SLIGO ROVERS’ LOSING streak of four games came to an end thanks to a 1-1 draw with Drogheda United at the Showgrounds.
Alan Keane put them ahead after just 42 seconds, before Drogheda pulled one back after 24 minutes.
The home side instantly piled the pressure on Drogheda, and took the lead early on. Aaron Greene’s cross from the left evaded David Ryan in goal, and the unmarked Keane was on hand at the far post to tap it in.
Rovers’ joy didn’t last too long, though, as Drogheda equalised on 24 minutes. Declan ‘Fabio’ O’Brien ran down the right-hand side, and with an angle and a man on him, managed to slip it past Gary Rogers to score his seventh of the season.
The 2013 FAI Cup winners upped the ante in the second half, and the visitors found themselves under pressure early on. First, Kieran Djilali found Maguire, who controlled it well with his chest, but his volleyed effort went way over the bar.
Then, Aaron Greene came terribly close when his free-kick looked bound for the top left-hand corner, but Ryan just got his palm to it, forcing it out for a corner.
John Russell was next to trouble the Drogheda defence, after Ross Gaynor’s excellent run forward left the visitors for dead, before he slipped it to Russell, whose effort smacked the crossbar.
Indeed, Drogheda themselves easily could have went away with three points in the dying minutes when Gavin Brennan’s cross from the left went in front of Gary Rogers, and Fabio O’Brien missed a glorious chance to put Drogheda at the top of the table, as he just couldn’t get to the ball in time.
SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Gaynor, Henderson, McMillan, Keane, Greene, Russell, Ndo, O’Conor (Cawley, 75), Djilali, Maguire (Odhiambo, 68). Subs: Brush, Dykes, Loftus, Spillane, Ledwith.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Ryan, Holohan (McCann, 67 [Doyle, 85]), McNally, McGuigan, Grimes, Walshe, Foley (Maher, 67), O’Neill, Daly, Brennan, O’Brien. Subs: Connolly, Andrews, Brady, Hughes, Doyle.