Jason Gavin kept alive Drogheda United’s hopes of finishing third in the eircom Premier Division with a 78th minute winner as Sligo Rovers were beaten 3-2 at the Showgrounds.
Gavin powerfully headed home Paul Keegan’s excellent free-kick somewhat against the run of play, shortly after substitute Choice Aisien had levelled the sides with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.
Drogheda had led 2-1 at the break thanks to a Shane Barrett strike and an own goal, Rovers’ second in the space of a week.
The depleted home side were without the injured Michael McNamara, Darren Mansaram, Chris Turner, Harpal Singh, Sean Flannery, Matthew Judge and Brian Cash, as well as the suspended Fahrudin Kudozovic, forcing caretaker manager Gareth Gorman into five changes from the side that lost to Shels on Tuesday.
Drogheda made just the one change from the team that beat Derry, with Sami Ristila starting in place of the suspended Glen Fitzpatrick.
A strong cross-field breeze made conditions difficult early on. Despite playing against the wind, Drogheda were quicker to settle, however, and a third minute snapshot from Shane Robinson was not far over.
Conor O’Grady couldn’t control a shot with the wind at his back at the other end, while Drogheda captain Declan O’Brien started to cause problems for the Rovers’ rearguard.
He combined with Ristila on 13 minutes to tee up Barrett, but the winger could not keep his shot down. A minute later O’Brien played a neat one-two with Paul Keegan, but again his eventual shot was just too high.
Rovers’ 19-year-old striker John Bellew, making his first start, almost opened the scoring on the half-four mark when Seamus Coleman’s cross rebounded to him off Graham Gartland. But his powerful effort was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar by Dan O’Connor.
But four minutes later, the game burst to life with three goals in the space of four minutes.
Paul McTiernan grabbed Rovers’ first goal in 664 minutes of football when capitalising on some defensive hesitancy to head Adam Hughes’s knock-on over the head of the advancing O’Connor.
But the lead lasted less than a minute as Shane Robinson and O’Brien worked the ball into the area and Barrett powerfully finished it to the net, for his fourth goal in two games.
Drogheda were ahead just three minutes later. Whelan made space for a cross on the right and his delivery was diverted into his own net from under the crossbar by the unfortunate Coleman, under pressure from Barrett.
Stand-in captain Conor O’Grady tried hard to rally the troops with some positive attacking play, but his over-exuberance earned him the game’s first booking on the stroke of half-time.
Full-back Keith Foy, who scored a stunning last minute equaliser when the sides last met in August, tried his luck from a free six minutes into the second-half after McTiernan was fouled. But he failed to trouble O’Connor.
Brian Shelly did work Rovers keeper John O’Hara at the opposite end, but the netminder was equal to his long range effort.
But Rovers got level again on 64 minutes through a wonder goal from substitute Aisien, his first for the club. There looked little danger when the Nigerian U-21 international controlled possession with his back to goal at the edge of the box, but he spun and unleashed a thunderbolt that left O'Connor helpless.
McTiernan had a great chance to put his side in front for a second time when Gary Curran released Coleman on the right. His perfect cross picked out McTiernan at the back post, but his volley crept past the far post.
Ristila tested O’Hara at the other end, but it was his last action as Paul Doolin brought on Eamonn Zayed.
But it was centre-back Gavin that won it for visitors on 78 minutes.
He met Paul Keegan’s excellent delivery from a free at the back post, and powerfully rattled the net with his header.
Sligo Rovers: John O’Hara, Gavin Peers, Seamus Coleman, Liam Burns, Jamie MacKenzie, Keith Foy, Seamus Coleman Gavin Peers, Gary Curran, Conor O’Grady (captain), Adam Hughes, Paul McTiernan, John Bellew (Choice Aisien 58).
Subs not used: Richard Brush, Mikey Creane, Emyln Mulligan, Sean Kelly.
Drogheda United: Dan O’Connor, Brian Shelly, Jason Gavin, Graham Gartland, Stephen Gray, Gavin Whelan, Shane Robinson, Shane Barrett (Simon Webb 90), Paul Keegan, Sami Ristila (Eamonn Zayed 75), Declan O’Brien (captain)
Subs not used: Damien Lynch, Charlie Treacy, Stephen Bradley.
Referee: Pat Whelan.
