David Goulden at the Showgrounds
Francely Lomboto struck a glorious winner for Sligo Rovers against his old club as the Bit O’Red beat Galway United at the Showgrounds.
Both sides had men sent-off in a hectic second half which saw Galway strike the Sligo woodwork twice in added time, while the Tribesmen also had three efforts cleared off the Rovers goal-line throughout the tie.
Jad Hakiki had given Rovers the lead before the break, before the league’s top scorer Moses Dyer leveled the game early in the second half.
Dyer was then sent off after a flash-point between himself and Sligo captain John Mahon before Lomboto hit the winner on 73 minutes.
Galway’s typical direct style saw them provide the opening chances from set-pieces.
Patrick Hickey’s volley was repelled by Sligo stopper Sam Sargeant early on after a long-throw in from Ed McCarthy, while Sargeant tipped over a Cian Byrne free-kick shortly after.
The majority of the half’s action arrived late on.
The Rovers rearguard remained unbreached as the sides went in at the break, but the visitor’s were left puzzled as to how they didn’t go ahead 60 seconds from the interval.
Both McCarthy and David Hurley had chances cleared off the Sligo line by Mahon and Kyle McDonagh. Sargeant then pulled off a wonderful reaction save to keep Hurley at bay to round off a chaotic 30 seconds of football, after a poor pass from the Sligo goalkeeper had offered Galway the opportunity.
Russell’s men finished the half the happier. Owen Elding provided a sumptuous through ball for Hakiki who added a cultured finish, placing his effort beyond Evan Watts in the United nets.
Home smiles turned to frowns 90 seconds after the re-start. Dyer rose to guide Byrne’s free-kick beyond Sargeant for his tenth league goal of the season.
Both camps were reduced to ten on 53 minutes when Mahon and Dyer clashed after the Rovers skipper had hit the Kiwi with a late challenge in front of the dugouts.
Lomboto then scored an audacious winner against his former employees after another crazy scrap inside the Galway area. Lomboto initially struck the bottom of the post, before Hakiki had a shot saved by Watts. The ball then landed to Lomboto who had the presence of mind to back-heel the ball between the legs of the stunned Watts.
Rovers repelled a rampant Galway late on, but held on for the bragging rights in this Connacht derby. Ollie Denham took a Hickey header off his own goal-line, while both Rob Slevin and Malcolm Shaw struck the Sligo woodwork in added time.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Kyle McDonagh (Oskar Van Hattum 64), John Mahon, Conor Reynolds (Daire Patton 85), Reece Hutchinson; Matty Wolfe (Ollie Denham 64), Jake Doyle-Hayes; Will Fitzgerald, Jad Hakiki (Stephen Mallon 85), Owen Elding; Wilson Waweru (Francely Lomboto 64).
Galway United: Evan Watts; Jeannot Esua, Rob Slevin, Garry Buckley, Greg Cunningham (Bobby Burns HT); Vincent Borden (Conor McCormack HT), Cian Byrne (Stephen Walsh 83); David Hurley (Killan Brouder 74), Ed McCarthy (Malcolm Shaw 74); Pat Hickey, Moses Dyer.
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 2,457.