Wexford Youths 0-5 Sligo Rovers
Two well-taken goals from Kieran Sadlier put the gloss on Sligo Rovers’ biggest win of the season to move Dave Robertson’s side back up into the top half of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table.
Raffaele Cretaro sent Sligo on their way with Daniel Kearns and new signing Achille Campion, on his debut, adding the other goals in a convincing win at Ferrcarrig Park.
With influential striker Paul Murphy back from a two-match suspension, Youths made two changes to Monday’s home defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic with Conor O’Keeffe also coming in at right-back.
New signing Pat McCann came in for his debut at left-back for Sligo in one of three changes to their line-up from their last outing against Derry City.
Michael Leahy in central defence and winger Kearns also came in while latest signing, French striker Campion, made the bench.
But it was an old stalwart who punished poor defending to give Sligo the perfect start with the lead goal after just two minutes.
Cretaro cleverly made his run in behind onto Sadlier’s through ball to calmly drill his shot low past Graham Doyle at his near post for his third goal in four games and sixth of the league season.
A lively opening to the game should have seen Youths level on eight minutes.
Threaded through on goal by Shane Dunne, Danny Furlong was a little too casual as he tried to flick the ball past Micheal Schlingermann who made the save.
Youths enjoyed a good spell of possession with Furlong shooting wide following Lee Grace’s sublime cross-field pass on 21 minutes.
Three minutes later Sligo threatened with central defender Leahy getting forward to glance a header wide from Kearns’ cross.
But Youths were inches from levelling on the half hour. Murphy swept the ball out to the right for O’Keeffe to cross.
Chris Kenny’s header crashed off Schlingermann’s crossbar.
But further bad defending by the home side gifted Sligo a second goal five minutes into the season half.
Defender Stephen Last gave the ball away and winger Kearns was alert to nip in and score at the second attempt after Doyle parried his initial shot.
Sligo then sealed their win with two goals inside three minutes.
Campion came off the bench to rifle Cretaro’s cross home off a post with virtually his first touch on 67 minutes.
The impressive Sadlier then scored direct from a free kick before also adding Rovers’ fifth goal on 82 minutes.
Cretaro did the spade work on the left to find Sadlier who cleverly turned two defenders before shooting to the net at the near post.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle; Conor O’Keeffe, Gary Delaney (Andrew O’Connor 72), Stephen Last, Lee Grace; Shane Dunne, Jonny Bonner (Shane Dempsey 72), Chris Kenny, Andy Mulligan; Danny Furlong, Paul Murphy (Aidan Keenan 65).
Sligo Rovers: Micheal Schlingermann; Pat McCann, Michael Leahy, Gary Boylan, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling; Daniel Kearns (Achille Campion 64), John Roddan, John Russell (Phil Roberts 78); Kieran Sadlier; Raffaele Cretaro (Mikey Place 84), Liam Martin.
Referee: James McKell (Tipperary).
