GREAT DANE: Niclas Vemmelund went close to scoring for Derry
DERRY City held on to earn a point in a scoreless draw with Sligo Rovers in the Premier Division game at the Showgrounds this evening (kick off was 8 pm).
It leaves Derry still in third place just two points behind Cork City.
But Cork have three games in hand over the Brandywell side.
The hosts dominated the first half with Raffaele Cretaro wasting an early chance before City keeper Gerard Doherty denied Liam Martin.
Derry managed to create second-half openings and Niclas Vemmelund saw his header cleared off the line.
City remain third in the standings but have closed the gap on pacesetters Dundalk to eight points.
Cretaro’s hesitation, after a pull-back from Martin left him with a simple finish, allowed Ryan McBride to nip in and make a goal-saving challenge.
Candystripes boss Kenny Shiels was forced to make a defensive re-shuffle after 11 minutes when the injured Patrick McClean was replaced by Nathan Boyle.
Doherty, who ensured City left with a point, kept out Martin’s shot after he was put clear and McBride blocked Kieran Sadlier’s follow-up effort.
Sadlier headed straight at Doherty from Cretaro’s cross early in the second half.
The visitors threatened midway through the half when a deflected Ronan Curtis shot flew wide and Vemmelund’s glancing header from the resulting corner required a goal-line clearance.
Sadlier rifled just wide late on while the final chance fell to Derry with Lukas Schubert’s volley easily saved by Micheal Schlingermann.
