Sligo Rovers - 0 Derry City - 0: An inspired display of goalkeeping by John O'Hara kept Sligo Rovers' season alive as they hung on throughout a one-sided second half to force Derry back to the Brandywell for a replay tomorrow night to decide who meets St Patrick's Athletic in the cup final on December 3rd.
Though a match, their 48th of the season, they could well do without in their quest for a domestic treble, Derry will scarcely complain as both sides contributed hugely to what their manager Stephen Kenny described as the best scoreless draws he's ever been involved in.
O'Hara, with sublime saves from Paddy McCourt, Peter Hutton and Barry Molloy, was a deserved man of the match in a game that kept the restricted capacity of 5,100 on edge literally from start to finish.
"It's what I'm paid to do and I'm happy to do it for the team," said 25-year-old O'Hara, who agreed that it was probably his best performance in a Sligo shirt.
"We'll want to put our best foot forward and prove that we weren't that bad the night we lost 4-0 at the Brandywell," he added of the replay, conscious of their most recent visit there for a league game.
How the game finished without a goal was it's most remarkable statistic as Paul McTiernan, availing of an uncharacteristically poor clearance from Derry captain Hutton, rattled the visitors' crossbar with a first-time shot from over 25 yards with a mere 14 seconds on the clock.
That set the tone for a high-tempo game with Derry goalkeeper David Forde forced to tip away Fahrudin Kuduzovic's inswinging first corner of the match on nine minutes as Sligo, aided by a brisk breeze, maintained their bright start.
If inventive getting forward, Sligo's defence was far from reassuring and was exposed within a minute as Ciarán Martyn got through onto Molloy's incisive pass only to sky his shot way over the bar.
But it was Sligo who continued to take the game to Derry and another moment of inspiration from McTiernan, who ghosted between two defenders to get on the end of Conor O'Grady's header, saw him get away a first-time left-foot volley that brought a two-handed save at full stretch from Forde.
Again, though, Sligo looked vulnerable at the back and Gareth McGlynn ought to have celebrated his 24th birthday with the lead goal on 19 minutes.
Ken Oman's flick from Seán Hargan's long throw found the neglectfully marked winger.
Thankfully for Sligo, McGlynn's weak shot was straight at O'Hara at his near post.
Sligo lived dangerously throughout the second half and were twice exposed by Farren's awareness and pace early on.
In the first instance Liam Burns was lucky to get away with only a yellow card for pulling the striker back after his dalliance gave possession away.
The home defence was caught flat-footed seconds later when Hutton put Farren away to round O'Hara; the goal prevented by Michael McNamara getting back to clear off the line.
Farren again won a free-kick which McGlynn sent to the back post where Hutton's header brought another good save from O'Hara.
But the Mayoman saved the best until last when going full length to push out with one hand Molloy's long-range shot on 80 minutes.
In a late twist to an eventful match, Sligo striker Darren Mansaram, virtually anonymous the whole game, had a chance right at the death, but Forde saved bravely with his feet.
Tomorrow night's replay has a 9pm kick on the orders of the PSNI due to the annual Halloween festival in Derry.
SLIGO ROVERS: O'Hara; Peers, McNamara (McKenzie, 84 mins), Burns, Turner; Kuduzovic, O'Grady, Hughes, Singh; McTiernan, Mansaram.
DERRY CITY: Forde; McCallion, Hutton, Oman, Hargan; McGlynn (Deery, 76 mins), Martyn, Molloy, McCourt (O'Flynn, 68 mins); Beckett, Farren (McHugh, 90 mins).
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
