Offaly and Sligo played out a tedious 0-8 apiece draw at O'Connor Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

The visitors owned the ball in the fourth quarter and will leave the midlands wondering how they failed to take both points on offer. They hit the crossbar twice but ultimately needed a point from midfielder Niall Murphy deep into injury time to claim a precious point.

The result means that Sligo remain a point above Offaly in the relegation quagmire of the third tier with one round of games to play. Defeat away to neighbours Westmeath next Sunday would definitely demote the Faithfuls, while Sligo could still go down if they lose to Derry next weekend and Offaly were to win. Indeed, the Oak Leaf County are also in the relegation frame so they are unlikely to lack focus in Markievicz Park.

Stephen Wallace's charges led by double scores when the short whistle sounded at the end of a very poor opening period, 0-4 to 0-2. Lateral, dour fare was the order of the day and the players were as frustrated as those looking on, if the two first-half sendings-off are anything to go by.

Bernard Allen's opener was cancelled out by all-action visiting corner back Charlie Harrison and Allen edged the Faithful County ahead for the third time after Nigel Dunne's free was struck out by a Liam Gaughan effort - 0-3 to 0-2 in favour of the hosts after 23 uninspired minutes.

Sligo's patently defensive approach with a fierce wind at their backs was difficult to comprehend and they could have been much further adrift had Offaly done more with the goal opportunities that presented themselves before the breaks. However, the pendulum swung temporarily in favour of the Yeats men when the midlanders were reduced to 14 men as Conor Carroll was shown a red card to go with a yellow and black.

Dunne swung over a soft free two minutes from the break and Sligo's numerical superiority was quickly wiped out when Stephen Coen was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball offence.

Dunne increased the gap when the action resumed and Cian Breheny's point was cancelled out by home captain David Dempsey to make it double scores after 43 minutes, 0-6 to 0-3. The visitors rallied with points from Patrick O'Connor and Neil Ewing and Offaly were saved by the crossbar as Cathal Corey's men pushed on. Sean Carrabine made it 0-6 each at the three-quarters stage.

Dunne and Allen nailed Offaly frees but Adrian Marren replied with one for the away team as the tension mounted moving into the last seven minutes. Sligo were totally on top and, with the hosts out on their feet, O'Connor rattled the crossbar before Marren left the action on a black card.

The Yeats men were called back for a free-in when they looked odds-on to find the net; their goalkeeper Aidan Devaney came forward and surprisingly took a short free, which came to nothing. The Faithfuls - who remain second from bottom - were reduced to 13 men in injury time when Peter Cunningham received a second yellow and Murphy's simple free in the sixth minute of added time earned the visitors a share of the spoils.

Offaly - P Dunican; P McConway, J Lalor, S Nally; D Dempsey, D Hogan, N Darby; P Cunningham, M Brazil; C McNamee, A Sullivan (0-1), C Donohue; B Allen (0-3), C Carroll, N Dunne (0-4, 2f). Subs: J Hayes for C Donohue, C Johnson for N Dunne (BC), D Brady for P McConway, S Tierney for A Sullivan.

Sligo - A Devaney; R Donovan, L Nicholson, C Harrison (0-1); Keelan Cawley, A McIntyre, G O'Kelly Lynch; K McDonnell, N Murphy (0-1f); N Ewing (0-1), P O'Connor (0-1), L Gaughan (0-1); S Coen, P Hughes, A Marren (0-1f). Subs: C Breheny (0-1) for Keelan Cawley, Kyle Cawley for P Hughes, S Carrabine (0-1) for L Nicholson, D Cummins for A Marren (BC), P Hughes for P O'Connor.

Referee - J Molloy.

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