Sligo Rovers 3 Shamrock Rovers 2: SHAMROCK ROVERS manager Pat Scully described his team's performance in their 3-2 defeat at the showgrounds on Saturday night as "beyond pathetic", adding, "We were soft, weak, making the same mistakes, unprofessional and we are killing ourselves. Our two goals were decent efforts but their three goals were embarrassing . . . A lot of people are hiding, we are in a bad situation and continue to struggle," he said.
Ryan Cash gave Sligo the lead in the 18th minute with a superbly struck 30-yard swerving shot that whistled past Barry Murphy.
Seán O'Connor was denied by Sligo goalkeeper Richard Brush on 26 minutes before Mauro Almeida doubled Sligo's lead in the 39th minute, firing home from a Fahrudin Kudozovic corner.
Rovers played better in the second half with substitute Dessie Baker and Owen Doyle going close but a bad slip-up in the defence left Romauld Boco with only the goalkeeper to beat for Sligo's third in the 77th minute.
To their credit, the visitors staged a late rally. A brilliant save by Brush kept Darragh Maguire's strike out before Doyle pulled a goal back after 78 minutes.
Scully's side played the last five minutes with 10 men after Patrick Flynn was sent off. Sligo looked very jittery when Maguire scored the visitors' second three minutes into stoppage time.
SLIGO ROVERS: Brush; Coleman, Butler, Peers, Almeida, Murphy (McKenzie 58), Cash, Ventre, Boco, Kudozovic (Judge 74), Cretaro.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: B Murphy; O'Brien, Flynn, Price, Maguire, McGill, Creevy (Baker 40), Rice, Purcell (A Murphy 58), Doyle, O'Connor (Amond 73).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
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