Two goals in the closing minutes gave the bumper crowd just what they wanted as Sligo Rovers came back from a two goal half-time deficit to overcome St Patricks Athletic in The Showgrounds tonight (Sat 23 Sep.)

Sligo Rovers 3 – 2 St Patrick’s Athletic
The Showgrounds, Sat 23 Sep, 2005
Att: 2500 (est)
Match Sponsor: Brooks Hanley
City Alarms Man of the Match: Darren Mansaram

The draw for at least some of the crowd may been the very welcome presence of former manager Billy Sinclair and the promise of a free trip to Old Trafford, but the star attraction was the gutsy Rovers display, a never say die attitude and two goals in the closing minutes that sealed all three points.

Going in at half time, it looked like the initiative of offering six people the opportunity to win a free trip to see Manchester United play Liverpool in October was the only fanfare of the evening, but the Bit O’Red turned in a sparkling second half display to move level on points with fourth place Drogheda United.

Sean Connor had some selection decisions to make in advance of this one as five Rovers player were unavailable, three through suspension, Keith Foy, Gavin Peers and Paul McTiernan, whilst Brian Cash and Gary Curran are out injured, the former for a year.

In the end, McKenzie came in at right back, as Chris Turner filled the other fill back slot, whilst Matt Judge replaced Cash up front.

Rovers were on top in the initial phase of the game playing free-flowing football for the sizeable crowd and on fourteen minutes it looked as though the pressure was going to pay off when Conor O’Grady found McKenzie in space, allowing the young Scot to send a low ball towards the back post at the railway end, but Adam Hughes sliding in failed to hit the target.

However, it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play on twenty minutes. A Keith Fahey free from on right found Colm Foley unmarked at back post, and he made no mistake.

As the home side looked to gather themselves, the game became scrappy, and St Pat’s took advantage, O’Hara saving from Fahey at the near post before Fahey scored the second on forty two minutes, this time the supply coming from Molloy down the left.

Rovers must have got the hairdryer treatment at half time and they went at the visitors like an express train from the tip off, O’Grady putting Judge through forcing Ryan to make a fantastic save to put it out for a corner.

The corner was cleared initially but the danger wasn’t over though, as Fahrudin Kudozivuc put in a ball, swinging away from the ‘keeper, that was met by Judge who guided it in to the net.

Although Rovers were in ascendancy, St Pat’s gave a reminder of their danger on the counter on fifty two minutes, when Trevor Molloy had an effort from distance that forced a good save from O’Hara. Four minutes later, Mark Rooney linking with Keegan fired a low shot from distance that went narrowly wide of the post.

Turner’s striking instincts can’t be held back too long and midway through the half he made space for  himself , shooting from thirty yards out. Ryan could only parry out, but unfortunately for the home side, there was no follow up.

A couple of minutes later, Turner’s failure to properly clear his lines gave Keegan a half chance, chipping O’Hara from distance, but the top of the crossbar saved Rovers blushes.

Rovers threw caution to the wind in the last quarter of an hour, switching to three at the back and Darren Mansaram had a good opportunity from a McKenzie cross but failed to hit the target.

Just when it looked like Rovers were heading for another defeat, Mansaram linked onto a long clearance from the back, hustled his way into the box before firing an unstoppable volley into the top of the net on eighty seven minutes.

A minute later, it was two. Manasaram again battled into the box, and this time was bundled over by the advancing Ryan. Up stepped Chris Turner to whip a confident strike straight into the middle of the goal to seal the points.

Next up for Rovers is the cup quarter final against Killester United in the Showgrounds next Saturday night.

Sligo Rovers
Jon O’Hara, Jamie McKenzie, Chris Turner, Michael McNamara, Liam Burns, Fahrudin Kudozovic, Conor O’Grady, Adam Hughes, Harpal Singh, Matthew Judge, Darren Mansaram (John Bellew)
Subs not used: Seamus Coleman, Sean Kelly, Emlyn Mulligan, Richard Brush


St Patrick’s Athletic
Barry Ryan, Stephen Brenna, John Frost, Dave Mulcahy, Dara Maguire, Colm Foley, Mark Rooney, Keith Fahey, Paul Keegan (Chris Armstrong )(Kevin Cornwall 89), Trevor Molloy Mark Rutherford

Subs not used: Mark Fitzpatrick, Michael Foley, Brendan Clarke

Referee: Damien Hancock

Bookings:
Sligo Rovers: Harpal Singh

St Pats
Barry Ryaqn, Keith Fahey, Treevor Molloy


Report by Paraic Casey