Dundalk deny relegated Sligo Rovers rare win with late equaliser

LOI Premier Division Sligo Rvs 1 - 1 Dundalk onan Teahan's 90th-minute equaliser denied Sligo Rovers a first league win under Darren Purse at the Showgrounds. Sligo led from the 47th minute and had to soak up a lot of pressure late on as Dundalk pressed for a leveller. And they finally found it in the 90th minute through the outstanding Teahan, and it could have been more. Already relegated, the Bit O'Red were playing for pride with all eyes on next season. Manager Purse warned his players they are playing for contracts in the build-up to the game, as plans for the First Division get underway. Europe is out of reach for Dundalk, but the Lilywhites could still finish fourth, so Ciarán Kilduff was keen to see his side finish as strongly as possible. Regular Position Team P G W D L GD 1 Shamrock Rovers 65 34 19 8 7 +19 2 Bohemians 62 34 18 8 8 +19 3 St. Patrick's Athletic 59 33 17 8 8 +26 4 Shelbourne 46 34 11 13 10 +2 5 Dundalk 42 34 10 12 12 -5 6 Derry City 41 33 9 14 10 +1 7 Galway United 41 33 10 11 12 -4 8 Drogheda United 37 34 9 10 15 -13 9 Waterford 34 33 7 13 13 -11 10 Sligo Rovers 24 34 5 9 20 -34 In a game with an end-of-season feel, the Lilywhites were utterly dominant in the opening half. Corner after corner was dealt with by Sligo, who soaked up a lot of pressure in the early stages. The hosts had one clear-cut opportunity, but Kaiyne Woolery opted to shoot instead of squaring to Cian Kavanagh, who made his way into the box. It was all Dundalk, and a Gareth McElroy goal-line clearance denied Dundalk an opener just before the break. Sligo looked more dangerous after the break, and went ahead through Woolery, who nodded in Seán Stewart's cross from close range. Dundalk again had large spells of possession but weren't doing enough with it, until late on when they had the hosts under plenty of pressure. Teahan fired in from close range after great work from Declan McDaid, with his shot creeping in under Liam Hughes. And Harry Groome could have stolen all three points deep into additional time when his close-range effort was blocked by Hughes. That point was enough to ensure Dundalk's Premier Division status for 2027.