Jamie McGonigle hit the crossbar for Derry in the scoreless draw
Sligo Rovers held on for a deserved point to leave Derry City frustrated at the Ryan McBride Brandywell.
The draw sees the Candystripes lose their lead of the Premier Division table, dropping from first to third.
Liam Buckley’s team came to the Brandywell on the back of a brilliant win at St. Patrick’s Athletic, and barring a difficult start to the game, they held on for a comfortable point.
The Brandywell fans were almost celebrating very early on as Jamie McGonigle’s cross was only half cleared by the Sligo defence, straight into the path of Brandon Kavanagh 20 yards from goal, but his curling effort towards the top corner was brilliantly tipped over by Ed McGinty.
The Sligo goalkeeper was beaten just two minutes later when McGonigle crept in behind the Sligo defence and lobbed the ball past McGinty only for the ball to come back off the crossbar.
Sligo steadied the ship somewhat after that early blitz, but it wasn’t long before Derry got into their rhythm again and they came within inches of taking the lead just before the half hour mark.
Patrick McEleney played a simple one-two with Kavanagh on the edge of the Rovers area before dinking a cross into the six-yard box, tempting McGinley from his line. The Sligo goalkeeper was second to the ball however wit Eoin Toal getting there before him, but his header bounced just the wrong side of the post and Sligo survived again.
It was Derry City who went in at half time fortunate not to be behind as Sligo struck the crossbar with the last kick of the first half. Lewis Banks drilled the ball right across the face of goal and David Cawley stuck out a leg and directed it past Maher and onto the frame of the goal.
Sligo started the second half as they ended the first, and Derry were fortunate again as Greg Bolger’s superb pass found Will Fitzgerald on the wing and his whipped cross was met by Aidan Keena, but his effort just cleared the crossbar.
The visitors were dominant in the early stages of the second half and Brian Maher had to be alert to deny Cawley from close range after successive Sligo corners.
Ruaidhri Higgins tried to switch things around by making two changes – Matty Smith and Ronan Boyce on for Patrick McEleney and Joe Thomson.
But it just didn’t happen for the Candystripes, who now travel to Shelbourne on Friday, while Sligo host Dundalk 24 hours later.
Derry City: Maher, Coll (Lafferty 77’), Toal, McJannett, Dummigan, Thomson (Smith 60’), Patching, McEleney (Boyce 60’), Kavanagh, Akintunde, McGonigle.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Banks, Buckley, Pijnaker, McCourt (Kirk 65’), Fitzgerald, Bolger (Morahan 74’), McDonnell (Keogh 87’), Cawley, O’Sullivan, Keena (Mata 87’).
Referee: Damian McGraith.
Tags: