Shamrock Rovers 2 Sligo Rovers 0
Aaron Greene scored his 100th league goal as Shamrock Rovers got back to winning ways against bottom-of-the-table Sligo Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday night.
The 35-year-old, in his 17th season in the domestic game, doubled Rovers’ lead in an utterly dominant first half, as they earned a first win in five to sit a point off league leaders Drogheda United in advance of meeting them in Dublin 24 on Friday.
Graham Burke, central to everything good about Stephen Bradley’s side in the first 45 minutes, had earlier put them ahead from the penalty spot.
Utterly outplayed in the first half, Sligo had far more about them on the resumption as Hoops lost their way somewhat.
But with ex-Sligo goalkeeper Ed McGinty making fine saves to deny Matt Wolfe and Ronan Manning, Sligo couldn’t come close to repeating their win over the Tallaght side from earlier in the season as they remain three points adrift at the foot of the table.
Burke twice got sight of the Sligo goal, working Sam Sergeant before a second effort was deflected for a corner, as Hoops started very much on the front foot.
Following some patient build-up play, Jack Byrne then curled an audacious effort just wide.
Sligo were creaking and their goal was finally breached on 25 minutes. Burke was everywhere for Hoops and it was he who got to the end line to see his cross strike the hand of Sligo right-back Conor Reynolds.
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Referee Rob Hennessy pointed to the spot despite Sligo’s protests before Burke sent Sergeant the wrong way from the spot.
Adam Matthews blazed wastefully over the bar when he should have at least hit the target, but Rovers made no mistake in extending their lead three minutes before the interval.
Byrne and Burke were the architects, the latter chipping a sublime ball over the home defence. Greene timed his run perfectly to swivel and volley to the net for his 47th goal for Rovers and the milestone century of league strikes in his career.
It might have been worse for Sligo right on the blow of the break but for a brave block tackle by skipper John Mahon on Darragh Nugent who pulled the trigger from Matthews’ cross.
Sligo regrouped at the interval and enjoyed a good spell of pressure early in the second half from a series of corners, with McGinty denying Wolfe with his feet.
Hoops skipper Roberto Lopes then cleared an Owen Elding header off the line from Will Fitzgerald’s cross as Sligo pressed to get back into the game.
Greene brought relief when having a goal disallowed before bringing a parry save from Sargeant.
Back at the other end, Francely Lomboto blew a glorious chance when ballooning his shot off target from Elding’s through ball.
Manning then brought a tip-over save from McGinty as Sligo maintained their resurgence, if to no avail as Rovers’ first-half dominance proved more than enough.
Captain Ryan Brennan scored a 96th-minute penalty as Drogheda United beat Cork City 3-2 in a rollercoaster clash at United Park to go back top of the table.
Recent Dutch signing Djenairo Daniels put Cork ahead early on before snatching an 86th-minute equaliser after goals from Shane Farrell and Warren Davis had turned the game on its head. Brennan then stepped up to slot home from 12 yards to earn Drogheda a first win in five games.
A Danny Mullen goal gave Derry City a fourth win in five games as they beat St Patrick’s Athletic 1-0 at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium to knock the Inchicore side off the summit.
Champions Shelbourne‘s poor run of results continued as they suffered their first back-to-back defeats of the season in losing 1-0 to Waterford at Tolka Park following a third-minute goal from veteran striker Pádraig Amond.
Sean Grehan scored twice, the winner deep in added time, as Bohemians bounced back from Friday’s home loss to Waterford to beat Galway United 2-1 at Eamonn Deacy Park.
In-form New Zealand international Moses Dyer put Galway ahead with his eighth goal of the season a minute before half-time.
Central defender Grehan levelled for Bohemians on the hour before getting the winner in the 97th minute, just as he’d done against St Patrick’s Athletic at Dalymount Park 10 days ago.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Grace, Lopes, C. O’Sullivan; Matthews, Nugent, Healy (O’Neill, 67), Byrne (Noonan, 67), Grant (Ozhianvuna, 83); Burke (O’Sullivan, 67); Greene (Gaffney, 83).
SLIGO ROVERS: Sergeant; Reynolds (Lintott, 77), McElroy, Mahon, Hutchinson; Wolfe (Patton, 77), Manning; Elding, Hakiki (Kavanagh, h-t; Mallon, 82), Fitzgerald; Lomboto (Waweru, 77).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
Attendance: 4,577.
