Rovers remain in relegation zone
SLIGO ROVERS 1 DERRY CITY 1 NEW Sligo Rovers manager Gerard Lyttle was arguably the most interested spectator at the Showgrounds on Saturday night when he kept a watchful eye on his new team as they played out a 1- 1 draw with Derry City.
Lyttle will have been enthused by what he saw from the outstanding Kieran Sadlier who fired Rovers into the lead on the half hour. Less impressed he would have been by the nature of the Candystripes equaliser on 37 when Kyle Callan- McFadden turned Conor McDermott’s cross into his own net. Both teams fashioned enough opportunities to take the points during a tight second half but poor finishing from either camp saw a share of the spoils.
Derry were looking to put a run of four straight defeats behind them and almost grabbed an early lead. Nicky Low applied a dangerous bend to his set piece from the left but the Scot was unlucky to see the ball end up in the side netting two minutes in.
Micheál Schlingermann was called into action for the first time at the other end to keep out both Nathan Boyle and Ronan Curtis as the Candystripes threatened on 12 and 24 minutes respectively.
But it was Rovers who hit the lead through top scorer Sadlier on the half hour. The ball saw plenty of air time as both sides attempted to take control before possession fell to the 22- year- old who from 10 yards, laced the ball into the roof of the net and beyond the stunned Doherty for his fifth of the year.
City threatened again through Curtis and Low before Kenny Shiels’ men leveled eight minutes from the break. In his attempt to clear McDermott’s drilled cross from his left side, the luckless Callan- McFadden instead deflected the ball past his own keeper.
Low threatened again from a set piece again on 53 while Ayunga should have done better with his headed effort five minutes later. Some Sadlier magic saw the winger tee up the Brighton loanee with a sumptuous ball from deep but the striker’s intentions lacked conviction. Sadlier fired another warning shot on 63 as he hammered the ball narrowly wide of the far post. While substitute Raffaele Cretaro’s leap saw the veteran produce a decent stop from Doherty on 70.
Harry Monaghan and Mark Timlin both had sight of the home goal shortly after as the game hung in the balance. While Boyle wastefully fired over from the edge of the area with five minutes remaining.
The point was not enough to elevate Rovers out of the relegation zone. But they did jump to tenth ahead of Lyttle’s first game in charge against Drogheda United at United Park this Friday.
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo- Rowling, Kyle Callan- McFadden, Mick Leahy, Gary Boylan; Kieran Sadlier, Craig Roddan. Daniel Kearns ( Raffaele Cretaro 57), Liam Martin; Chris Kenny ( Regan Donelon 46); Jonah Ayunga.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Conor McDermott, Aaron Barry, Dean Jarvis, Ben Doherty; Nicky Low, Harry Monaghan; Lukas Schubert ( Barry McNamee 63), Mark Timlin ( Mikhail Kennedy 85), Ronan Curtis ( Cathal Farren 79); Nathan Boyle.