Sligo stalemate as Galway earn Showgrounds point

Sligo Rovers are without a win in their last four and have now failed to find the net in three of those games after they could only manage a scoreless draw with Galway United at The Showgrounds.

The shared points will sit better with those from Galway than it will with those of the Bit O'Red persuasion, particularly after Rovers could only manage a draw with basement side Dundalk just three nights previous.

Both sides did have chances in this derby. Sligo's Ed McGinty was the busier of the two goalkeepers, with the home side struggling to create much, particularly in the second half.

A Rovers side in need of points having failed to win in any of their last three, welcomed back Simon Power following a recent suspension. The winger John Russell's only change from their draw with Dundalk. While both Max Mata and Fabrice Hartmann recovered in time to take to the field following respective knocks against the Lilywhites.

In good spirits travelling the relatively short journey up the N17, Galway boss John Caulfield made four personnel switches from Friday's win over league leaders Shelbourne. Wassim Aouacharia, Maurice Nugent, Jeannot Esue starting having missed the win over Shels, while winger Karl O'Sullivan who scored three times in his two years at Sligo, took his place in the starting XI.

Without a win at the Showgrounds since Spring 1996, it was the away side who carved out the better of the openings early on although United may have been lucky not to have conceded an early penalty when Al-Amin Kazeem connected with Ellis Chapman inside the Galway area.

McGinty had to parry away a curling effort from the inside of Ed McCarthy's right foot. The unmarked Killian Brouder then nodded a David Hurley cross from the right over the bar