JOSH HONOHAN saved Shamrock Rovers’ blushes as the Hoops’ winless streak at the Showgrounds stretched to four games.
The table-toppers had to come from two goals down to salvage a draw after Jad Hakiki’s double gave Sligo Rovers a dream start.
A Dan Cleary goal on 33 minutes brought the league leaders back into it before Honohan equalised just past the hour.
The Dubliners were expected to push on and extend their advantage at the top of the Premier Division.
But impressive defending from the home side saw Sligo claim a valuable point in their mission to avoid the drop, extending their unbeaten home run to three games.
The hosts could have won this tie late on, but Francely Lomboto could only fire over in a one-on-one with Ed McGinty.
Armed with four new signings, Sligo boss John Russell gave club debuts to two of his recent acquisitions.
Loanees Ryan O’Kane and James McManus were included in a Sligo XI for the first time.
And the returning Paddy McClean — whose last game for Sligo was against this same opposition on the final day of the 2018 season — started his second stint in the north west at the heart of defence.
Former Everton youth Seb Quirk was on the bench.
Trying to extend their lead at the top to 11 points, the visitors made just one change, with striker Rory Gaffney rewarded for his winner against Waterford, coming in for teenager Michael Noonan.
Striker John McGovern, who was signed from Dungannon back in May, was on the bench.
Chasing a first win at the Showgrounds since the summer of 2023, the Dubliners created the early openings.
A breathless first half featured some wonderful one-touch football from both sides, with Matt Healy and Graham Burke going close for the Hoops early on.
But it was the Bit O’Red who opened the scoring. Will Fitzgerald unsettled the Shamrock Rovers rearguard with a clever short corner, finding Jake Doyle-Hayes.
The Cavan man picked out the late arrival of Hakiki to the front post and the former Dundalk man, unmarked, nodded past McGinty.
The impressive Danny Grant looked set to level it on 22 minutes but lost control of the ball in front of the Sligo goal, following a sublime crossfield ball from Danny Mandroiu.
Stephen Bradley’s charges were made to regret the miss two minutes later.
Golden boy Owen Elding, who has been attracting interest from clubs all over Europe, added to his value with a skilful through-ball to Hakiki.
Instead of using Wilson Waweru who found himself in ample space, Hakiki elected to go himself and was rewarded as he slotted past McGinty for his brace.
The Tallaght men had a shout for a spot-kick turned down when Honohan and Conor Reynolds tangled on Sligo’s endline, while Burke pulled a sharp, two-handed stop from Sam Sargeant seconds later.
The 2023 champions found a way back into the game 12 minutes before the break.
Burke’s initial free-kick was recycled back into the Sligo box by Mandroiu and on to the head of Cleary who headed past Sargeant.
Sligo were almost caught out by a short corner themselves early in the second period. Sargeant got down in time to get in front of a Healy drive from 20 yards after Mandroiu and Dylan Watts combined.
Sargeant then pulled off a superb double save, first from Mandroiu and then Grant as the visitors applied the pressure. The Hoops’ pressing told on 63 minutes when Honohan smashed home Watts’ curling cross.
Although the momentum was with them, Bradley’s side failed to test Sargeant again.
In fact, the hosts could have won it three minutes from time.
Substitute Lomboto attempted to chip ex-Sligo netminder McGinty, but he rushed his finish and skied it over the goal at the Old Shed End.
SUN STAR MAN
Paddy McClean (Sligo)
SLIGO ROVERS: Sargeant 7; Reynolds 7, McClean 8, Denham 7, Fitzgerald 7; McManus 6 (Quirk 60, 6), Doyle-Hayes 7; Hakiki 7; Elding 7 (Kavanagh 85, 6) 6, O’Kane 6 (McDonagh 91, 6); W Waweru 6 (Lomboto 60, 6).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty 6; Grace 6, Lopes 6, Cleary 7; Grant 7, Honohan 7 (Kovalevskis 76, 6); Healy 7, Watts 7 (Byrne 63, 6), Mandroiu 7 (McEneff 87, 6); Gaffney 6 (McGovern 76, 6), Burke 6 (Noonan 64, 6).
REFEREE: Paul McLaughlin 7.
