City force Sligo to hang on

Cork City 0 Sligo Rovers 0

Of course, Sligo can still seal the deal by beating Pat’s next Saturday but to do so they’ll have to improve on a performance in Cork which, while composed and comfortable for long periods of the game, was some way short of clinical. In fact, in front of a crowd of 3,071, it was City who both finished strongest and were left to reflect ruefully on their failure to make the most of the clearest-cut chances of the night.

With both sides emphasising attack on a quick, slick surface, there was a pleasing end-to-end quality to the opening exchanges. The first meaningful sight of goal fell to Cork, when Daryl Horgan found Vinny Sullivan in the box with a beautifully judged flighted pass but the striker’s touch was less assured, opting to take the ball down on his chest rather than trying to strike it first time on the volley, and allowing the relieved Sligo defence a chance to clear their lines.