It was Blues striker Izzy Akiande, who was the sole change to the side that beat St Patrick’s Athletic, that created the first chance on ten minutes when he took a pass from Aaron Drinan, but his turn and shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Mitchell Beeney.
After the home side had a strong penalty turned down on 17 minutes when John Dunleavy seemed to upended Izzy Akinade only for referee Anthony Buttimer to award a goal kick, Sligo struck for the opening goal sixty seconds later.
David Cawley, the Sligo captain, got the better of Aaron Simpson down the left side of the penalty area before crossing into the area where Kris Twardek was on hand to bundle the ball past Matt Connor from close range.
The sides were level on 20 minutes and the goal was all about Cory Galvin as he took possession of the ball before racing at the Sligo defence and he beat the visiting keeper Mitchell Beeney with a sweet right-footed strike from 20 yards.
Waterford looked relaxed after scoring and they found themselves in front on 35 minutes when a great run from Zack Elbouzedi saw the winger cross for Shane Duggan, who thumped a shot off the bar, the ball flew out hitting keeper Mitchell Beeney before rebounding to the back of the net.
Aaron Drinan had the first chance of the second half on 50 minutes when the centre forward, who is on loan from Ipswich Town, went on a great run, but his shot was saved before Aaron Simpson crossed for Izzy Akinade five minutes later only for the attacker to head wide.
Sligo shocked the hosts as they drew level on 57 minutes when an excellent left-wing cross picked out the run of Ronan Coughlan and he powered a close-range header past a helpless Blues keeper Matt Connor.
Cory Galvin nearly regained the lead for the Blues three minutes later when he took a pass from Georgie Poynton on the left-side of the penalty area, but his stunning strike was superbly tipped onto the crossbar by Mitchell Beeney.
The visitors got their noses in front on 64 minutes when Romeo Parkes beat the offside trap to race onto a through ball from David Cawley and he drilled a low right-footed shot past Matt Connor from just inside the penalty area.
After Izzy Akinade headed a JJ Lunney cross over the bar soon afterwards, the striker was brought to ground in the area after latching onto a long Connor clearance on 73 minutes, but Shane Duggan saw his spot kick saved by keeper Mitchell Beeney, who was the man that gave away the spot kick.
Akinade was celebrating after he levelled the tie for the Blues seven minutes later when he got on the end of a long flicked on throw from Georgie Poynton and he lobbed the ball over the advancing Beeney from the right-side of the area.
It was Sligo that had a golden chance to regain the lead from the penalty spot on 83 minutes when Romeo Parkes had a shot handled by Poynton in the area, but Ronan Coughlan had his spot kick superbly saved by Matt Connor as both sides ended a crazy game with a share of the spoils.
FT: Waterford FC 3 Sligo Rovers 3
WATERFORD FC: Matt Connor, Aaron Simpson (Bastien Héry ’66), Rory Feely, Damien Delaney, Georgie Poynton, JJ Lunney, Shane Duggan, Zack Elbouzedi (Karolis Chvedukas ’66), Cory Galvin (Scott Twine ’77), Izzy Akinade, Aaron Drinan
SLIGO ROVERS: Mitchell Beeney, Lewis Banks, Regan Donelon, John Dunleavy, Ronan Coughlan, Daryl Fordyce (Niall Morahan ’90), Kris Twardek (Sam Warde ’46), Jack Keaney (Ronan Murray ’46), David Cawley, Romeo Parkes, Dante Leverock
Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork)
