1				2
O'Grady 80					Guy 65, Harris 82
Date:				Friday 23 May 2008
Venue:				The Showgrounds, Sligo
Time:				8.00pm
Attendance				2200 (est)
Sponsor				Canning House and Garden
MOTM				Fahrudin Kudozovic

It was a game that ebbed and flowed, with the defensive prowess of both sides being well in evidence. But despite long spells of possession and a sprinkling of chances, the home side were ultimately punished by the superior fire power of the league leaders who will be more than glad to have taken all three points.
 
Sligo Rovers had bad news on the injury front with pivotal central defender, Mauro Almeida forced out with a hip injury. Almeida’s replacement Jamie McKenzie was the only change that the Bit O’Red reported from last week’s home win against Bray Wanderers.

The game burst into life as soon as the referee blew his whistle with the visitors adopting a three five two formation that demonstrated their intent. The home side playing with Faz and Judge up front were lively and as early as the sixth minute had beaten Ryan but  Damien Lynch was on hand to knock Anto Murphy’s left footed volley off the line after good work by Kudozovic in the box.

 The visitors pressed hard midway through the half but a combination of Rovers tenacity and at times over elaborate build up by St Pats maintained the stalemate.

The mood became tetchy as the half hour approached with Quigley booked for a two footed tackle on Murphy and Ventre receiving the same treatment as he got over familiar with Quigley in retaliation a couple of minutes later.

Rovers still looked more likely, counter attacking quickly and putting Pats on the back foot, but despite a number of forays into the opposition box, notably from Gavin Peers, they didn’t trouble Ryan’s goal until the thirty ninth when a goalmouth scramble almost resulted in the breakthrough.

A Cash header from a Judge cross on the left was cleared off the line before Ryan flapped away Murphy’s effort only as far as Conor O’Grady’s whose stabbed shot hit the woodwork and went wide.

The second half began with St Pat’s in the ascendancy. They got what was really their first clear cut chance of the game after fifty minutes when a Dessie Byrne cross from the left found Ryan Guy in space on the right but he blasted over. A couple of minutes later though, the Rovers crossbar was rattled with Brush beaten when a Dempsey free kick from twenty five yards but it bounced out.

The home side recovered quickly and with the introduction of Romy Boco ten minutes into the half, they gained a new momentum. Almost immediately Cretaro broke through the middle sending a ball left to Kudozovic whose quick feet released Boco who with virtually his first touch forced a good save from Ryan. The resultant corner sailed towards the back post where it was met by Conor O’Grady whose well placed header went narrowly wide.

But it was the league leaders who finally got the edge on sixty five when Ryan Guy scored from an almost impossible angle when striking a volley after Ventre’s tackle looked to have cleared the danger.

Rovers were countering at the other end almost immediately, and Romy Boco should have done better at close range from a Cash cross but his effort was saved by Ryan. The pace was frenetic at this stage with Rovers leaving gaps at the back as they pushed forward and they were finally rewarded on the eightieth minute when a Sean Doherty free kick from the right was headed in by Conor O’Grady at the back post.

It was no more than they deserved but the home supporters only had two minutes to celebrate as St Pat’s took the initiative again when a Keith Fahy corner on the right was headed into the corner of the net by an unmarked Jamie Harris.

As the clock wound down, St Pat’s killed off the game and as Rovers threw everything at them, almost extended their lead when Fahy hit the side-netting in the closing minutes,

Next up for the Bit O’Red is an away trip to Drogheda on Tuesday night.