SOCCER: Derry City 0, Sligo Rovers 0:JUST AS their league position suggests, there was little between Derry City and Sligo Rovers in what proved a thriller at the Brandywell last night.

It was a fair result in the end with Derry bossing the first half and Sligo on top in the second.

Derry striker Eamon Zayed should have added to his goal tally having squandered some decent chances during the first half.

In the 12th minute a Kevin Deery pass saw the striker bear down on Sligo keeper Brendan Clarke but Zayed hesitated and the chance was lost.

After 43 minutes Derry had another clear chance. James McClean gained possession on the left but Zayed failed to get a touch to his enticing inswinging cross.

Sligo’s first noteworthy chance of the match didn’t materialise until the 49th minute when Matthew Blinkhorn drove the ball into the side-netting after Ritchie Ryan had set him up.

Joseph Ndo entered the fray in the 52nd minute and in his first action he found the head of Blinkhorn from a free-kick, the striker heading over the crossbar.

Derry keeper Gerard Doherty did well to palm the ball clear from Eoin Doyle as the visitors began to pile on the pressure with Ndo pulling the strings in midfield.

In the 58th minute a Ruaidhri Higgins shot was saved by Clarke while a powerful drive from Gareth McGlynn crashed into the side-netting. But Sligo finished the game strongly with Higgins heading a looping effort from Ndo off his line while sub Alan Kirby had a shot blocked by Lafferty.

DERRY CITY:Doherty; McCallion, Greacen, S McEleney, Lafferty; McGlynn, Higgins, Deery, McClean; P McEleney (McDaid, 74); Zayed (McDaid, 83).

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane, Peers, McGuinness, Greene; Doyle, Ryan, Russell (Ndo, 52), Ventre (Kirby, 64), Cretaro; Blinkhorn (Horgan, 87).

Referee:T Connolly (Dublin).