Sligo Rovers hold a slender advantage going into next week's second leg after they beat Bala Town in their Europa Conference League first round, first leg tie at Park Hall.
Lassana Mendes had given the Welsh side an early lead, but Sligo managed to turn the game on its head with goals from front men Aidan Keena and Max Mata.
Rovers finished the game with ten men after Nando Pijnaker was dismissed on 79 minutes.
Looking to progress through a round of European football for just the second time in their history, Sligo were unchanged from their win over Shelbourne on home soil last weekend.
Any plans the visitors had to control the pace of this game from the off, went out the window early on as the Welsh side hit the lead after just six minutes.
Rovers’ New Zealand international Pijnaker failed to make contact with the ball as he attempted to clear Paul Rutherford’s cross. The ball instead landing at the feet of Mendes who rifled the ball past Ed McGinty from the edge of the area.
Sligo did create opportunities, but looked like they might be left frustrated by a well-oiled Bala machine.
Town goalkeeper Alex Ramsay got a finger-tip to Paddy Kirk’s effort from 20 yards after space opened up in front of the Dubliner. While Keena fired wide off a Mata lay-off.
Ramsay again got a touch to a Rovers effort on 25 when he reacted in time to get the slightest of touches on Mata’s header.
John Russell’s side then levelled the contest on 28 minutes.
Keena showed superb control to trap Karl O’Sullivan’s cross, before nonchalantly lobbing the ball over Ramsay’s head for his twelfth goal of the season.
Rovers had to call on their number one McGinty to keep out Chris Venables' snapshot ten minutes from the break. While Keena fired over a speculative effort from distance before the interval.
The Lakesiders had Ramsay to thank again just three minutes into the second period when he denied Mata in a one-on-one situation. But Ramsay could do little about Mata's goal on 49 minutes when the former Real Monarchs striker made the most of hesitancy in the Bala defence to squeeze the ball between Ramsay and his post.
Keena asked a lot of himself when he fired wide from 40 yards out just short of the hour as the Irish side began to take hold of this tie.
Ramsay was again on call in the 71st minute too keep out Keena’s placed effort after a superb through ball from Pijnaker.
Bala went within inches of finding themselves level on 77 minutes. But Venables’ looping header bounced in front of McGinty’s post after the ball sailed over the Glasweigan’s head.
Sligo have only ever managed to win three games in Europe in the lead up to this game. They were reduced to ten men eleven minutes from time when Pijnaker was sent to the stands after he dragged James Davies to the ground. Referee Jason Barcelo adjudged Pijnaker to have been the last man.
Colm Horgan twice cleared the ball off his own line on 83 minutes to keep Sligo’s narrow lead intact, while Bala had what looked like legitimate calls for a penalty turned awat, shortly after. Rovers change Frank Liivak tangled with Mendes inside the area, but referee Barcelo was left unimpressed despite what looked like a trip on the Town attacker.
But Rovers, cheered on by 450 supporters, held on to take their place in the driving seat ahead of next Thursday’s return leg.
Bala Town: Alex Ramsay; Ross White, Nathan Peate, Antony Kay, Calum Woods (Oliver Southern 66); David Edwards, Oliver Shannon (Brad Bauress 82); Kieran Smith, Paul Rutherford (James Davies 74); Chris Venables, Lassana Mendes.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Colm Horgan, Shane Blaney, Nando Pijnaker, Paddy Kirk; Adam McDonnell (David Cawley 92), Niall Morahan; Karl O'Sullivan (Frank Liivak 69), Will Fitzgerald; Aidan Keena, Max Mata (Lewis Banks 82).
Referee: Jason Barcelo.
