The fact that they may have been somewhat frustrated at not winning the game reflected the sense of encouragement evident in Sligo Rovers opening Airtricity Premier Division encounter against Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.

With four new signings in the starting line-up, Rovers were denied victory by a 64th minute penalty against a Hoops side which looks well capable of challenging for honours this term and obviously strengthened by the arrival of a number of former Cork City players.

Shams may have dominated possession for much of an entertaining and competitive contest, but it was Rovers who nevertheless created the better chances throughout and had goalkeeper Alan Mannus not managed to get a vital touch to deflect Ritchie Ryan's 55th shot onto the angle of post and crossbar the outcome may well have been different had the home side gone into a two-nil lead at the time.

Ex-Shams midfielder Eoin Doyle had scored Rovers first goal of the new campaign, applying a good finish to an excellent cross from Ryan in the 22nd minute. Overall, it was a satisfying start for Paul Cook's side, though there will be some concern at the amount of possession they gave away from unforced errors, particularly at midfield, where the Dubliners operated with an extra man and where Rovers lacked a certain authority in the centre.

Cook's first team sheet of the 2010 season featured Richard Brush's return to goal after the injury which kept him out in the weeks leading up to and including the F.A.I. Cup Final against Sporting Fingal.

New recruits Paul Whelan and Iarfhlaith Davoren featured at right and left back respectively and settled well on their league debuts. Gavin Peers and Alan Keane operated in the centre of the back four, with Gary McCabe wide right, Ritchie Ryan and Danny Ventre in the centre of midfield and goalscorer Doyle on the left.

Matthew Blinkhorn partnered former Hoops striker, Padraig Amond in attack. McCabe and Ventre were guilty of some misplaced passes, notably in the first-half as Shams dominated territorially, but all the Rovers players worked hard over the ninety minutes and certainly deserved a share of the spoils at the end.

Following an eight minute delay to the kick-off due to congestion at the turnstiles, Michael O'Neill's side knocked the ball about with confidence from the off before a crowd of 2,858 and there was a good pace to the opening exchanges. Paul Whelan conceded an early corner, but Rovers threatened when going forward and in the 5th minute Mannus had to be quickly off his line to deny Eoin Doyle an opportunity after Amond flicked on a Peers clearance.

Two minutes later, the Hoops 'keeper had to push a Doyle free from outside the area over his crossbar for the first of three quick corners. Shams only direct shot on goal of the half came in the 15th minute, Brush dealing comfortably with Sean O'Connor's low effort. Matthew Blinkhorn then shot over from the left after he initially won a header down to Doyle who slipped him through.

Two minutes later, Brush spread himself to thwart Graham Barrett as he worked his way into the Rovers penalty area.

Rovers quickly switched play to the other end, the ball breaking to Blinkhorn after an Amond run, but he scuffed his shot and it drifted wide. The 'Bit O'Red' were ahead two minutes later when from a corner on the Rovers right, Ryan whipped in an excellent cross to the back post where Doyle stopped to head back across goal and into the corner of the net.

James Chambers fired well over the bar in the 27th minute and just before the interval Stephen Bradley almost set up Chambers for another chance. On the resumption, Rovers continued to create opportunities and in the 50th minute McCabe's clever reverse pass put in Blinkhorn but his cross into the penalty area from the right escaped everyone and went behind. Ritchie Ryan was yellow carded by referee Anthony Buttimer in the 53rd minute and then saw Mannus deny him with a crucial touch two minutes later.

Paul Whelan also picked up a yellow card before Shams regrouped, introducing Dessie Baker for Stephen Bradley in the 56th minute and reverting to a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation.

The equaliser arrived nine minutes later, though the incident leading up to it came in the 61st minute when Gavin Peers was booked for a foul on Baker on the edge of the area and when play resumed after Baker left the pitch, James Chambers struck the resultant free-kick off the Rovers wall, referee Buttimer ruling that a Rovers player, apparently Gary McCabe, had handled and pointing to the spot.

Chambers converted the penalty and then brought a save from Brush two minutes later.

Alan Keane was the third Rovers player booked in the 68th minute and three minutes later manager Cook made a double substitution brining on Mark Doninger and Conor O'Grady for Amond and Ryan. A Billy Dennehy free-kick deflected to Dan Murray who headed wide in the 75th minute as the Hoops pressed.

Eoin Doyle was booked for diving ten minutes from time and as the game entered its final phase, Dennehy dragged an 84th minute attempt wide, while Mannus palmed away Blinkhorn's curling shot four minutes later after he chased a long ball out of defence from Gavin Peers.

In the last minute of the four added on, Blinkhorn narrowly failed to snatch a dramatic winner for Rovers when his shot from the edge of the area went past the Hoops goal.

SLIGO ROVERS: Brush, Whelan, Peers, Ventre, Davoren, McCabe, Ventre, Ryan, Doyle, Blinkhorn, Amond. Subs-Doninger for Amond, O'Grady for Ryan (71 mins), Marshall for McCabe (88 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus, Flynn, Murphy, Murray, Price, Bradley, Chambers, O'Connor, Dennehy, Barrett. Subs-Baker for Bradley (56 mins), Kavanagh for Baker (65 mins), Cahill for Barrett (83 mins).

Referee: Anthony Buttimer

- Michael Moran