Before their clash, both Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers were without a win in this LOI season. On Monday night, the hosts were able to shift the momentum to their side, celebrated a 2-1 victory at The Showgrounds, and bagged their first three points. After the defeat, the Hoops slid down to the bottom of the table.
In the first 30 minutes of the game, both teams were looking for stability and appeared to be rather nervous after a tough start to the season. Stephen Bradley’s side had more possession but they weren’t creative enough and didn’t cause any real trouble for a Sligo defence that had conceded 10 goals in the previous three games.
The Bit O’Red were more threatening when they came close to the opponent’s box. In the 31st minute, a free kick by Jake Doyle-Hayes went over the bar. A few moments later, Cian Kavanagh headed a cross by Reece Hutchinson into the net. But the referee blew the whistle for offside.
Anyway, the ‘home’ Rovers suddenly shined and deservedly scored a goal 7 minutes before half-time. After another free kick by Doyle-Hayes, Gareth McElroy served the ball to Jad Hakiki, who failed to score. But Hutchinson came to the rescue and kicked it into the net. The only decent chance by Shamrock Rovers in the first half was a header by Pico Lopes after 45 minutes, but keeper Conor Walsh had no problems in catching the ball.
After the break, the visitors gradually played with more intensity. John Russell’s side was mainly challenged in the defence and didn’t create any counterattacks. Finally, a beautiful pass by Daniel Grant was picked up by Graham Burke, who scored the equaliser for the Hoops after 68 minutes.
Afterwards, Shamrock Rovers seemed to be the more dominant side. However, their sloppiness in defending set-pieces turned out to be costly. On 78 minutes, another free kick into the box, this time by William Fitzgerald, got to Hutchinson, who passed the ball to John Mahon. The captain stood free in the middle, didn’t miss the opportunity, and nailed it in for the 2-1 which came a little bit out of nowhere.
In the remaining time, Shamrock Rovers tried to come back again but failed to show any danger. In the end, Sligo managed to secure the win and made a leap to 8th in the table. The Up next for the Bit O’Red is Cork on Friday, while Stephen Bradley’s side hosts St Pat’s at Tallaght Stadium.