upright and goes behind. Maybe it’s to be Sligo’s night after all?

10 minutes to play at the Cross but it’s all over at the Carlisle Grounds where it has finished Bray Wanderers 1-3 Shamrock Rovers.

And in the First Division, Limerick FC have won the league and secured automatic promotion without even kicking a ball. Waterford lose 2-1 at home to Mervue and so Lims go up.

Substitution: Sligo make a change as Liam Buchanan comes on to replace Pascal Millien. Seven minutes to play.

Substitution: Cork’s Daryl Horgan goes off to be replaced by Stephen Kenny — no, not that Stephen Kenny. A little over five minutes to play.

Turner breaks free down the right and puts in a great cross to the Sligo near post. Sullivan and Cawley both fling themselves in its general direction and it’s the Sligo man who gets the decisive touch and knocks it clear. Three minutes to play.

We’ve a minute plus stoppage time to play as Cork’s John Dunleavy is announced as the Setanta Man of the Match.

We’re into the first of three additional minutes of stoppage time as Ndo fires one over McNulty’s bar from the edge of the box.

That was the game right there for Cork, who’ve had plenty of chances to take all three points tonight. Colin Healy centres the ball, Sullivan dummies but Shane Duggan’s sidefooted effort is straight at Rogers. Should have done better.

FULL TIME: Cork City 0-0 Sligo Rovers

That’s it as Duggan’s chance is the last meaningful one of the 93 minutes. Sligo won’t be too disappointed — they move six points clear of St Pat’s and seven clear of Drogheda with three games to play.

The scenario stays the same. A win next Saturday night against Pat’s in the Showgrounds and Sligo will have their first league title since 1977.

That’s all from us for tonight. It remains Sligo’s title to lose and it’s all set up for an absolute dinger when first plays second in the Showgrounds next week.

Thanks for reading.