St. Patrick’s Athletic 0 - 0 Sligo Rovers

St. Patrick’s Athletic and Sligo Rovers played out a 0-0 draw at Richmond Park in a match which saw few chances for either side to grab a win.

The first half was a tale of the away side's inability to score. Sligo had most of the possession and chances, but failed to get more than a handful of chances in the whole forty-five minutes.

Rovers had perhaps their best opportunity of the half on nine minutes. Gary McCabe's shot was flicked on by Padraig Amond, and Conor Kenna had to clear the ball away only a yard from the goal-line.

The Saints suffered as a result of their failure to keep the ball. At times when the home side should have held the ball, the Bit O'Red were able to win possession and mount attacks. Sligo attacks may have been more in number, but Rovers struggled at times to break the Pats defence down. Joseph Ndo was a threat at times, and his best chance came after twenty-three minutes when he whizzed a free-kick over the bar.

Pats forced a few corners around the half hour mark, but never really looked like scoring. Gary Rogers was forced come out before Padraig Amond to claim a high bouncing ball on forty-one minutes, but the sides went in level.

Rovers began the second half as they finished the first. Romauld Boco played Ndo in minutes after the break, but the Cameroonian's shot was wide. The home side were forced to resort to long-ball tactics for a time as a result of Sligo's high-pressure game. Even then they couldn't find a way through.

On fifty-nine minutes Ian Bermingham had Pats' first real chance of the half, shooting over after a Ryan Guy cross missed the head of intended target Vinny Faherty. Dave McAllister went closer again on sixty-six minutes, hitting the upright from thirty yards out.

Pats did enjoy a spell of dominance, but Sligo always looked capable of dealing with it. The Bit O'Red had to wait a while for a genuine chance, but only a Shane Guthrie intervention prevented a goal after a goal-line scramble in the seventy-third minute. Substitute Matthew Blinkhorn shot low across goal four minutes later and John Dillon was unlucky not to get a touch which could have sent the ball into the Pats net.

Both sides enjoyed half-chances in the final ten minutes, but the match finished as it began- scoreless.

St. Patrick's Athletic: Gary Rogers, Derek Pender, Ian Bermingham, Conor Kenna, Shane Guthrie, David McAllister, Stuart Byrne, Daniel North [Vinny Faherty '50], Derek Doyle [Brian Cash '75], David Mulcahy [Gareth O'Connor '20], Ryan Guy.
Subs Not Used: Chris Bennion, James O'Brien

Sligo Rovers: Ciaran Kelly, Alan Keane, Iarfhlaith Davoren, Gavin Peers, Jim Lauchlan, Richie Ryan, Gary McCabe [Conor O'Grady '67] Joseph Ndo, Romauld Boco, Eoin Doyle [John Dillon '75], Padraig Amond [Matthew Blinkhorn '61]
Subs Not Used: John Gibson, Danny Ventre

Referee: Alan Kelly
Attendance: 2200 (unofficial estimate)
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Richie Ryan