Sligo Rovers vs Shamrock Rovers

Sligo Rovers newcomer Lukas Browning became an instant hit after firing a 95th minute equaliser to deny Shamrock Rovers. Graham Burke had put the Hoops on ...

And that space only got bigger and bigger as the Sligo defenders backed off and backed off until it was too late. Until, that was, Browning stepped up to apply a gorgeous finish to a goal worthy of winning a game - but they will settle for the point. They hadn’t worked Luke McNicholas to the same extent and some of their passing was wayward, but Farrugia was a handful on the right. But that was the height of Sligo’s attacking intent during that opening half as the Hoops kicked on having weathered the storm. The ball was lost in a sea of bodies, but the Showgrounds erupted when the realisation hit home that the Swedish recruit had scrambled a point. Graham Burke had put the Hoops on the front foot with a first-half, arrowed goal and the champions appeared to be starting the season as they mean to go on.

Lukas Browning drilled home a fine equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time to deny Shamrock Rovers a win at The Showgrounds.

Kailin Barlow’s effort from close-range hit the post – the closest Sligo came to an equaliser – as ten-man Rovers looked to have held on, with further saves from Mannus, but Browning struck at the death to give the resilient hosts a share of the spoils. Browning’s excellent strike, after a Sligo corner was only partially cleared, cancelled out Graham Burke’s 17th minute goal for Rovers, a goal that looked like it would give the champions the result despite a 67th minute red card for Roberto Lopes. Lukas Browning drilled home a fine equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time to deny Shamrock Rovers a win at The Showgrounds.

A late,late goal on his debut from Lukas Browning rescued a deserved point for Sligo Rovers against ten-man Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Browning controlling the ball with his chest before lashing past Mannus from outside the box. The champions, chasing their fourth title on the bounce forced first sight of goal through Burke after neat inter-play between Byrne and Farrugia. Referee MacGraith awarding a goal kick instead of a corner, much to Sligo’s angst.

Jessica Farry reports from The Showgrounds. A LATE LUKAS Browning strike denied Shamrock Rovers a win on the opening game of the season as the champions ...

They were hanging on, but the Bit O’Red continued to push and push. The 40-year-old was called into action again when he fisted Will Fitzgerald’s effort out of the danger zone. In what was a lively opener, both sides set out their stalls out from early on. Three new signings made the starting 11, with Johan Brannefalk, Browning and Reece Hutchinson all coming into the team. The Bit O’Red have had wholesale changes over the off-season, with ten new signings coming into the squad. They were reduced to ten men, but looked like they were going to hang on for all three points.

Drogheda-born Swede Browning scored a debut goal four minutes into added time to become an instant hero to most of the 4,248 fans in attendance at the ...

Sligo were never out of it, with Mannus twice called upon before the break to deny Fitzgerald and Frank Liivak. But it was only deep into injury time that the visitors found a way past him to pick up a point. It was by no means a vintage performance from the three-in-a-row champs, but a professional one for 93 minutes as they did enough at one end and gave away little at the other. Mannus then had to concede a corner when Neil Farrugia nearly put through his own goal on 93 minutes, and from the set-piece, the Bit O’Red equalised. Striker Kenny signed for the Hoops on loan from Celtic just a year after leaving the Bit O’Red and joining ‘Shams’ was viewed as an act of treachery by many of the Showgrounds faithful. The teen’s reaction was to turn and gee up the home crowd and he almost had them in raptures moments later when his shot from a tight angle came back off the post.

A late goal from Lukas Browning denied champions Shamrock Rovers all three points as Sligo Rovers pulled a goal back late on to draw.

The Hoops enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half, but it was the Bit O’Red who enjoyed the best of the chances. They pushed and pushed for an equaliser, and it was one of the club’s new signings in Browning who pounced on a poor clearance to strike at the death. In their opening game of the season, the Bit O’Red fought to the death to find an equaliser, and they got their rewards in the dying seconds when they earned a point.