David Goulden at the Showgrounds

Match day sponsor: Sligo Junction, Collooney.

Match ball sponsor: DPD Logistics, Sligo. 

Darren Purse believes his Sligo Rovers side have what it takes to still avoid the drop following Friday’s stalemate with Waterford at the Showgrounds.

The point, coupled with Drogheda’s loss to St Pat’s, means Rovers cut the gap to second bottom to five, with eight crucial games to go until the end of the season.

In what was an entertaining contest against the in-form team in the Premier Division, Rovers carved out chances in the first half and had to be defensively resolute in the second. 

Rovers’ main threat Jack Shorrock was foiled by a last ditch tackle from Hayden Cann early on after he was played through by skipper Carl McHugh. While Waterford’s experienced centre half Kevin Long charged down a Cian Kavanagh volley after Shorrock’s searching cross just evaded Rovers’ leaping Luke Pearse. 

Shorrock was at it again on 25 minutes when he found space behind Jordan Houston. The Port Vale loanee’s cross this time laid down by Kavanagh and onto the foot of Pearce. But the former Cardiff striker’s full volley was batted away by Blues’ net-minder Stephen McMullan. 

Suffering just two defeats in their last ten following an atrocious start to the season, Graham Coughlan’s men have picked up eleven points from their last five outings with the Munster side gathering wins recently against Bohs, Shels and Derry. 

They had their first sight at goal on the half hour when Conan Noonan fired over after some defensive hesitation from the hosts. While Padraig Amond’s header lacked the power of Benny Couto’s cross on the stroke of half-time as the former Sligo striker headed into the hands of Sam Sargeant. 

Former blue Sargeant kept the game scoreless when he palmed over a Noonan snapshot on the hour. 

Eight minutes later, McMullan pulled off a wonderful stop on his left hand at the far end, when he pushed away a swerving set-piece from Sligo sub Archie Meekison. 

The RSC side then had late chances courtesy of Couto, Lonergan and Noonan in a late dash for the winner.

Speaking after the game, Purse said he’s seen enough from his squad to suggest they have it in them to close further, that gap to Drogheda in ninth. 

“The Derry game’s the only game since I’ve been here that we haven’t been at the races”, he says. 

“But the boys deserve huge credit for this evening. It could have easily gone our way, sometimes we just lack that bit of quality in the final third. I said that to the lads, our final third is what wins us games. Intensity, drive and dropping on second balls, that’s what keeps you in a game. We just need to add that bit of quality in the final third. 

“If we play like that for the rest of the season, we’ve got a right chance. I said before the game that tonight was a ‘must-win’ game. I still back that because if we’d won, we’d be in a much better position. 

“We have tonight’s game, Bohs and Drogheda and if we go and get seven points from those game, we’ll be looking up. 

“It’s a point gained tonight, especially with the Drogheda result and that game in a few weeks which again will be a ‘must-win’.”

Enthused by a crowd of almost two and a half thousand despite the game being televised and its staging on a non-traditional week-night, Purse reminded the Sligo sporting public how crucial their role is in the coming weeks as the squad continues to press on. 

“At times they were really good, up on their feet supporting the team and getting behind us and we need that”, the Londonder stated. 

“Other times, I think there was pressure and they felt it. And when the players feel pressure that’s when the players need the fans the most. To feel that support rather than be peeved with a poor pass or poor decision. But we need that support now for the last few games.” 

Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Seb Quirk, Ollie Denham (Archie Meekison HT), Gareth McElroy, Sean Stewart; Luke Young, Carl McHugh; Jack Shorrock (Trey George 79), Alex Nolan; Luke Pearce (Kaiyne Woolery 62), Cian Kavanagh. 

Waterford: Stephen McMullan; Kevin Long, Hayden Cann (Blair McKenize 71), John Mahon; Jordan Houston, Beny Couto; Noah Mawane (Dean McMenamy 75), Evan McLaughlin; Conan Noonan, Padraig Amond, Tommy Lonergan. 

Referee: Neil Doyle. 

Attendance: 2,456.

Sligo Rovers boss Darren Purse says his team will give everything they can in their efforts to take three points from Friday night’s crucial game with Waterford, in what is to date, the biggest night of the season for the Bit O’Red.

Match night sponsor for this game, moved to Friday at 8pm for coverage on Virgin Media TV is Sligo Junction, Collooney. Match ball sponsor is DPD Logistics, Sligo.

Purse’s Rovers host one of the country’s in-form sides at the Showgrounds, sitting six points off Graham Coughlan’s men who have taken 18 points from their last ten games.

Rovers currently sit six points adrift with nine games to go as Purse looks to plot a course for survival. 

Form against the Blues this season has been reasonable, with Rovers collecting four points from a possible nine from the Munster outfit in 2026. 

Honest in his assessment of the game to come, Purse is aware that Rovers likely require the full quota of points on Friday. He says his side will ‘know what to do’ in front of what should be a big Showgrounds crowd. 

“My first game in charge against Drogheda was probably a ‘must not lose’ game, for me”, he tells sligorovers.com. 

“This one is probably ‘must win’. At some point in the next few weeks, we need to pick up three points and then back-to-back three points. 

“The gap has grown over the last few weeks because of the form of Waterford, which has been exceptional. It’s a game we have to go and try and get maximum points from. If you don’t, then you’re still well behind and it’s another game ticked off. 

“But we know what we need to do. We’ve nine games left and our home games will be pivotal in terms of whether or not we stay in the division.” 

The Londoner, barely a month in the top job, has refuted suggestions that Waterford would be happy to come away from Sligo with a draw which would maintain that six point gap between ourselves and Waterford.

He says a win, which would be Rovers’ first league victory since May, is very much the target. 

“You’ve got to prepare for each game as if you’re looking to win it”, Purse continues. 

“It won’t be any different to any other game so far in that we’ll put as much attention to details in as we can. 

“Hopefully the hard work we will put in is rewarded with three points at the end. But the prep will be the exact same as what we’ve done in the past few games and that’s all geared to try and win.

“They’re coming to win the game, not to try and not get beat. Sometimes when you approach games thinking you’ll be alright with a draw, you tend not to perform. You look at the way Waterford have played recently, Graham’s done an exceptional job to turn things round. I know him and he won’t come looking for a draw.

“They won’t play for a point, they’ll come to win. And we need to be ready for it and match them with the quality we have.”   

In team news, Jad Hakiki and Conor Reynolds are out. Daire Patton continues to recover from illness. 

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers have been paired with Waterford in the Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup quarter-final, at the draw which took place at FAI headquarters in Dublin on Tuesday.

Rovers will be the away team and will travel the lengthy journey to the RSC for the third time this season to face the Blues, who we take on in a league game this Friday at the Showgrounds. 

The cup game will take place on the week-ending September 6th with full details to be announced.

Reacting to the draw, Bit O’Red boss Darren Purse says he believes that to win the FAI Cup, you have to beat the best teams in the country. And with an all Premier Division line-up in the last eight for the first time, every possible fixture posed its own challenges. 

“We’re in the quarter-final of a national competition”, he says. 

“So we’re going to have a tough game no matter who we draw. 

“Every club in the competition is from the top division so it’s always going to be tough. Would I have liked a home game? Yes. But we’ve been drawn away and no we’ve to go and give our best in that game.

“We want a good cup run, it’s a way into Europe. The final is a long way off, but we can dream.” 

Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup quarter-final draw in full:

Waterford v Sligo Rovers
Drogheda United v Galway United
Derry City v Dundalk
St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians

David Goulden at the Showgrounds

Match day sponsor: Alert Fire Protection, Sligo. 

Match ball sponsor: Kilfree, Sligo. 

Sligo Rovers will be part of next week’s Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup quarter-final draw after the Bit O’Red put four past a fearless Kerry at the Showgrounds.  

Cian Kavanagh hit the opener in this last 16 tie, while Alex Nolan converted a penalty before the break as Rovers picked up a first win at home since April and a first win under Darren Purse. 

The scoreline was somewhat harsh on Kerry, who threatened throughout, particularly in the second half, as a reel of superb Sam Sargeant stops kept the visitors scoreless before Carl McHugh and debutant Kaiyne Woolery settled the tie with late goals. 

Rovers join Dundalk, Drogheda, Galway, Derry, Waterford and two of St Pats, Shamrock Rovers, Longford and Bohs in the hat for Tuesday’s draw.  

New signing Luke Young was one of four Rovers changes from our defeat in Derry. Fellow new boy Woolery made the bench. Left full Sean Stewart, winger Nolan and striker Jamie McGonigle were the other alterations in personnel. 

On a superb run of four wins from their last five league games, Kingdom boss Colin Healy stuck with the same starting team which led Cork City at Turner’s Cross last week, only to be beaten by three late strikes. 

Last year’s dramatic cup quarter final between these sides is remembered more fondly in one camp than the other. Three ahead after an hour courtesy of an Owen Elding hat-trick, Rovers somehow managed to be knocked out by Kerry, who hit four before the end of extra-time, almost one year ago. 

The visitors lost winger Daniel Okwute, a goal-scorer that night, to what seemed to be a pulled muscle after seven minutes in this one, shortly after McGonigle landed an attempted chip onto the roof of Matthew Connor’s net. 

The Munster men did have plenty of the ball in this game, particularly in the early minutes. However, it was the hosts who did more with it and they went ahead on 14 minutes when McHugh’s through ball was collected by Nolan, who from the end line, squared for Kavanagh to tap home for his sixth of the season.

Both Young and McHugh had chances for Rovers, but Kerry were finding holes through the Sligo middle.

Cian Bargary beat Young in a foot-race but the finish from the angle didn’t match the intention. While Kerry captain Sean McGrath twisted his way through the Rovers challenges before firing narrowly wide of Sargeant’s goal as Purse’s men were served further warning.

Rovers maintained their composure in this tie however and doubled their advantage on 34 minutes when Nolan dispatched his spot-kick after Niall Brookwell tangled with Kavanagh as the former tried to shepherd the ball over his own end line. 

Kavanagh missed the chance to maybe settle this one early on when he missed an open goal after work from McHugh and the stand-out Jack Shorrock who squared for the former Derry striker. 

Sargeant had to pull off a trio of top saves to deny McGrath, Murphy and Bargary as the First Division play-off hopefuls continued to ask questions. 

This second period started as the first ended as the Premier Division outfit had to deal with waves of Kerry surge. 

Both McGrath and Ryan Perez fluffed opportunities after the re-start, while Bargary missed the ball while unmarked four yards from goal as the Sligo goal continued to live a hugely charmed life. 

Sargeant again had to perform miracles to keep Kerry out as the away side dominated. A huge double save from close range frustrated Murphy and Ewan Lee from a Sean O’Connell set-piece as Sligo kept riding their luck.

Mercifully for Rovers, skipper McHugh released that pressure valve when he took the ball on his chest before unleashing a wonderful, arrowed volley into the corner of the Kerry net from 20 yards, with ten left. 

While Woolery’s goal in added time was the height of nonchalance as the former Tranmere winger calmly guided Luke Pearse’s late assist past the diving Connor.  

Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Jeannot Esua, Ollie Denham, Gareth McElroy, Sean Stewart; Luke Young (Seb Quirk 71), Carl McHugh; Jack Shorrock (Archie Meekison 65), Alex Nolan; Jamie McGonigle (Kaiyne Woolery 64), Cian Kavanagh (Luke Pearce 83). 

Kerry: Matthew Connor; Sam Aladesanusi, Sean O’Connell, Niall Brookwell, Jonas Hakkinen; Vincent Borden (Cian Brosnan 79), Ewan Lee; Cian Bargary, Daniel Okwute (Ryan Perez 7) (Matt Britton 68); Sean McGrath (Luke Palmer 68), Cian Murphy. 

Referee: Rob Harvey. 

Attendance: 1,879.

Match night sponsor: Alert Fire Protection, Sligo

Match ball sponsor: Kilfree Limited.

The Showgrounds hosts Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup football for the first time in two years this Saturday, as Sligo Rovers take on Kerry FC in a repeat of last year’s dramatic last eight tie at Mounthawk Park.

This third round tie will be the first time Rovers have been at home in four games in this competition after all of last year’s rounds and our 2024 defeat to Drogheda, were played away from home. 

A win for Rovers would put the Bit O’Red in the quarter-finals for the second year running. Last year’s cup run ended with a chastening night for Rovers in Kerry, the hosts reversing a three goal deficit to win the game by a goal. 

Colin Healy’s side are in superb form at the moment, with seven wins from their last ten games, including a penalty shoot-out victory over Shelbourne in the last round. The Kingdom currently sit in sixth in the First Division, lying just outside the play-offs. 

Archie Meekison returns to Rovers’ match-day squad having missed the last two games through suspension. Luke Pearce, a late withdrawal from the Derry game, will be assessed having picked up a muscle injury in the Drogheda game. As will Daire Patton who continues to recover from a bout of appendicitis.

New signings Kaiyne Woolery and Luke Young’s international transfer clearance was approved on Friday and both will be available for selection.

“If previous results affect you then you’re probably in the wrong game”, Darren Purse tells sligorovers.com when pressed on whether or not last year’s result will play on minds ahead of the game. 

“You have to put those bad results to the side. I don’t think that will affect our lads at all in their approach.

“Was it disappointing? Yes. But that’s well gone and now the players prepare for a game which will hopefully see us progress.”

Kerry come into this tie on the back of a defeat to runaway First Division leaders Cork City, a game which they led for 44 minutes until the Rebels equalised and scored two more before the end. 

Purse feels the Green and Gold won’t lack confidence or desire as they look to cause another FAI Cup shock, but is eager for his squad to progress at the weekend and use this game as a confidence booster for games ahead. 

“We watched the Cork game and they’re a good side on a good run”, he says. 

“They’ll come expecting to hit us with another upset but it’s up to us to put to bed what went on last year. 

“We need to build some sort of momentum as quick as we can because we have three really big league games coming up. Winning on Saturday can give us a springboard to go and pick up results in the league.

“When we play a system which sees us nick a couple of results, we’ll know that that is our system. So let’s see how the weekend goes and we’ll take it from there.

“We have more players within the group and that should bring competition and impetus with it to go and do well. If the game goes for us, then we’re on a run of losing just one game in five going into the last round of league fixtures.” 

Kick-off at the Showgrounds is 7.45pm.

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers suffered defeat for the first time under the stewardship of Darren Purse on Friday night as the Bit O’Red were beaten by Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

Second half strikes from Barry Cotter and Adam O’Reilly saw Rovers defeated for the first time in four games and extends our search for a league win to ten games, when we face Waterford at the Showgrounds on August 21st. 

Without a number of players through injury including the late withdrawal of Luke Pearse and Kevin Zefi along with suspended winger Archie Meekison, Purse’s side were up against it from the start at a venue Rovers haven’t won a game at in six years.  

City’s James Clarke struck the frame of the Sligo goal on the quarter hour, while clumsy play in our midfield allowed Michael Duffy the chance to find the opener. Mercifully, he dragged his effort across goal with an incoming Derry player unable to get to the ball at the back post. 

Clarke fired wide again on 25 minutes, Cameron Dummigan pulled a save from Sam Sargeant, while the Rovers keeper denied Darragh Burns before the break as the managerless Derry continued to ask questions of Rovers’ rearguard. 

The game’s first goal arrived on 53 minutes when Cotter headed a Burns corner past the busy Sargeant, who did get a touch to the ball. 

Duffy smashed the Rovers crossbar just short of the hour as Rovers continued to struggle and the defence was easily unlocked again on 64 when O’Reilly and Liam Boyce played a one-two before the former executed a smart finish. 

Rovers’ next game is our Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup clash with Kerry at the Showgrounds on Saturday, August 15th. Kick-off 7.45pm. 

Derry City: Brian Maher, Barry Cotter (James Olayinka 74), Cameron Dummigan, Patrick McClean, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster; Nick Twisk (Tyler Smith 74), Adam O’Reilly, James Clarke; Darragh Burns (Conor Barr 64), Liam Boyce (Ellis Chapman 83), Michael Duffy.

Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant, Sebastian Quirk (Jamie McGonigle 64), Jack Shorrock, Cian Kavanagh, Oliver Denham, Carl McHugh, Trey George (James McManus 55), Kyle McDonagh (Sean Stewart 64), Ryan O’Kane (Alex Nolan 55), Jeannot Esua, Gareth McElroy.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium is Sligo Rovers’ destination this (Friday) evening as the Bit O’Red take on Derry City in what is our final game of the third round of Premier Division fixtures.

Unbeaten in three, Rovers will travel to Derry hoping to pick up a first win at the Lone Moor Road venue since the summer of 2020, a game which marked the re-start of football after the covid 19 pandemic. 

This will be Rovers’ second visit to Derry this season and the first time since City’s new hybrid pitch was laid. Sligo were beaten by an injury time Josh Thomas goal on the opening night of the season, the last time we played there. While April’s joust between the clubs at the Showgrounds ended in a scoreless stalemate.

Darren Purse’s side go into this game three points adrift, knowing a win would move us level with Waterford who play on Sunday.

This is also the Candystripes’ first game since former manager Tiernan Lynch departed the club on Wednesday afternoon. Director of Football Mark Connolly will lead their side for tonight’s game. 

Rovers will travel north without Archie Meekison who will serve the second of a two match ban. 

Injured duo Jad Hakiki and Conor Reynolds are likely to be out for the rest of the season, while Daire Patton is struggling with appendicitis and is likely to miss out. 

Kevin Zefi should be OK, despite picking up an injury in the lead up to last week’s game with Dundalk at Oriel Park. 

Previewing the game, Purse tells sligorovers.com that a change in personnel on the Derry bench is likely to make little difference to what lies ahead. 

Purse is also looking forward to getting back to playing on grass after last week’s game on the Dundalk astro.

“Our preference is grass”, he says. 

“But I can understand why clubs change. But Derry looks fantastic now and it’s one that we can go up there and look to play some really good football on. But I think it’s what we do out of possession of the ball that will dictate whether or not we get a result from the game. 

“I thought we deserved more out of Drogheda but I don’t think we deserved much from Dundalk, so it’s been a tale of two games really. One we deserved the point and one we maybe didn’t. I think we need to try and get more control in games if we can and that’s one of our main aims. 

“Derry will be tough. They’ve a huge squad to choose from and they’ll provide a challenge but it’s one my players will be up for.

“Tiernan leaving doesn’t change much. They’ve still a big squad and plenty of options. They’ll probably change things a bit, their shape, they might go a bit more direct. We don’t know? We’ll have to be adaptable. 

“All we can do is concentrate on ourselves. We try to approach every game as best we can. It’s what we do as a team that can get us out of the position we’re in. That’s all I and we can focus on. Whatever happens after that, we’ll have to manage and deal with from there.”

Kick-off at the Brandywell is 7.45pm. 

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers’ injury time hero Gareth McElroy believes his late equaliser at Oriel Park on Friday night will do wonders for his team mates’ confidence, as the Bit O’Red finally saw some small fortune swing their way.

McElroy netted in the 91st minute to rescue what may prove to be a vital point for Rovers come season’s end, after former Sligo winger and Dundalk skipper Daryl Horgan had the Lilywhites in the lead mid-way through the opening half. 

This was welcome luck and relief after the last few weeks which saw Rovers concede late on and drop vital points in games against Drogheda, Galway, Shelbourne and St Pat’s.

In what was new boss Darren Purse’s first away game in charge, Rovers found it difficult to set a steady foot in this game early on. Sam Sargeant had to deny Horgan from just one yard out at his back post ten minutes in. While Trevor Clarke smashed Sargeant’s crossbar nine minutes later, just after Luke Pearse had Rovers’ first chance of the game with a header. 

Clarke again went close once more, this time a mis-directed header before the break.

Rovers were much improved in the second period and new boy Jack Shorrock, one of the stand out performers of the evening, had Dundalk ‘keeper Enda Minogue reaching to push the Port Vale’s loanee’s hammered strike over his crossbar shortly after the re-start. 

McElroy caused issues for a Dundalk defence which was pulled all over the place from the resulting Shorrock corner. The former Derry youth’s header bounced off the floor in front of Minogue as the effort fizzed past the post. 

The home side went ahead on 53 minutes when Horgan finished into the roof of the net and things could have got a lot worse for Rovers eight minutes later only for more magic from Sargeant. 

Irish international Horgan nodded Bobby Burns’ over-cooked cross into the path of Cian Dillon who was denied by another close range stop from the superb Sargeant who then kept out a Ronan Teahan drive from distance as Ciaran Kilduff’s side looked to kill the game.

Sargeant’s fine work wasn’t to prove fruitless as Purses’ men campaigned their way to that injury time leveller.

The busy Cian Kavanagh won a free ten yards from the edge of the Dundalk area, which Daire Patton took. Patton’s initial effort was repelled by a Dundalk defender only for Kyle McDonagh to swing the ball back into the mixer. More chaos ensued inside the Louth side’s penalty area as Minogue failed to make clean contact with the ball which instead fell to debutant Trey George. 

The Cardiff loanee’s potshot took a deflection off a defender before landing in front of McElroy who gleefully prodded the ball between two Dundalk players to cap off some wonderful late drama. 

Speaking to sligorovers.com following all that late theatre, McElroy says he feels the result was some small justice following a few weeks of change and uncertainty at the Showgrounds. 

“I think it’s massive to be honest”, he told Jack Dempsey. 

“We really needed it. The position we’re in, points are vital. Some days, it just doesn’t go your way and if you can get a point, even three, then you know you’ve done something right. I feel like we had other chances so really, we could have won it.

 “We were disappointed in conceding a soft goal but we’ll work to make sure that doesn’t happen again.   

“Hopefully that’ll see our luck turn a wee bit.

“That’s three games unbeaten now and that gives us all confidence, the whole club.” 

Dundalk: Minogue; Burns, Animasahun, Cornwall, Teahan; Dervin, Buckley (Gaxha 71); Clarke (McDaid 71), Groome (Grivosti 63), Horgan; Dillon (Vassenin 87).

Sligo Rovers: Sargeant; Esua, Denham, McElroy, Stewart (McDonagh 81); Pearce (Quirk 36), McHugh, McManus (Patton 63), Shorrock (George 63); Kavanagh, McGonigle.

Referee: Neil Doyle.

David Goulden

New manager Darren Purse brings his Sligo Rovers side on the road for the first time, as the Bit O’Red head to Oriel Park to face Dundalk, this evening (Friday).

Kick-off is 7.45pm at the Louth venue as Rovers go in search of a first league win in eight and the opportunity to move off the league’s bottom spot.

Sligo come into this tie on the back of late disappointment against Drogheda United at the Showgrounds last weekend. A brace from the now in-form Cian Kavanagh, overturned Drogs’ one goal advantage, only for the visitors to strike for an equaliser in the fifth minute of added time. 

Rovers have already faced the Lilywhites twice this term, with both camps enjoying wins over the other. 

One of the surprise packages of 2026, Ciaran Kilduff’s Dundalk occupy the league’s fourth spot ahead of tonight’s game with 36 points gathered from their 25 games played.

In team news and as of Friday morning, Rovers will again be without long-term injury victims Jad Hakiki and Conor Reynolds. Archie Meekison is suspended after he was red carded late on last week and will serve the first of a two game ban.

New signings Jack Shorrock and Trey George, both of whom arrived on loan this week are available for their debuts. While midfielders Daire Patton and Kevin Zefi should also be fit to play. 

Will Fitzgerald has departed for Shamrock Rovers, Sean McHale was re-called from his loan early and Ciaron Harkin has been loaned to Finn Harps. 

Speaking to sligorovers.com ahead of the game, boss Purse says he is already noticing signs that his players are moulding into his style, less than a week after the London native took charge. “The work we’ve done over the past three or four sessions we’ve had since the weekend, you can see straight away that the boys are really buying into the way we want to do things now.

“There’s been some really good quality in the sessions, so from that point of view, I think I’ve got the players here that can play the way we want to play. We have to keep building and keep layering the information we give to the players. 

“The longer we spend with them, the better they will become.

“Dundalk will be a big test now. Like us, they’ve had some changes over the past few weeks and they’ve adjusted well. I saw them against St Pat’s recently and they gave Pat’s a game and looked well settled. We’ll go there with fresh minds and try to do the best we can.” 

David Goulden 

David Goulden at the Showgrounds

Match Day Sponsor: Callan Tansey Solicitors

Match Ball Sponsor: Sligo Branch of the Glasgow Celtic Supporters Club

Sligo Rovers’ old habits continued at the Showgrounds as they conceded in injury time at the end of their game with Drogheda United at the Showgrounds in what was new boss Darren Purse’s first game in charge. 

The Bit O’Red had dug themselves out of a hole courtesy of a Cian Kavanagh brace after Thomas Oluwa had volleyed Drogs into the lead. 

But Rovers, who finished the game with ten men, were unable to hold on and for the fourth time in five league outings, dropped points to an injury time goal as Shane Farell levelled the game in the 95th minute.  

The result leaves Rovers anchored to the bottom of the table, while Drogheda remain four clear of Waterford in the play-off spot. 

Without former manager John Russell in the home dugout for the first time in seven years following stints as both boss and assistant, Rovers and new man Purse made three changes from the Sligo side which knocked Janesboro out of the FAI Cup last week.

Skipper Will Fitzgerald came back in having missed that game in Limerick. While midfielder James McManus and centre half Gareth McElroy also returned. 

United boss Kevin Doherty stuck with the same eleven which progressed past Lucan United in the cup. New signing Alfie Bates made the bench.

The visitors opened the scoring in this one but it was Rovers who threatened first on a drizzly evening in the north west.  

Archie Meekison volleyed wide after five minutes after Fitzgerald’s cross was cleared out as far as the waiting Scot at the edge of the area.

Purse has been charged with tightening up one of the leakier defences in the division and he saw first hand how vulnerable Rovers have been in front of their own goal this term when Drogs went ahead. 

Conor Kane’s cross found Oluwa unmarked in front of goal. Unmarked, the former Wexford striker easily swept Kane’s cross, first time, beyond Sam Sargeant. 

Sligo’s veteran midfielder Carl McHugh let a speculative volley fly from 25 yards shortly after, as the hosts quickly settled back into this tie.

60 seconds later, they were level. Meekison was the supplier as Kavanagh took a touch to control the ball, before delivering a neat finish into the corner of Luke Dennison’s net for his third goal in two games.

Four minutes later, the Dubliner had his and Rovers’ second. 

The build up was patient in front of the Drogheda area before McManus sprung a smart through ball to Luke Pearce just yards from the end-line. The ex-Cardiff man slotting the ball across to the back post for Kavanagh to knock home for his fifth goal of the season. 

Kavanagh went agonisingly close to a hat-trick on the next Sligo attack, heading Fitzgerald’s corner on to the roof of the net. 

Both sides pressed the other for periods early on in the second half without joy. 

Indeed, the Showgrounds had to wait until the 75th minute for the next half chance when Sligo’s Jeannot Esua pulled off a smart one two with substitute Jamie McGonigle. McGonigle’s cross found the Cameroonian at the front post, but the full back got his attempted header all wrong as he mis-timed his effort and the chance was gone.

The Boynesiders then had their first sight of goal in the second half one minute later when Jason Bucknor’s cross from the left was deflected wide by a Sligo leg, the ball almost creeping inside Sargeant’s post. 

The Louthmen thought they’d levelled the game in the first of the six minutes added at the end of the game, only for the referee’s assistant to flag for offside.

Their frustrations turned to joy however three minutes later when Farrell smartly turned away from a Sligo challenge before firing home as Rovers were left to deal with further late heartbreak. 

Purse’s charges completed the game with ten men when Meekison swept the legs from under Bucknor as Drogheda went in search of a dramatic winner. 

Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Ollie Denham, Sean McHale, Gareth McElroy; Jeannot Esua, Will Fitzgerald (Sean Stewart 69); James McManus (Ciaron Harkin 84), Carl McHugh; Archie Meekison; Luke Pearce (Jamie McGonigle 69), Cian Kavanagh (Ryan O’Kane 84). 

Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Edwin Agbaje, Conor Keeley, James Bolger, Conor Kane (Warren Davis 75); Brandon Kavanagh (Alfie Bates HT), Shane Farrell; Jason Bucknor, Mark Doyle (Keegan Ancelin 60), Ryan Brennan (Jago Godden 65); Thomas Oluwa. 

Referee: Rob Hennessy

Attendance: 2,411