AIRTRICITY LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION Sligo Rovers 2 UCD 1:"IT WAS no way a malicious tackle and nobody saw anything in it except for one man" was the reaction of new Sligo Rovers boss Ian Baraclough following the sending off, on a straight red card, of Alan Keane at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.
Keane got his marching orders after 21 minutes of a cracking contest at the end of which UCD were richly deserving of a share of the points but went home empty handed.
UCD manager Martin Russell was disappointed but full of praise for his team. “One couldn’t argue with the fitness of the lads and their commitment. We played better football to night than we did in our opening game but didn’t get a result”.
Danny North sent the ball high into the roof of the UCD net in the 23rd minute, two minutes after Keane was sent off, and Sligo were up and running.
Graham Rusk missed a chance to level matters after 29 minutes minutes when he failed to connect with an inviting ball across the face of the Rovers goal.
A fiercely intense onslaught on the Sligo goal paid dividends when David O’Connor scored in a packed goalmouth in time added on.
The visitors’ celebrations were short lived when Jason McGuinness struck for the winner from a well-delivered corner kick deep into stoppage time.
Robbie Benson had one last chance for the students but his effort whistled inches wide.
SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Keane, Peers, McGuinness, Gaynor, Ventre, Dillon, Lynch, Ndo, Boco, North. Subs: Davoren for Ndo (58), Cawlwy for Dillon (79), Cretaro for North (73).
UCD: Barron, Nangle, D O'Connor, Leahy, P O Connor, Rusk, Benson, Mulhall, Kavanagh, Ledwith, Lyons. Subs: Langtry for Nangle 68 Clarke for Lyons 78,
Referee: Robert Rodgers(Dublin)
