Sligo Rovers are unbeaten in all but one of our last seven games after a resolute Bit O’Red picked up a much deserved point from Tolka Park on Friday evening.
Both sides had chances in this game, with Rovers goalkeeper Sam Sargeant putting in another stellar performance to keep Shelbourne scoreless as he claimed his third clean sheet in his last five appearances.
Rovers may have taken the full quota of points from this one with a little more luck.
Archie Meekison looked like he had put Rovers in the lead in the second half, but the linesman somewhat controversially ruled out the goal for offside. While Ollie Denham went close at the death as Rovers moved to within five points of the top four.
John Russell welcomed back Daire Patton and Sean McHale for this one and it was the Rovers rearguard who were the busier in the opening half.
Net minder Sargeant reacted quickly to palm away a John Martin header low down on eleven minutes, while the Londonder denied Ali Coote and Harry Wood. While Rovers’ Carl McHugh tested Wessell Speel in the Shels nets with a header from a cross from April’s player of the month Will Fitzgerald.
The second half was 12 minutes old when Rovers were denied what looked like a legitimate goal.
The superb Gareth McElroy headed a Fitzgerald corner into the air for Meekison to nod past Speel from 3 yards for what looked like the opener. Rovers’ celebrations were cut short however when the referee’s assistant on the far side decided that the former Bohs man was offside despite a Shels player standing at the back post.
Joey O’Brien’s outfit had a couple of chances in the second half but couldn’t find a way past that steadfast Rovers rearguard.
Sligo almost scored a late winner when centre half Denham found himself in unfamiliar territory in front of goal. The defender smartly laid a Shels man on his back as he executed a turn to make the angle for himself before firing narrowly wide of Speel’s goal.
Rovers’ next game is a huge provincial derby with Galway United at the Showgrounds on Saturday, May 16th. Kick-off 7.45pm.
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge;JJ Lunney, Kerr McInroy (Ellis Chapman 77); Evan Caffrey (Sean Moore 77), Jack Henry-Francis (Ali Coote 23), Harry Wood, Will Jarvis (Maill Lundgren 64); John Martin (Sean Boyd 64).
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sergeant; Ollie Denham, Gareth McElroy, Sean McHale; Will Fitzgerald, James McManus, Carl McHugh (Shane Blaney 63), Sean Stewart (Kyle McDonagh 72); Archie Meekison (Alex Nolan 90), Daire Patton; Cian Kavanagh.
Referee: Oliver Moran (Dublin).
Attendance: 3,610.
David Goulden