Sport

Spirited Sligo right back in the title race

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Sligo Rovers 2 Shamrock Rovers 0: SLIGO ROVERS romped to their first win over high-flying…

Sat Jun 25 2011 - 01:00

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Sligo Rovers 2 Shamrock Rovers 0:SLIGO ROVERS romped to their first win over high-flying Shamrock Rovers in five attempts in a pulsating game at the Showgrounds last night .

A superb Eoin Doyle goal on the stroke of full-time sealed Paul Cook’s side’s victory and sent the Hoops tumbling to their third defeat of the season.

Doyle swooped for his 14th goal of the season as the visitors threw everything at the home side in a last-ditch attempt to salvage a point after Gavin Peers had broken the deadlock in the first half.

Alan Keane ballooned a shot wide following a pacy run in the third minute as the home side made the early running.

READ MORE

Billy Dennehy latched on to a Hoops clearance after 10 minutes but fired agonisingly wide of Brendan Clarke’s goal.

Sligo eventually went in front in the 38th minute when a Joseph Ndo corner was headed firmly to the Hoops net by Peers.

Heavy rain before the game left the pitch in a sodden state and this was reflected in the fluency of the play as both sides struggled to bring a real sparkle to the proceedings.

Shamrock Rovers made four changes from the side that forced a late draw with Dundalk with Craig Sives, Conor McCormack, Stephen Rice and Chris Turner coming into the side.

Sligo continued to press their illustrious opponents after the break with Raffaele Cretaro having claims for a penalty turned down as Paul Cook’s side sensed that the Hoops were beatable on this occasion.

The introduction of Gary Twigg and Ciarán Kilduff by Michael O’Neill in the second half added bite to the visitors’ attack and Kilduff should have been awarded a penalty after 72 minutes when he was upended by Sligo’s goalscorer Gavin Peers but the Hoops’ appeals proved in vain.

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane, Greene, Peers, McGuinness, Ndo, Blinkhorn, Ryan, Kirby (Russell, 87 mins), Doyle, Cretaro (Dillon, 75 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Stevens (Twigg, 63 mins), Sives, Oman, McCabe, McCormack, Rice, Dennehy, Turner, O Neill (Kilduff, 70 mins).

Referee: C Buttimer(Cork).