Sligo Rovers 3-1 Cobh Ramblers

Sligo Rovers came from behind to claim their first eircom Premier Division win of the season at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening.

Kevin Murray headed Cobh Ramblers ahead on three minutes after connecting with Alan Kearney's cross.

Mauro Almeida nodded a Brian Cash corner home to pull Rovers level eight minutes later and Danny Ventre pushed them ahead on 26 with another headed goal.

Benin international Romuald Boco wrapped it up for Sligo in the 86th minute with his first goal of the season.

With both sides seeking a first victory, their respective bosses made a number of changes to their starting line-ups.

Cobh manager Stephen Henderson, without the injured Shane Guthrie, Alan Carey and Kenny Coleman, and the suspended Kieran O’Reilly, gave first starts to Declan Cahill and Stephen Mulcahy, while John Kearney was also drafted in.

Rovers, with Fahrudin Kuduzovic absent through injury, made four changes to the team that drew with UCD – captain Gavin Peers returning to the starting 15 along with Chris Butler, Brian Cash and Steve Feeney.

Cobh enjoyed the best of starts and were ahead within three minutes. Alan Kearney played a short free to Davin O’Neill and got the return before swinging a perfect cross into the far post for Cobh captain Murray to nod home.

Rovers took just ten minutes to level however, with centre-back Almeida powering a header to the net at the near post from Cash’s corner.

The home side were ahead on 23 minutes after claiming the game’s third headed goal. Chris Butler swung a corner deep, which Boco did well to keep in, and he exchanged passes with Conor O’Grady before crossing for Ventre to fire past Cobh keeper James McCarthy.

Cobh shaded the early stages of a disappointing second-half, with Alan Kearney forcing Rovers keeper Richard Brush to palm over under his crossbar, and Rovers defender Seamus Coleman also required to head off the line on 66 minutes.

Brush also pulled off a point blank save when Graham Cummins directed a half-volley goalwards from inside the area with 20 minutes left.

At the other end, substitute Jamie McKenzie had a penalty shout waved away by referee Neil Doyle following Cash’s corner, but Boco wrapped up the win with a scrambled third in the dying minutes.

Sligo Rovers: Brush, Coleman, Almeida (McKenzie, 67 mins), Peers, Butler (Murphy, 45), Cash, O'Grady, Ventre, Cretaro, Boco, Feeney (Judge 58).

Cobh Ramblers: McCarthy, Mulcahy, Murray, Cahill, J Meade, Mulconry (Lally, 79 mins), J Kearney (Cambridge, 64), S Barrett, A Kearney, O'Neill, Cummins.

Referee: N Doyle.