Injuries to Patrick McEleney and Cameron Dummigan overshadow battling stalemate in Sligo

DERRY CIty's battling stalemate at the Sligo Showgrounds was massively overshadowed by injuries to skipper Patrick McEleney and midfielder Cameron Dummigan as the club's injury jinx struck again.

McEleney, who missed the opening match of the season last week with a groin injury appeared to suffer a recurrence of that troublesome issue late in the first half and was brought ashore. Four minutes later his midfield partner Dummigan went down awkwardly after a challenge and needed to be stretchered off as Ruaidhri Higgins cursed his luck.

Derry fans travelled in their numbers for the first away trip of the season with an estimated 500 travelling supporters among the 4,317 attendance, making the short journey to the west and making their presence felt.

However, they didn't have much to shout about in terms of entertainment in a scrappy first half and will have gone back up the road with a familiar feeling of frustration after a trip to the Showgrounds where Derry lost twice last season.

In fact Derry have failed to win at the Showgrounds in the last five occasion and beaten the Bit O'Red just four times in the last 12 meetings as they failed to capitalise on defeats for both Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic who they meet in a double header next week.

Derry, wearing their new blue away strip for the first time, were boasted by the return of their skipper making his first appearance of the season in the starting line-up as one of two changes from the team that got the campaign off to a winning start at home to Drogheda last weekend. He came in for Jordan McEneff and Sam Todd was also handed his first start of the season at the expense of Ben Doherty who also dropped to the bench.The former UCD and Finn Harps defender partnered Mark Connolly at the back with the former Dundee United centre half passing a late fitness test after picking up a knock last week.

Higgins got his Derry City managerial career off to a winning start on the banks of the Garavogue in April 2021, however, the venue hasn't been a happy haunting ground for the Candy Stripes of late and was the setting for the end of their title challenges in both 2022 and 2023.

Last season Derry fell to two 1-0 defeats at the Showgrounds, the last of those coming the night after Shamrock Rovers were held by UCD at the Belfield which gave them a glimmer of hope in the title race but it ultimately ended in disappointment in the shadow of Benbulben.

Sligo made a bright start to the match and threatened with a couple of well delivered crosses into the penalty area but it was the visitors who could so easily have hit the front on three minutes. Hoban did brilliantly to slot the ball through the Sligo defence and into the feet of Patching who turned but fired high over the bar as he leaned backwards just inside the box.

Patching delivered a dangerous inswinging free-kick from wide on the left and McJannet rose highest but his header was off target and Ed McGinty was able to make a flapping clearance on 13 minutes.

Derry were loose on the ball and when McEleney lost possession in his own half Sligo eventually worked the ball to the right where O'Malley's deflected shot on his left foot was gathered cleanly by Brian Maher on 23 minutes.

The Foylesiders were under the cosh as Sligo got into promising areas in and around the box and as Simon Power dribbled his way across the box, he laid it neatly into the path of Hartman on the edge of the area and the RB Leipzig loanee was brought crashing to the ground by the outstretched foot of McJannet who got a booking for his troubles.

Greystones native Power stepped up to take the resultant free-kick and drilled it low under the wall and wide of the far post but Maher appeared confident he had his angles covered.

There was a blow for Derry on 40 minutes when McEleney limped off the pitch shaking his head after what appeared a recurrence of that troublesome groin injury and he was replaced by O'Reilly in the middle of the park.

Four minutes later there was more bad news on the injury front for Derry as Dummigan went down awkwardly after a challenge and physio Michael Hegarty quickly signalled for stretcher to take the player off the pitch.

Higgins was forced into a double change in his midfield in the space of those four first half minutes with Jordan McEneff replacing Dummigan and while they ended the half in the ascendancy the teams were scoreless at the break.

Duffy was looking much more threatening on the left wing at the start of the secnd half and when he cut inside in a central position his low strike on the edge of the box took a slight deflection which took it narrowly wide of the post and behind for a corner.

It was a lively start to the second half and on the hour mark Sligo worked a decent opening from a throw-in deep inside Derry's half as Wilson crossed into the six yard box where Mata's downward header was collected calmly by Maher.

Patching flashed a decent strike from a 25 yards free-kick just wide of McGinty's right hand post with three minutes remaining and when Duffy crossed into the penalty area a Sligo defender missed his clearance and it fell fortuitously to substitute Daniel Kelly who followed it in but the Sligo keeper saved well at his feet.

Kelly was shown a yellow card by referee Kevin O'Sullivan on 90 minutes after the winger beat his man before going to ground inside the penalty area and Sligo were awarded a free kick.

Derry finished strongly and in the third minute of five signalled for stoppage time, Patching's shot was turned behind by McGinty but neither side could find that decisive goal in what was ultimately a game which failed to spark into life.

Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Wilson (Wiggett 77), Denham, Pijnaker, Hutchinson; Hartmann (Fitzgerald 73), Morahan, Chapman (Barlow 73), Malley, Power; Mata (Waweru 83); Subs Not Used - Brush, Radosavljevic, Reynolds, Elding, Patton.

Derry City: Maher; Boyce, Connolly, Todd, McJannet (Doherty 76); McMullan (Kelly 76), Patching, P. McEleney (O'Reilly 40), Dummigan (McEneff 45), Duffy; Hoban; Subs Not Used - Ryan, Coll, S. McEleney, Mullen, Patton.

Referee - Kevin O'Sullivan.