Shamrock Rovers’ title hopes took a severe knock as two goals in five minutes earned Sligo Rovers all three points at the Showgrounds last night.
Pat Scully’s side looked to be heading for another scoreless draw, just four days after drawing with St Pat’s, but late strikes from Adam Hughes and Matthew Judge saw the home side take the spoils.
Sligo captain Hughes, heavily bandaged after picking up a head injury in Waterford last time out, tapped home the opener with just 17 minutes left on the clock. And striker Judge claimed a wonder second four minutes later.
The home side were without the suspended Raffaelle Cretaro and handed a first start to new signing Mark Boyd in midfield. The Hoops were still minus the injured Paul Shiels and Aidan Price.
In an entertaining opening, both keepers were forced into early action, but it was the home side that went closest, when Fahrudin Kuduzovic’s trickery on the left earned his side a free. The Bosnian swung it in himself, and Matthew Judge gently re-directed it with a volley, but the ball flew wide at the near post.
And the Bit O’ Red should have taken the lead midway through the half when Gavin Peers flicked on Brian Cash’s corner, but Conor O’Grady headed over at the back post.
The visitors’ dangermen, Tadhg Purcell and Ger Rowe, looked lively and winger David Tyrell showed some neat touches, but the Bit O’ Red shaded the early exchanges and had they made better use of a number of set-pieces, they could well have hit the front.
They nearly did - inadvertently - on 33 minutes, when countering after a strong Peers challenge. Kuduzovic broke down the left and made room for the cross on the edge of the box. But his delivery floated goalwards and Barry Murphy was forced to finger-tip the ball over the top.
The Hoops had a penalty appeal turned down shortly before the break when Adam Hughes and Daniel Ventre got their wires crossed and David Cassidy went down under Ventre’s recovery tackle.
They didn’t get the spot-kick, but Pat Scully’s side did up the tempo after this and enjoyed their most productive spell in the final five minutes of the half. But they failed to trouble keeper Richard Brush and the half finished scoreless.
The Dubliners were appealing for a penalty again soon after the restart when Purcell got in behind the defence. Jamie MacKenzie’s sliding tackle inside the area was certainly risky, but referee Pat Whelan was in no doubt that the Scot got enough of the ball.
Paul Cook’s side were starting to look a little nervy and Kuduzovic was booked for a needless push on Barry Ferguson before Rowe flashed Tyrell’s free-kick wide of the post with a header.
The game sprung to life after this and Murphy was called upon once again to tip over the top an O’Grady header from Kuduzovic’s free-kick.
Midfielder O’Grady had an even better chance minutes later when he charged down Dean Lawrence’s attempted clearance and broke into the area. But Murphy got down well to narrow the angle.
But there was nothing Murphy could do on 73 minutes when some neat footwork from excellent full-back Seamus Coleman created the opening for Judge in the area and the striker pulled the ball across the face of goal, leaving captain Hughes to slide it into the empty net.
If the first finish was simple, the second was sublime. Coleman was again involved, trading passes with substitute Stephen Manson on the right, and his pull-back was delightfully chipped into the far corner by Judge.
To add injury to insult, the Dubliners were forced to finish the game with ten men as Tyrell was carried off injured after Scully had used all three substitutes.
Sligo Rovers: Brush, Coleman, MacKenzie, Peers, Ventre, Cash (Manson 69), O’Grady, Hughes, Boyd (Curran 72), Kuduzovic, Judge (Foy 82).
Subs not used: McCormack, Creane
Shamrock Rovers: Murphy, O’Brien, Pender, Lawrence, Ferguson, O’Connor, Cassidy (Martin 76), E McGill (D McGill 78), Tyrell, Purcell, Rowe (Myler 70).
Subs not used: Amond, McGuinness
Referee: P Whelan
