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.