Good evening folks, our liveblog tonight is the meeting between high-flying Sligo Rovers and Derry City. The Bit O’Red are three points clear of Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Premier Division after the Hoops were humiliated by St Pat’s at Richmond Park last Friday night.

The Candystripes, meanwhile, have looked impressive during these early stages of the season but defeats to Shelbourne and Drogheda United mean they lie six points off tonight’s opponents.

It’s an early kick-off in this one, and there are five more games to keep an eye on over the evening. Team news will be along shortly…

Sligo Rovers: G Rogers, I Davoren, A Keane, J McGuinness, G Peers, L Lynch, J Ndo, D Ventre, R Boco, R Cretaro, D North. Subs: R Brush, D Cawley, J Dillon, R Gaynor, L Martin, M Owens, M Quigley.

Derry City: G Doherty, E McCallion, D McCaffrey, R McBride, S Madden, B Molloy, S McLaughlin, P McEleney, K Deery, D McDaid, M Farren. Subs: B McNamee, B McGroary, E Ferry, M Crossnan, C Bonner, M Barr, R Patterson.

We’re five minutes into the game here and there’s nothing to report other than the fact that it’s a fine evening in Sligo.

Joseph Ndo has just floated a free-kick in but it’s been cleared away after Ger Doherty got a punch to it ahead of Romauld Boco.

Sligo striker Danny North gets in ahead of Ryan McBride, who was attempting to let the ball run out of play, and is in a dangerous position on the end line before referee Richie Winter blows his whistle and gives a goal kick as the ball has just gone out.

Derry captain Kevin Derry takes his opposite number’s legs from beneath him and concedes a free-kick. He’s lucky not to have received a yellow for the rash challenge on Danny Ventre, in fairness.

An Ndo corner is glanced on but there is no one at the back stick to send it goalward.

Derry are immediately on the attack and after a short period of possession, eventually lose it as Ventre intercepts a pass.

GOAL! Sligo Rovers 1-0 Derry City (Danny North)

Rafa Cretaro plays a ball through the legs of Eddie McCallion and Alan Keane strikes across goal. Doherty gets down but can’t hold it and North bursts towards the back post to tap home from close range.

Super chance for Sligo to double their lead a minute later. Boco plays a pass to North and the striker returns with the outside of his boot. The Benin international is through on goal but can’t make decent contact with the ball and it trickles wide.

Sligo boss Ian Baraclough:

We haven’t started very well. We’ve gone 4-4-1-1 and got a foothold in the game. We can pass the ball a whole lot better, though.”

The visitors have threatened in the past few moments and a timely tackle from Gavin Peers inside his own box is needed after David McDaid wriggles free of his marker.

McDaid takes the ball down terrifically on his chest before trying his luck with a left-footed volley. Gary Rogers in the Sligo goal is equal to the effort and saves.

PENALTY TO SLIGO

Madden breaks into Sligo’s box and is brought down by Iarfhlaith Davoren.

GOAL! Sligo Rovers 1-1 Derry City (McDaid)

Quality spot-kick from the 21-year-old, who blasts the ball past Rogers.

Three of the other Premier Division games have just kicked-off…

• Cork City 0-0 Monaghan United
• Drogheda United 0-0 St Patrick’s Athletic
• UCD 0-0 Bohemian

Simon Madden receives a booking from Mr Winter, meanwhile.

Cretaro, Keane and Boco combine to win the home side a corner, but it doesn’t beat the first man. Peers then comes in with a tackle on McDaid which deservedly earns him a yellow card.

Stephen McLaughlin, who has been surprisingly quiet so far, rises higher than Peers, Keane and Rogers, but heads wayward as the final seconds of the half tick away.

HALF-TIME: Sligo Rovers 1-1 Derry City

It took awhile to get going but I’ve enjoyed the first 45 minutes here. Neither side have shown their full potential just yet but there have been glimpses of decent football.

At the Belfield Bowl, Keith Ward has put Bohemians ahead of the hosts after 8 minutes of play. UCD 0-1 Bohemians.

The remaining two fixtures are underway. At Tolka, it’s still scoreless between Shelbourne and Bray Wanderers while Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk have yet to break the deadlock after a couple of minutes played in Tallaght.

And, first mention of James McClean from RTE pundit Pat Dolan. Was waiting how long it would be.

Players are back out onto the pitch so we’re ready to restart.

Sligo’s Lee Lynch (right) and Patrick McEleney of Derry. Credit: INPHO/Donall Farmer

Let off for Sligo. Farren heads a cross from the left into his path and he catches it sweetly with his left to catch the underside of the crossbar and watch the ball bounce back out.

Boco cuts inside and has a go with his left but Doherty isn’t troubled. North then wins them a corner and the rain begins to get heavy as North gets onto the end of Ndo’s corner but can’t quite steer it under Doherty’s bar.

Sligo edging it now and will need to make this pressure count as Derry do look dangerous when they get bodies forward.

Shelbourne’s top marksman Philly Hughes is on target for the home side at Tolka, who lead Bray 1-0.

Ryan McBride has just suffered what looked like a pretty heavy fall. The defender lands face-first after clearly with a header. He’s received treatment but is on his feet and should be alright to continue.

At Turner’s Cross, Cork have scored two in quick succession through Daryl Horgan and Davin O’Neill. So it’s Cork 2-0 Monaghan in the battle at the bottom.

North very nearly gets on the end of a through-ball but Doherty is out off his line swiftly to boot the ball up-field. 25 minutes remain.

Quick free-kick catches Derry asleep and Lynch whips a cross in as McEleney has his back turned.

Sligo have introduced Ross Gaynor, who has taken up a position on the left flank, in place of captain Danny Ventre. His first involved is to swing in a corner, which is poor.

Free-kick for Sligo 30 yards out. The new man Gaynor steps up but curls it a good distance wide.

Derry replace McEleney, who has looked tired in the last few minutes, with Rory Patterson. Over the other side of the pitch, Deery crashes into Cretaro and needs to be careful as he’s on a yellow.

Shamrock Rovers take 31 minutes to take the lead at home to Dundalk. They then add a second two minutes later. The goals come from Chris Turner and that man Gary Twigg.

There’s also been another between Shels and Bray and it’s the visitors who equalise through Jason Byrne.

Yet more attacking from the Bit O’Red and Lynch strikes on goal but it’s collected by Doherty.

While play is stopped, Boco makes way for Mark Quigley. The former Pat’s and Dundalk striker has been missing since the opening day of the season when he was sent off for a late tackle on Paddy Kavanagh and received a whopping six match ban.

John Dillon is Baraclough’s final change and he gets just under 10 minutes for Ndo, who hasn’t shaken off a knock it seems.

Stephen McLaughlin ghosts by two men and cuts back for Patterson but his shot is bloke. When the ball falls for Deery, he fires over from outside the box. McLaughlin has rarely been involved tonight but showed just there what he is capable of with the ball at his feet.

Cretaro sees his effort take a wicked deflection which nearly catches Doherty out but he manages to react and catch the goalbound ball. A more than respectable attendance recorded:

We’re into time added on and although Sligo are showing plenty of urgency, it’s looking like this one will end all square.

And as I say that, Gaynor gets past his man but can only find Doherty’s hand with his cross.

FULL-TIME: Sligo Rovers 1-1 Derry City

The Candystripes will undoubtedly be the happier of the two sides, who need to prevent second defeat in a row. Sligo huffed and puffed in the second half but to no avail.

In first half we didn’t play well so a draw is a fair result. Every year since I came here we have the same desire to win everything and this year is no exception,” man-0f-the-match Joseph Ndo tells RTE Sport.

Cork should record a precious win at home to Monaghan as they now lead 3-0. The latest goal comes from Vinny Sullivan, who redirects Gearoid Morrissey’s free-kick. The Mons have a mount to climb and are down to 10-men as Keith Quinn has been giving his marching orders.

Bohs could be making it two consecutive wins as Dinny Corcoran scores his second Premier Division goal of the season at Belfield.

Shamrock Rovers are also on course to get back to winning ways. They are now three-up at home to Dundalk thanks to Billy Dennehy.

It’s going to be an emphatic win by the Leesiders, who have gone 4-0 ahead at the Cross. Davin O’Neill with his second of the night.

It’s now 5-0 to Cork! Tadhg Purcell gets in on the action.

The Students have pulled one back through a penalty from Graham Rusk, who beats Andy McNulty in the Bohs goal. It’s 2-1 to the visitors there. Another spot-kick has put handed Cork their sixth goal of the night and it’s Davin O’Neill with the hat-trick.

Gary Twigg with his second of the night and seventh overall this season. It’s Rover 4 Dundalk 0.

Across the Liffey, Shels have taken the lead and it’s substitute Philip Gorman with what could prove the decisive goal.

Hat-trick Gary Twigg. The man will take some stopping in the race to be the league’s top scorer.

Make that 6-0 to the Hoops. I can’t keep up with them… substitute Daryl Kavanagh with it.

Full-time whistles countrywide have signalled the end of tonight’s action. That’s it from me and the liveblog but there will be a round-up of all the games on the site shortly so make sure to check back in.