Sligo maintain unbeaten record

Sligo Rovers 2 Cork City 0: Sligo Rovers were outplayed for much of the opening 45 minutes by skilful Cork City at the Showgrounds but they still managed to preserve their eight match unbeaten run.

Ian Baracloughs side made sure of the points when Anthony Elding scored from the penalty spot, for his 10th goal in nine games, eight minutes from time to equal a record held by former Reds player Brendan Bradley since 1981.

Elding also equaled Bradley's achievement of having scored five in as many consecutive home games in all competitions.

Referee Pádraig Sutton awarded the spot kick after Evan McMillan was impeded as the ball dropped in the box from a Ross Gaynor free kick.

Lee Lynch put Rovers ahead in the 36th minute when his stinging long range shot deceived Mark McNulty in the Cork goal as it flew low into the net.

The Leesiders more than held their own up to that point with Adam Rundle and Daryl Horgan sharp up front.

Horgan sent the ball narrowly wide of the home goal after three minutes of the first half before Elding had a shot cleared at the other end following a clever ball in by Raffaele Cretaro.

A Colin Healy free kick from the edge of the box was gathered by Gary Rogers in the Sligo goal after six minutes.

Ross Gaynor had a shot well blocked by the Cork keeper ,who played superbly between the posts, on the half hour mark.

Brilliant goalkeeping by McNulty denied Aaron Greene and Cretaro three minutes before half time and the keeper showed his class again four minutes into the second half to keep Gaynors 25-yard free-kick out.

The Cork goalkeeper then denied Sligo substitute Kieran Djilali with another top drawer save .

Horgan blazed the ball over the Rovers bar in the closing minutes in one of the visitors few attacks in the second half.

Baraclough said there were “certain parts of the game when we were not switched on but we still found a way to win” and added: “The blustery, windy conditions didn’t help but some of our decision making could have been better”

Cork City boss Tommy Dunne thought his side deserved more.

“We will have to pick ourselves up quickly and start being more ruthless ,Sligo is a hard place to come to but I thought we played reasonably well.,” he said.

Sligo Rovers: Rogers, Keane, McMillan,Henderson, Cawley, Elding, Cretaro, gaynor, Lynch,Connolly, Greene,Subs Ventre for Connolly55 mins, Djilali for Cretaro 72mins, Peers for Cawley 83mins.

Cork City: McNulty, Murphy, Morrissey, healy, Duggan, Behan,Rundle, Dunleavy, Spillane, HorganBuckley, Subs Kavanagh for Duggan half time, Turner for Rundle 63mins, Furlong for Behan 68mins.

Referee: Padraig Sutton.

Attendance 2,221