SOCCER: SETANTA CUP: Portadown 0 Sligo Rovers 2 (Sligo win 5-0 on aggregate):SLIGO ROVERS eased past Irish League outfit Portadown at Shamrock Park last night thanks to goals from Daryl Horgan and Joseph Ndo.
Sligo now meet Shamrock Rovers, the only team to have beaten them this season, in the last four.
For much of the first half Sligo knocked the ball about in a carefree manner, suggesting they were on the training pitch, not in a competitive arena.
Hardly surprising, as Rovers were 3-0 up from their home leg and were up against an understrength Portadown side showing nine changes from the starting line-up deployed for their domestic League Cup final two days earlier.
Portadown lost that 2-1 to Lisburn Distillery and manager Ronnie McFall opted to rest most of his first-choice team with an Irish Cup semi-final against Crusaders coming up on Saturday.
Rovers controlled the opening jousts with John Russell blazing a shot from the left side of the box over and then drilling another effort wide.
Portadown’s best moment came on the half hour when a long ball was launched towards the edge of the penalty area. Striker Richard Lecky got his header in before the advancing goalkeeper Ciarán Kelly could get there, but the ball dropped just wide.
That was to be Portadown’s last chance to lead on the night as Sligo stretched their aggregate advantage to four in the 40th minute.
A pass by Andrews found teenage winger Horgan free in the box and he shot low past the exposed goalkeeper David Miskelly.
Rovers increased their lead in the 76th minute when substitute Ndo saw his his curling shot from the edge of the box beat Miskelly.
Chris Ramsey did well to block a late shot by substitute Mark McGoldrick and deny Rovers a third. Not that it mattered really. Sligo had long been home and dry.
PORTADOWN: Miskelly, Mackle, Ramsey, Breen (Redman 74), Craig, Teggart, Haire, Boyle, Cawley (McCullough 68), Braniff (Tipton 68), Lecky.
SLIGO ROVERS:Kelly, Doyle, Kirby, Davoren, Greene, Peers, Foran, Ventre, Russell (Ndo 70), Blinkhorn (McGoldrick 64), Horgan (Dillon 78).
Referee: R Crangle (Belfast).
