David Goulden at the Showgrounds
Match Sponsor: Cosgrove’s Centra, Maugheraboy
Match Ball Sponsor: Chrissy’s Chippy, Foxford.
Goals from Archie Meekison and Will Ftizgerald saw Sligo Rovers pick up our first back-to-back wins of the season as the Bt O’Red saw off the league’s bottom side Waterford at the Showgrounds.
Meekison scored from a Fitzgerald cross in the opening half while roles reversed in the second as Fitzgerald turned home a Meekison assist to double the Bit O’Red’s lead just shy of the hour.
The result lifts the Bit O’Red out of the bottom two for the first time this season and extends our unbeaten run to three, while a despondent Blues continue to look for their first victory of 2026.
Searching for consecutive wins for the first time since last September, Rovers boss John Russell made just the one change from last week’s defeat of Bohemians. James McManus, ineligible against his parent club, returned in place of Alex Nolan.
Without victory in competitive competition since their relegation play-off win over Bray last November ahead of kick-off, Waterford made no less than five changes from an encouraging draw in Dalymount a fortnight ago.
Unbeaten in two having drawn against both Shamrock Rovers and Bohs recently, Jon Daly hoped for a first victory of the season at the eleventh attempt, bringing Benny Couto, Trae Coyle, Kevin Long, Luke Heeney and Jorgen Voilas all back to the fold.
Sligo led this game by a goal at half-time but will wonder how they didn’t stretch their lead further before the interval although it was the visitors who should have gone ahead on 16 minutes. Violas kicked fresh air as he aimed to meet Coyle’s cross just five yards from goal.
Waterford instantly regretted this as they fell behind two minutes later. The ever reliant Fitzgerald doing all the hard work down his left side before sending a ball across the face of Arlo Doherty’s goal for Meekison who tapped home for his first goal for Rovers.
It was all one way traffic from here until the break.
Daire Patton, Ollie Denham and Sean McHale all had opportunities while Carl McHugh fired narrowly over on the half volley three minutes from half time.
Daly hauled off duo Alan Zborowski and Jorgen Voilas late in the first half in an attempt to rejuvenate the league’s bottom side.
Irish international Kevin Long went close early in the second period, but any optimism garnered by the Munster men was short lived. Goal-scorer Meekison turned provider as he landed a cross which Doherty flapped at but Fitzgerald profited from, as the Limerick man netted his third of the term.
A great reaction save from Sligo keeper Sam Sargeant kept his old club at arm’s length as the Londoner denied Benny Couto on 65. While Doherty kept his team alive ten minutes later when he pulled off a wonderful stop of his own to keep out Cian Kavanagh’s header.
The RSC side thought they had delivered a late scare when Luke Heeney found the net with eight to go. But the referee’s assistant on the Jinks’ Avenue side of the ground adjudged the former Drogheda man to be offside, much to the frustration of the Blues’ bench who were convinced the goal was legitimate.
Next up for Rovers is another crucial league game at home. Dundalk provide the opposition at the Showgrounds on Saturday April 25th, kick-off 7.45pm.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Gareth McElroy, Ollie Denham, Sean McHale; Jeannot Esua, Will Fitzgerald; Carl McHugh, James McManus (Shane Blaney 77); Daire Patton (Alex Nolan 77), Archie Meekison; Cian Kavanagh.
Waterford: Arlo Doherty; Alan Zborowski (Jordan Houston 41), John Mahon, Kevin Long, Bernardo Couto; Luke Heeney, Dean McMenamy (Sam Glenfield 60), Evan McLaughlin (Conor Carty 60); Trae Coyle, Jorgen Voilas (Hayden Cann 41); Padraig Amond (Tommy Lonergan 70).
Referee: Arnold Hunter.