Rovers earn a point
SLIGO Rovers picked up a valuable point on Saturday night as they held Shamrock Rovers to a nil all draw at the Showgrounds.
The Bit O’Red came into this game on the back of three consecutive league defeats and had only picked up two wins at home all season.
Stephen Bradley’s side have been struggling to find form of late, winning just one game in their last five before travelling to Sligo on Saturday night.
Ger Lyttle made two changes to the side that lost to St. Patrick’s Athletic on Tuesday evening - Regan Donelon and Lewis Morrison started in place of Greg Moorhouse and Adam Wixted.
Both Mitchell Beeney and Tomer Chencinski enjoyed an equally quiet opening period.
The hosts were first to go on the attack. Rhys McCabe’s free-kick was headed down by Kyle Callan-McFadden into the path of the onrushing Morrison, but he couldn’t get there in time - Chencinski untroubled in goal.
Graham Burke, who featured as a sub for the Republic of Ireland in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Celtic, had his side’s first effort at goal, but he curled it well over the target.
Beeney was forced into an excellent stop after 23 minutes when Dan Carr’s powerful drive looked destined for the back of the net.
Ger Lyttle’s side really should have taken the lead before the interval when Beeney’s kick out somehow evaded the Hoops defence.
Morrison managed to turn Lee Grace but his close range effort just sailed over the bar.
Carr, who is always a threat, was having a difficult night up against John Mahon, but he came agonisingly close to opening the scoring when he turned and shot at goal first time in the Rovers box, dragging his effort just inches wide of the post.
The Tallaght side started the second-half well, with Ronan Finn forcing three saves from Beeney in the opening stages.
But alas, neither side could do enough to force a winner as the game entered the late stages.
Having been a relatively well mannered game, there was angry scenes at the end.
Dan Carr, who had already been yellow-carded, launched into a horrendous tackle on John Mahon.
This provoked an angry reaction from the home side, with Carr being pushed to the ground and pushing and shoving ensuing between a number of players.
Somehow, Carr walked away without a second yellow, much to the amazement of everyone in the ground.
Beeney, Luke Byrne and substitute Dean Dillon were all carded for their involvement in the melee.
That point brings Rovers back into eighth above Limerick on goal difference.
The Bit O’Red take on the Blues at the Showgrounds on Friday night, in what is now a must-win game for the hosts.
Tommy Barrett’s Limerick sit one place behind Rovers in the table, with just goal difference separating the two.
The Blues defeated Rovers on the open- ing day of the season, but the Bit O’Red beat them on their own patch in their second meeting of the season.
Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; Calum Waters, Kyle Callan McFadden, John Mahon, Regan Donelon; Gary Boylan (Adam Wixted, 76), Jack Keaney, Rhys McCabe, Caolan McAleer; Lewis Morrison (David Cawley, 64), Adam Morgan (Greg Moor- house, 57).
Shamrock Rovers: Tomer Chencinski; Ethan Boyle, Roberto Lopes, Ally Gilchrist, Lee Grace, Luke Byrne; Aaron Bolger (Sam Bone, 46), Greg Bolger (Brandon Miele, 78), Ronan Finn; Dan Carr, Graham Burke (Dean Dillon, 88).
Referee: Derek Tomney