SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Derry City 1 Sligo Rovers 1
DERRY City had to come from behind to secure a deserved point against a well-organised Sligo Rovers side at Brandywell on Friday evening.
Defender Ciaran Coll was City's man who equalised in the closing stages, after the in-form Max Mata had given John Russell's side a first-half advantage.
City will be disappointed that, for the second home game in a row, they didn't test the opposition's goalkeeper enough.
The home side made two changes to their team which drew with Dundalk, as Ronan Boyce replaced the injured Mark Connolly and Oliver O'Neill came in for Jordan McEneff, who dropped to the bench.
Derry showed their intent in the opening couple of minutes with Ryan Graydon inches away from Ben Doherty's cross and Jamie McGonigle firing over from close range.
The Brandywell rose in honour of former captain Ryan McBride, as his sixth anniversary occurs this weekend.
Derry thought they had taken a 10th-minute lead as Jamie McGonigle had fired home his second goal of the season, but incredibly, referee Adriano Reale, had blown his whistle for an earlier incident and awarded Derry a free-kick some 25 yards from goal, much to the annoyance of the home side.
Totally against the run of play, the visitors took the lead on 25 minutes following a fantastic flowing move, which ended with Reece Hutchinson's teasing left-wing cross finding Max Mata at the back post and the league's top scorer made no mistake heading home from close range.
Rovers were forced into a change just before the break, as Johan Brannefalk had to be stretchered off and replaced by Karl O'Sullivan after a lengthy stoppage.
Derry were inches away from leveling on 70 minutes as Graydon's left-wing centre found Ronan Boyce, but the right-back's close-range header, which had Luke McNicholas beaten, skimmed the top of the net.
The Brandywell men leveled on 81 minutes as Ben Doherty's left-wing corner was powerfully headed home by Ciaran Coll, sparking wild celebrations amongst the home support.
Rovers should have regained the lead minutes later as Bogdan Vastsuk broke the offside trap, but with only City keeper Brian Maher to beat, the Estonian fired wide from close range.
Deep into stoppage time, Maher was called into action, this time diving to his left to keep out Frank Liivak's long range strike.
Derry City: Maher, Boyce (C Kavanagh 79), S McEleney (McLaughlin 87), Coll, Doherty; Diallo, P McEleney, Patching (McEneff 67); Graydon, McGonigle, O'Neill (B Kavanagh 67).
Sligo Rovers: McNicholas, Brannefalk (O'Sullivan 42 - Browning HT), Mahon (Clancy HT), Pijnaker, Hutchinson; Bolger, Morahan (Liivak 74), Vastsuk (Barlow 84); Hartmann, Mata, Fitzgerald.
Referee: Adriano Reale (Dublin).
