David Goulden at the Showgrounds
Match Day Sponsor: North West Credit Union.
Match Ball Sponsor: National Learning Network, Sligo.
Paddy Barrett struck a 95th minute leveller as Shelbourne began the post-Joey O’Brien era with a dramatic late draw with Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
Two down courtesy of first Rovers goals for Mai Traore and Daire Patton, Shels dug their way back into this one when Ali Coote sensationally halved Rovers’ lead nine minutes from time with a vicious strike from distance.
Throwing everything at Rovers to the death, Shels pulled out their late equaliser when Barrett fired past Sam Sargeant in the fifth minute of added time, Rovers dropping points late on for the second week running.
John Russell made just the one change from late defeat to Pat’s last week with Sean McHale returning in place of Kyle McDonagh. Striker Traore started for what was his last game for the club, with the Guinean due to report back to parent club Notts County next week. Midfielders Seb Quirk and Archie Meekison made the bench as they both continue their return to full fitness.
Shels’ interim boss Lorcan Fitzgerald elected for three personnel switches from the derby defeat to Bohs on Monday. Rodrigo Freitas, Zeno Rossi and Coote coming in as Shels looked to pick up a first win in three.
For what was their first game without the departed O’Brien in the dugout since the beginning of the 2021 season, the visitors did show early intention without anything to show for it.
Freitas’ early effort which was easily dealt with by Sargeant, the closest they came before Rovers got settled.
Traore was only inches off a Will Fitzgerald cross as Sligo began to question the Shels rearguard.
The same man was involved again 90 seconds later when Traore inadvertently laid a Fitzgerald ball into the path of Patton, who was foiled by Wessell Speel in the Shels nets.
Traore turned on the style as he finally found the net just short of the half hour.
Carl McHugh did the hard work as he closed down a Barrett attempted clearance, the ball looping into the air. Traore trapped the ball as it fell from the sky, executing a superb placed effort, which sailed beyond Speel from the edge of the Shels area.
Rattled by this, the Dubliners showed vulnerability at the back as Traore struck the bottom of Speel’s post amid unsure defending from a Fitzgerald corner.
Talisman Harry Wood pulled a routine save from Sargeant in the late stages of the second period as Sligo continued to frustrate their guests.
There was further grief for the Drumcondra outfit on 55 minutes when Patton arrived late to smuggle Sean Stewart’s drilled cross beyond Speel for his first goal for his boyhood club.
Shels had Sligo pinned back for the majority of the remaining minutes.
Sargeant was able to pluck a header from Wood from the air, while the Rovers net-minder somehow kept out a Frietas header from a Milan Mbeng assist from point blank range.
The press paid off nine from time when Coote let rip from 25 yards, whipping an unstoppable drive past Sargeant and into the top corner for his second of the year.
Shels fired the lot at Rovers late on. Sub Ollie Denham managed to head the ball away from under his own crossbar with seconds of normal time to go. While Cian Kavanagh took a Speel volley off his own line on 94, leading to the corner that resulted in Barrett’s climatic equaliser.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Jeannot Esua, Sean McHale, Gareth McElroy, Sean Stewart (Ollie Denham 69); James McManus (Kevin Zefi 79), Carl McHugh; Will Fitzgerald, Daire Pattton, Ryan O’Kane (Archie Meekison 83); Mai Traore (Cian Kavanagh 69).
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Kameron Ledwidge, Paddy Barrett, Zeno Rossi (Odhran Casey 62); Milan Mbeng (Sean Moore 75), Dan Kelly (Will Jarvis 75); Ellis Chapman (Jack Henry-Francis 62), Evan Caffrey, Harry Wood; Ali Coote (Joey Wuna 82); Rodrigo Freitas.
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
Attendance: 2,089.