Sligo picked up their second victory of the new season at Flancare Park with this facile victory over a Longford town side who remain without a solitary point after 3 rounds of matches in the Eircom league.
The home side struggled without suspended duo Johnny Martin and Damian Brennan, who were both were sent off against Shamrock Rovers last weekend and a Farodin Kuduzovic free kick was enough to separate the sides.
Sligo opened brightly. Adam Hughes caused a lot of problems for the home defence in the early stages of this scrappy encounter. The midfielder shot narrowly wide in the 7th minute and was denied by an excellent Shay Kelly save just 5 minutes later.
At the other end Longford struggled to break down a finely tuned Sligo defence. Ian Wexler went close after 18 minutes. However, his strike was narrowly over the crossbar.
Sligo sparked into life after the break. Seamus Coleman powered his way towards goal in the 49th minute only to be upended by Kevin Doherty on the edge of the penalty area. Shay Kelly failed to guard his net for the free kick that followed and Kuduzovic cleverly curled home the game’s only goal.
Longford should have been back on terms just minutes later but Wexler was again denied, this time by a fine save from Sligo keeper Richard Brush.
Kuduzovic was in the thick of the action again later in the half. His thundering 67th strike was well saved by Kelly as Longford’s challenge wilted.
The home side almost salvaged a point in stoppage time. Alan O’Riordan crossed for Dave Mooney whose effort was well stopped by Brush.
Longford Town: Kelly; Sullivan, Prunty, Doherty, Rutherford; Freeman, Doyle, Deegan (Reilly 75), Wexler (O’Riordan 68); R. Martin, Mooney.
Sligo Rovers: Brush; Coleman, Pears, McKenzie, Foy (Kelly 30); Manson (Bajdziak 81), Hughes, O’Grady, McCartney; Aisien (Boyle 90), Kuduzovic.
Referee: D. Hanney (Dublin)
