Burns strike makes it honours even at Showgrounds

Darragh Burns cancelled out Aidan Keena's opener as Sligo Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic earned a point a piece at the Showgrounds.

Keena had fired the Bit O’Red into the lead on 36 minutes, but Tim Clancy’s Saints struck back early in the second period courtesy of Burns who finished off a lethal counter.

Keena’s goal separated the sides at the break, but in truth there as little between the teams.

It was Keena’s sliced clearance at the other end, which almost allowed the visitors take an early lead.

The Mullingar man’s attempt to clear Ben McCormack’s corner landing at the feet of Joe Redmond whose effort was acrobatically flicked over his crossbar by the alert Ed McGinty in the Sligo goal.

Pat’s carved out opportunities with Eoin Doyle and Chris Forrester, but it was Rovers who hit the lead courtesy of Keena’s seventh goal of the season.

McGinty going direct with a punt up the pitch which was first touched on by Karl O’Sullivan towards Sligo skipper David Cawley. The Mayo man flicking the ball into the path of Keena who opened up his body, unleashing an unstoppable right-footed volley past Joseph Anang.

FT | @sligorovers 1-1 @stpatsfc It ends level in Sligo - Aidan Keena opened the scoring before Darragh Burns levelled it up in the second half