Rovers battle to draw in eastern Europe

Vorskla Poltava 0 Sligo Rovers 0

A terrific performance in deepest Ukraine has given Sligo Rovers every chance of making the play-off round of the Europa League as they now hold the initiative over Vorskla Poltava ahead of next week’s return leg at the Showgrounds.

Vorskla took the game to the Airtricity League leaders from the first whistle and should really have been in front at the interval.

Albanian striker Ahmed Januzi proved the main threat to the Sligo defence early on, heading narrowly wide on 22 minutes from a good cross from the left.

Influential midfielder Roman Bezus almost punished sloppy defending, forcing the first save of the night from Brendan Clarke.

Rovers’ keeper Clarke then produced another top save to deprive Bezus again just before the half hour as the pressure mounted.

Jason McGuinness relieved the pressure when getting on the end of Joseph Ndo’s corner to bundle the ball out of the home keeper’s hands and into the net, but the goal was ruled out for the foul.

Sligo grew more into the game in the second half with topscorer Eoin Doyle heading wide from another Ndo corner on 70 minutes.

Minutes later Raffaele Cretaro cut into the home box only to shoot off target.