AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Dundalk 1 Sligo Rovers 1:GAVIN PEERS 33rd-minute header was enough to give Sligo Rovers a share of the spoils against Dundalk at Oriel Park last night.

Encounters between these two sides always tend to be entertaining affairs and this game was no different with both sides, and Dundalk in particular, playing some free-flowing football throughout.

The only downside of a gripping match was the performance of referee Tom Connolly who left the field to a chorus of boos after booking seven players and leaving the crowd frustrated by the majority of his decisions.

Dundalk came flying out of the trap, going close after just 30 seconds. A good move down the right involving Daniel Kearns and Mark Quigley released Dean Bennett but his cross was slightly too high for Jason Byrne to trouble Brendan Clarke with his header.

Sligo were up in arms three minutes later when Connolly waved away appeals for what looked to be a stonewall penalty. John Dillon’s 20-yard shot deflected perfectly into the path of Eoin Doyle but just as he was about to pull the trigger from eight yards he went down under pressure from Michael Hector. Connolly waved play on much to the anger of Paul Cook and his players.

The Sligo boss was left shaking his head again three minutes later as his side’s run of clean sheets came to an end in calamitous fashion. Richie Ryan’s attempted pass across his own goal rebounded off first Dean Bennett and then Jason McGuinness before Byrne gleefully accepted the gift, lashing the ball home from 18-yards.

The visitors hit back in the 33rd minute. Dillon’s corner from the left fell perfectly for Peers and the Sligo centre back powered a free header past Peter Cherrie.

Dundalk’s Scottish goalkeeper looked as though he was beaten again in first-half injury time but Daryl Horgan’s wicked drive whistled past the near post and both sides went in level at the break.

The second half saw the home side pin Sligo in with some free-flowing football and Hector went within inches of restoring their lead in the 54th minute when his faint touch from a Kearns cross just crept past the post.

Sligo eventually found a foothold in the game and Raffaele Cretaro forced Cherrie into a good stop in the 63rd minute before Quigley almost brought the house down again, beating four players only to blaze his shot over.

There was still time for Sligo to threaten again with Cherrie again pulling off a fine save to deny Doyle after some fine play by John Russell and Aaron Greene.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Madden, Hawkins, Hector, N Murphy; Kearns, Bennett (Ward, 38 mins), McDonnell, Gaynor; Quigley, Byrne (Breen, 80 mins).

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane, Peers, McGuinness, Davoren; Horgan (Greene 71), Ryan, Russell (Kirby, 89 mins), Doyle; Dillon, Cretaro (Foran, 77 mins).

Referee: T Connolly(Dublin).