Rovers draw with Dunalk
SLIGO ROVERS DUNDALK
SLIGO Rovers came from behind to secure a crucial point against league champions Dundalk at The Showgrounds on Saturday evening.
Niclas Vemmelund gave the visitors the lead on nine minutes, before Benny Igiehon levelled on 24 minutes.
Gerard Lyttle’s Sligo Rovers came into this game desperately needing to pick up points, sitting second bottom of the league on Saturday evening.
Results haven’t gone their way in recent weeks, leaving them in a precarious position at the wrong end of the table.
The Bit O’Red were looking for their first win since they beat Shamrock Rovers on July 1st.
Dundalk’s fortunes of late have been somewhat mixed. Stephen Kenny’s side have been left disappointed following their European defeat to Rosenborg, and a league defeat last week to Shamrock Rovers didn’t make matters any easier.
The league champions looked dangerous from the off, and set the tone for the opening ten minutes when David McMillan’s effort just trickled wide of Micheál Schlingermann’s post.
The Lilywhites took the lead on nine minutes when Vemmelund’s bullet header from a Michael Duffy freekick drifted past Schlingermann and into the back of the net.
It really should have been 2-0 to the visitors just three minutes later, as Duffy’s corner somehow evaded the Rovers rearguard, who left Brian Gartland unmarked in the box, he nodded just wide, though.
A missed opportunity for the Louth side that they would later pay for.
The Bit O’Red, though, to their credit turned up the dial and started to really threaten the Lilywhites’ goal. First,
Regan Donelon’s corner was nodded forward by Michael Leahy, but former Lilywhite Daniel Kearns’
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effort was blocked by the opposition’s defence.
Shortly afterwards, Donelon dispossessed Gartland just outside the box, and with only Gary Rogers to beat, he was unable to make the most of it, with the former Rovers man smothering the ball.
On 24 minutes, the hosts were back in it. New striker Igiehon unleashed an effort from the right hand side from around 30 yards which somehow went untouched, smacked the post and went into the net - his first for the club.
Rhys McCabe then dragged a shot wide as half-time approached.
The visitors had the best of the chances in the second-half, when Vemmelund and McMillan went close, but not close enough to take the lead once again.
There was almost late drama for the 2016 champions in the dying minutes, when Sligo’s Mick Leahy almost scored into the back of his net, luckily for the former Limerick man, it just about drifted wide.
Dundalk are now 17 points behind Cork City, while Sligo Rovers remain in the danger zone, now third bottom, three points off St. Patrick’s Athletic in ninth.
Rovers will actually play host to St. Patrick’s Athletic in their next league outing on Saturday evening, while they meet Gavin Dykes’ Ballinamallard in a friendly on Tuesday evening.
Sligo Rovers: Micheal Schlingermann, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Michael Leahy, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Regan Donelon, Daniel Kearns, Gary Boylan, Craig Roddan, Chris Kenny, Rhys McCabe (Jack Keaney, 88), Benny Igiehon (Gary Armstrong, 91).
Dundalk: Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Niclas Vemmelund, Dane Massey, Michael Duffy (Steven Kinsella, 84), John Mountney (Dylan Connolly, 62), Robbie Benson, Chris Shields, Thomas Stewart (Jamie McGrath, 76), David McMillan.
Referee: Graham Kelly.