Stalemate between Sligo and Galway in Connacht derby

Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Sligo Rovers 0 Galway United 0

Galway United's almost 30 year wait for a win at the Showgrounds goes on, but they did come away from this Connacht derby with a valuable point following a stalemate with Sligo Rovers.

Both sides did have chances in this re-arranged derby, rescheduled after the initial date was postponed due to the effects of Storm Kathleen. Although Bit O'Red goalkeeper Ed McGinty was the busier of the two goalkeepers, with both camps struggling to create clear-cut chances.

Without a win in Sligo since spring 1996, it was the away side who carved out the better of the openings early on. Though 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 while there was a great chance for Killian Brouder who nodded over from all of five yards.

Simon Power was withdrawn with a knee injury in the second half but did have time to knock an effort off Brendan Clarke's far post. Chapman blasting over on the follow up.

Both Rovers' Mata and Galway's Stephen Walsh spurned chances to open the scoring late in the half. Mata heading Hartmann's corner into the ground at the back post, while Walsh blasted his shot across the face of McGinty's goal. Both players should have done more with their respective efforts.

Rovers had lost the services of both Hartmann and Power by the time substitute Stefan Radosavljevic fired over from a Will Fitzgerald cross on 64 minutes during a second period in which the chances were at a premium.

McGinty had to react to keep out a Maurice Nugent header from a Hurley set-piece five minutes later. While the on-loan stopper was called upon again to tip another Hurley header over his crossbar with four to go as the Tribesmen threatened late on.

There were further chances in the eight added minutes. Kazeem blocking Wilson Waweru, while McGinty reached far into the bottom corner to get behind Hurley's strike on the 98th minute.

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Charlie Wiggett, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Connor Malley; Simon Power (Stefan Radosavljevic 57), Ellis Chapman (Rein Smit 79), Fabrice Hartmann (Will Fitzgerald HT); Max Mata (Wilson Waweru 73).

Galway United: Brendan Clarke; Rob Slevin, Killian Brouder, Maurice Nugent (Conor O'Keefe 76); Jeannot Esua, Al-Amin Kazeem; David Hurley; Ed McCarthy (Aodh Dervan 67), Karl O'Sullivan (Francely Lomoboto 83); Stephen Walsh, Wassim Aouachria (Vincent Borden HT).

Referee: Eoghan O'Shea.

Attendance: 2,627.