Owen Elding scored Sligo Rovers’ only goal of the game as the Bit O’Red took a point from Cork City at Turner’s Cross.

Elding netted his second strike of the season on 25 minutes when he expertly nodded Harvey Lintott’s pin-point cross across the front of the City keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Leading at the break, Rovers then had to rely on a string of superb stops from goalkeeper Conor Walsh in the second period and found themselves playing the last twenty minutes of this tie with ten men, after substitute Conor Reynolds was shown a straight red for a late challenge on Malik Dijksteel.

Cork had leveled the game six minutes previous courtesy of Kitt Neslon.

Fresh from a convincing win over Shamrock Rovers the Monday previous, Rovers began this game the brighter.

Conor Malley wasn’t too far away with an early header from a Will Fitzgerald set piece before Elding headed Rovers into the lead. 

Cork had half an opportunity through Charlie Lyons who fired well over from an improvised overhead kick, while the ball was in the Sligo net moments later. The goal was ruled out however, after a City player had fouled Walsh on the Mayo man’s goal-line. 

Walsh produced the goods early in the second period, going full stretch to keep out another Lyons effort, this time with the head. While the pressure eventually told on 62 when Nelson’s seemingly innocuous looking effort took a wicked deflection off John Mahon as the ball fumbled past the helpless Walsh. 

Reynolds was dismissed when he crashed into Dijksteel one minute after he was introduced from the bench.

The incident rallied the Rebels, but player-of-the-match Walsh denied Milan Mbeng, Alex Nolan and sub Josh Fitzpatrick with a trio of absolutely stunning saves in added time.

Next to come for Rovers is the visit of Derry City to the Showgrounds this coming Saturday, kick off 7.45pm. 

Cork City: Tein Troost; Darragh Crowley, Milan Mbeng, Charlie Lyons, Benny Couto; Rio Shipston, Seán Murray; Alex Nolan, Kitt Nelson (Harvey Skieters 80), Malik Dijksteel (Josh Fitzpatrick 71); Ruairí Keating.

Sligo Rovers: Conor Walsh; Harvey Lintott (Conor Reynolds 67), Ollie Denham, John Mahon, Reece Hutchinson; Matty Wolfe (Ronan Manning 67), Connor Malley; Owen Elding, Jad Hakiki (Stephen Mallon 78), Will Fitzgerald; Cian Kavanagh (Francely Lomboto 46) (Gareth McElroy 90+1).

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea.

David Goulden