Longford Town 2-2 Sligo Rovers
Longford Town gave themselves some hope in their efforts to escape relegation from the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division as they played out a dogged 2-2 draw with Sligo Rovers at City Calling Stadium.
The basement side came from behind twice to level the game. Raffaele Cretaro's 75th goal for Sligo had given Dave Robertson's side the lead just past the half-hour mark, but Rhys Gorman pegged Rovers back moments before the break.
Phil Roberts restored Sligo's lead with a wonderfully struck free-kick eight minutes into the second half, only for Eddie Dsane to make the most of a defensive howler on the part of Gary Boylan mid-way through the second period.
The result sees Town close the cap between themselves and Wexford Youths to three points, while Rovers move into sixth, a point ahead of St Patrick's Athletic.
Sligo looked the more threatening early on, enjoying the lion's share of possession. But it was the home side who almost capitalised on a defensive mishap just short of the tenth minute.
Under pressure from Don Cowan, Sligo playmaker John Russell saw his attempted back pass chased down by Town's Dsane inside the Rovers area. But goalkeeper Micheál Schlingermann showed the quicker initiative and managed to scramble the ball to safety.
A scrappy contest ensued before Sligo broke the deadlock. Keohane's cross evaded both Russell and Martin before sneaking narrowly past the concerned Ryan Coulter's back post on the half hour.
But the Bit O'Red were not to be denied on 31. Martin was offered time and space on the Rovers left to pick out Cretaro, whose salmon like leap saw the veteran striker meet the ball with a crisp header which sailed past the forlorn Coulter.
The lead was relatively short lived however as Tony Cousins' side levelled proceedings eleven minutes later. Kaleem Simon's corner crept past a series of Sligo players before the ball fell to the right foot of Gorman who lashed the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the six yard box.This, the 22-year-old's second league goal of the season.
Encouraged by this, the home side passed up two opportunities to take the lead deep into injury time at the end of the half.
Kealan Dillon's set piece from the left seemed to come off Gorman's shoulder after he wriggled free of the attentions of Gavin Peers at the front post. While Don Cowan could only head straight at Schlingermann moments later.
The second period was just eight minutes old when Haverty's clumsy challenge upended Martin 20 yards from goal. Roberts' resulting free-kick rose over the Longford wall before dipping and squeezing between Coulter's outstretched arm and the post for the Englishman's first goal for the Showgrounds side.
Longford continued to battle and were rewarded for their endeavour shortly after Yann Mvita Nkelu glanced Dillon's corner across the face of the Sligo goal on 61.
A disastrous lapse in concentration saw Sligo centre-half Boylan mis-hit his clearance as he inadvertently played the ball straight into the the path of Dsane. The striker, on his home debut gratefully slipped the ball beyond Schlingermann for his maiden goal for the Town on 66.
Both sides struggled to create any meaningful chances for the remainder of the contest. Although Noel Haverty should have done better with his free header from a Simon corner with three minutes remaining.
Indeed, Sligo had their own opportunity to grab just their third league win away from home two minutes into stoppage time. Sadlier's trickery brought him around Haverty, before he found the incoming Daniel Kearns whose could only skew his awkward effort wide of Coulter's goal.
Longford Town: Ryan Coulter; Noel Haverty, Yann Mvita Nkelu, Rhys Gorman, Conor Powell; Peter McGlynn (David O'Sullivan 66), Mark Hughes, Kealan Dillon (Jamie Mulhall 76), Kaleem Simon; Eddie Dsane, Don Cowan (Lee Duffy 87).
Sligo Rovers: Micheál Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Gavin Peers, Gary Boylan, Jimmy Keohane; Phil Roberts (Daniel Kearns 64), Craig Roddan, John Russell, Liam Martin; Kieran Sadlier; Raffaele Cretaro.
Referee: Derek Tomney.
