Sporting Fingal 1 Sligo Rovers 1 SPORTING FINGAL and Sligo Rovers played out an entertaining fixture that neither side seemed too keen to win at Morton Stadium last night. Sligo's John Russell was unfortunate not to score in the fifth minute when he wriggled through the defence only to poke wide.

Rovers’ Eoin Doyle was gifted the opener nine minutes later when Alan Keane’s right wing cross was poorly defended by Ger O’Brien who headed the ball straight to Doyle and he drilled home from eight yards. Doyle had another chance in the 23rd minute but his strike was deflected wide.

Sligo conceded a poor equaliser in the 33rd minute when Conan Byrne drilled home from the edge of the box. And Sligo came close to regaining the lead in injury-time when John Dillon’s half-volley smashed off the crossbar.

Pádraig Amond had two chances to put Sligo back in front, but he was denied by goalkeeper Brendan Clarke early in the second half. Fingal were denied a winner in the 81st minute when Alan Kirby hit the crossbar and when the rebound was fired back in by Byrne, Jim Lauchlan deflected it to safety. Two minutes later, the Sligo crossbar was rattled from Eamon Zayed’s header.

SPORTING FINGAL:Clarke; James, O'Brien, Browne, Fitzgerald, Byrne, Williams, McFaul (Zayed, 19 mins), Kirby, Finn, Crowe (Quinn, 75 mins).

SLIGO ROVERS:Brush; Keane, Lauchlan, Ventre, Davoren, Doyle, Ryan, Russell (O'Grady, 85 mins), Dillon (McCabe, 66 mins), Amond (McEvilly, 75 mins), Ndo.

Referee:N Doyle (Dublin).