Sligo Rovers 1
St Patrick’s Athletic 1
SLIGO ROVERS AND St Patrick’s Athletic both picked up their first point of the season thanks to a 1-1 draw at The Showgrounds.
Both managers came into this game under a huge amount of pressure, with both sides sitting on zero points earlier in the day.
But the pressure is relieved somewhat, or at least for another few days. Rovers went ahead on 34 minutes thanks to Kieran Sadlier, but they were pegged back to 1-1 in the second-half when Michael Barker netted.
Dave Robertson made two changes to the side defeated 4-0 by Dundalk the previous week, with Jonah Ayunga and Raffaele Cretaro replaced by Daniel Kearns and Chris Kenny.
Liam Buckley also opted to shuffle his pack a bit, with Christy Fagan, Sam Verdon and Rory Feely all missing out in place of Gavin Peers, Conan Byrne and Jonathan Lunney.
The Saints almost got off to a dream start, when Graham Kelly’s shot was headed towards an empty goal, but Rovers defender Mick Leahy managed to clear it off the line.
Sligo were seeing more of the ball as the half went on and when John Russell was on the receiving end of a nasty challenge from Patrick Cregg, they were awarded a free-kick in an ideal position.
Former Peterborough man Sadlier took responsibility, and sent his free-kick gloriously into the back of the net to give Rovers the lead on 34 minutes.
@KieranSadlier gives @sligorovers the lead with a great free #bitored @ExtratimeNews pic.twitter.com/aX5YV5Hk0l
— Jamie Murphy (@Jamiecm81) March 10, 2017
The Dubliners did come into their own after the re-start, but were struggling to find a way to break down the Rovers rearguard, coming closest in a goalmouth scramble which the hosts somehow managed to survive.
There was only so much Sligo could contain, and they were eventually beaten down on 75 minutes when Barker’s volley could not be kept out.
The search for a winner went on, but it proved fruitless for both sides.
Gavin Peers, who spent ten years with Rovers, almost broke their hearts on 94 minutes when his header from a Pats corner skimmed the crossbar.
SLIGO ROVERS: Shaun Patton, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Michael Leahy, Kyle Callan-McFadden (Raffaele Cretaro, 83), Regan Donelon (Gary Boylan, 56), John Russell, Craig Roddan, Chris Kenny, Kieran Sadlier, Daniel Kearns (Matty Stevens, 87), Liam Martin.
Subs: Micheal Schlingermann, John Mahon, Mikey Place, Jack Keaney.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Barry Murphy, Michael Barker, Ian Bermingham, Gavin Peers, Patrick Cregg, Conan Byrne (Kurtis Byrne, 83), Graham Kelly (Alex O’Hanlon, 66), Jonathan Lunney, Lee Desmond, Billy Dennehy, Josh O’Hanlon (Christy Fagan, 74).
Subs: Conor O’Malley, Sam Verdon, Rory Feely, Darragh Markey.
Referee: Jim McKell
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