Buckley and Bradley share the points and frustrations

BOTH managers were left frustrated by this draw at the Showgrounds on Saturday, despite the sides each maintaining their unbeaten starts to the season.

Walter Figueira’s 82nd-minute strike gave Sligo the lead after a mistake by Hoops goalkeeper Alan Mannus, but there was still time for substitute Rory Gaffney – on for Graham Burke – to earn the defending champions a share of the spoils and keep them unbeaten in the league since September 2019.

A draw was probably a fair result with defences on top and both sides struggling to create anything clearcut until Figueira’s opportunistic strike squirmed under the usually reliable Mannus.

It sparked a revival from the visitors, with Gaffney getting three good chances late on, the second of which found the net, with the last touch coming from home defender John Mahon.

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley said: “I’m a bit frustrated. I thought we never looked in any danger and controlled the game. I can’t remember them having too many more shots on target, and we created three or four really good chances.

“Alan has been excellent for us, and he is allowed a mistake every now and again. Unfortunately, he has made one tonight, but we can have no complaints about him.”

Sligo boss Liam Buckley said: “I think we acquitted ourselves well and competed well with the champions. But we’d be disappointed not to have hung on for the last few minutes. To go 1-0 up at that stage and to then give it away is a little disappointing.”

SLIGO ROVERS – McGinty, Horgan, Mahon, Buckley, McCourt, Bolger, Morahan, Gibson, Parkes, Figueira, Kenny (De Vries h-t).

SHAMROCK ROVERS – Mannus, Grace, Scales, Hoare, McCann, Watts, Finn (Gannon 78), Kavanagh, Mandriou, Burke (Gaffney 78), Greene.

REF – D Tomney