We spoke to Bit O’ Red defender Lewis Banks this week as he spoke about his season so far and his aims for the rest of the year.

Banks, 22, who joined from Stafford Rangers in February, has been a fan’s favourite this season, impressing from both right and left back, proving his versatility in either position.

Banks: ‘Sligo is quite similar to my hometown. Living with the lads in the house has helped me settle in and get to know them. We go and do stuff together so that helped me’

I still think there is room for improvement from me and the team. We’ve done well in bits but we can improve.

Banks may make his EXTRA.ie FAI Cup debut this Friday night against Glebe North. ‘ Hopefully we put a good run together from now until the end of the season and have a good cup run for ourselves and the supporters, starting at the weekend.

To see the full interview, visit our YouTube channel and subscribe HERE

Three Sligo Rovers players have been called into the Republic of Ireland Women’s Under 17 squad for a double header against Belgium.

Manorhamilton’s Muireann Devaney, Swinford’s Emer O’Neill and Grange’s Sarah Kiernan have all been named in the squad that will travel to Brussels from August 8th until August 14th for the double header friendly.

It is the first time that Sarah Kiernan has been called into a Republic of Ireland squad.

Emer O’Neill had been named in the stand-by list, but received the news that she had been called into the squad shortly after the initial announcement.

Rovers endured a tough day on Saturday as they were defeated 5-2 by Cork City Women at MacSharry Park. Both of Rovers goals were scored by Muireann Devaney.

Head-coach Darragh Healy said: “It’s great for the girls to get recognition. Emer and Muireann have been called up before and have played at that level but it’s the first time for Sarah and it’s great. It’s well deserved for the three of them. It’s great experience for them and the three of them are well capable of playing at that level and doing well for themselves.

“It just shows that the players are here. You can worry about results but results will be up and down, so long as the girls are playing well, that’s all that matters. If you can get a few of them up to international level that’s what matters. What’s important is that we’re improving players.

“These call-ups are all down to the individuals but of course as their coach you like to see them moved up to international level. It’s down to the girls, they are doing well.

“Today was a bit of a blip but we’re having a good season. We still have to play Limerick, Galway and Wexford. We got a good result last week, not so good today but if we can put a couple of results together we can make the semi-finals.”

Muireann Devaney said: “It’s a great honour when you’re called to put on the green jersey. When you have friends coming with you from Sligo Rovers it makes it that bit more fun.

“When I’ve been in squads before they’ve been for development tournaments, so it’s a greater honour this time that it’s competitive football. It’s where you want to be at this time of the year. Everybody at Sligo Rovers have helped to make it happen.

“My family have been great. Every time they get that email they come home from work with a smile on their face. It’s all down to them with all their hard work bringing me to training and matches, they never say no.

“It’s always a help when you’re going away with people you know and you’re not counting on making new friends. When you know each other you look out for one another when you’re playing.

“Today was disappointing but I’m really enjoying my time at Sligo Rovers. Darragh and all the staff do everything they can to help us and make us as good as they can. Anything we want they say yes. It’s brilliant.”

Sarah Kiernan said: “I couldn’t believe it. It’s my first time. I went to the Under 16 trials last year but sadly didn’t make it to the next trial. It was a big shock to us all. We were extremely shocked, couldn’t believe it.

“My Mum was ecstatic, sadly my Dad passed away last year but we know he would be jumping for joy. He would be very proud.

“Cliffoney/Grange is where I come from and Benbulben is where I started playing football and a lot of it is down to them. It’s great for the club too, they have Seamas Keogh coming through too.

“It will be a help that Muireann and Emer are there. I won’t know many people going so it’s great to know them.

“Playing for Sligo Rovers is great this year. The training is fantastic and we’re doing well. Sadly we lost today but sure we’ll get on with it.”

Emer O’Neill said: “I was shocked when I got the call up. I’ve been in squads before but I was really honoured. Every day you get to play for your country is a good one. I’m really excited and really happy to get the call-up.

“I was on stand-by so I really wasn’t sure if I would be travelling or not. So I was really delighted when I did get the call-up.

“My family are really proud, like they are the whole time. To represent the country is huge and any opportunity I get I will take it.

“I’m loving playing for Sligo Rovers. It’s part of the reason I got called up because training is so good, playing at a high level helps when you’re involved in international squads.”

Sligo Rovers 3-2 Cabinteely

A Mark Byrne brace followed up Aaron Perry’s opener, as Sligo Rovers under 19s did enough to progress past Cabinteely in the quarter-final of the Enda McGuill Under 19 Cup at the Showgrounds on Saturday.

Perry had the Bit O’Red in the lead with seven minutes played.

Darren Collins’ through ball finding the impressive Jack O’Connor. O’Connor’s initial effort came back off the post, but Perry was alert to tap into an empty net.

Rovers were well on top early on and Collins went close again on eleven minutes. But a lapse in concentration cost the home side dearly when Andy Byrne pounced for the equaliser on 23 minutes.

Both O’Connor and Collins had opportunities to stretch Rovers’ lead further, while Byrne went close with a header four minutes from the break.

Byrne had his first on 53 minutes, finishing off Liam White’s cross at the second attempt.

While Brian Dorrian’s side looked comfortable when Byrne slotted home from the penalty spot after O’Connor was taken down in front of goal.

The Dubliners kept things interesting on the stroke of full time when Jack Savage’s set-piece found its way past Cormac Henry in the Sligo nets.

But Rovers held on to proceed to the last four.

Sligo Rovers: Henry, Lynch, White, Smith, O’Reilly, McGrath, McAllister, Perry, Collins, Byrne, O’Connor.

Subs used: Devanney, Stallard, O’Toole, Martin.

Cabinteely: Clarke, Kelly, O’Reilly, Egan, Whelan, Bermingham, Andy Byrne, Aaron Byrne, Idele, Savage, Quinlivan.

Subs used: Perry, Hyland, O’Neill, Curran.

A goal a piece from Sligo Rovers and Cliftonville saw the sides play out a draw at the Showgrounds.

Substitute Niall Watson gave the Bit O’Red the lead on his first appearance for the club.

The Belfast side equalised through Conor McMenanmin.

Rovers: McNicholas; Dunleavy, Leverock, Mahon, Banks; Twardek, Cawley, Warde, Donelon; Parkes, Coughlan.

Subs used: Fordyce, Watson, Morley.

Sligo Rovers will take on Cliftonville in a mid-season friendly on Thursday night in The Showgrounds.

The game will be used to keep the squad ticking over and as a means of home gate income given we will not have a league match in The Showgrounds until Saturday 14 September, pending the rescheduling of the Dundalk game which will be late August at the earliest.

Tickets for the game will cost €10 for adults and €5 for children under-12. We ask you to support this fixture if possible due to the long gap between home fixtures.

As stated last night, the decision to postpone this Saturday’s game with Dundalk was not made by us and we did repeatedly ask for it to be played but unfortunately this could not be met.

Kick-off on Thursday is 7:45pm.

Sligo Rovers’ game with Dundalk, scheduled for this coming Saturday, August 3rd has been postponed.

This is due to the Lilywhites’ involvement in Europe.

The game will be rescheduled at a further date.

Sligo Rovers stretched their unbeaten run at home to ten as they drew with Bohemians at the Showgrounds.

The last side to beat the Bit O’Red in Sligo, Bohs took the lead courtesy of a Danny Mandriou spot-kick on 37 minutes.

But Rovers pegged the Gypsies back before the break through David Cawley’s third goal of the season.

Both camps had goal-scoring opportunities during an entertaining opening.

Looking to stretch that unbeaten record on their own patch, it was Rovers who were presented with the game’s first chance.

Lewis Banks nodding the ball into the path of Daryl Fordyce, whose effort from close range lacked the required power as James Talbot easily claimed.

Bohs debutant Andrew Wright had his drive at goal blocked down by a series of Sligo legs from a disguised indirect free-kick nine yards from goal.

This after Ed McGinty handled a back pass from Kyle Callan-McFadden.

The Dubliners then had to rely on their skipper Derek Pender to bravely block down Romeo Parkes’ shot after Ronan Coughlan’s through ball.

Michael Barker’s header from a Luke Wade-Slater corner then sailed narrowly over Ed McGinty’s crossbar shortly before the half-hour.

Eyeing a second win in Sligo this season, Bohs had their lead eight minutes from the break.

Danny Kane tripped Wade-Slater inside the area. Mandriou slotting home from 12 yards, sending McGinty the wrong way in the process.

Liam Buckley’s charges were to have their leveller before the interval however.

Cawley turning Kris Twardek’s driven cross from the right beyond Talbot.

Mandriou’s left-footer from the edge of the box then skimmed off the top of the Rovers crossbar on the hour. The visitors looking the more dangerous on the ball. 

McGinty had to watch Keith Buckley’s shot all the way on 72 after Cawley conceded possession inside his own half.

There were half chances for either side late on, but a winner was to prove elusive.

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lewis Banks, John Mahon, Dante Leverock, Danny Kane; Kyle Callan-McFadden; Daryl Fordyce, David Cawley; Kris Twardek, Romeo Parkes; Ronan Coughlan.

Bohemians: James Talbot; Derek Pender, Michael Barker, James Finnerty, Darragh Leahy; Luke Wade-Slater, Keith Buckley, Conor Levingston, Kevin Devaney (Danny Grant 68); Danny Mandriou; Andre Wright.

Referee: Graham Kelly.

Attendance: 2,011

Sligo Rovers take on Bohemians in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division on Saturday night in The Showgrounds.

Rovers were beaten 3-0 last week against Derry City and are looking to respond, with the last home game 0-0 with Waterford.

Ronan Murray (calf) and Johnny Dunleavy (knee) are doubtful and will be checked pre-game.

Niall Morahan returns from international duty and needs to be assessed. Niall Watson has received clearance. 

Liam Buckley said:

“Derry played quite well last week. Our formation didn’t work and we didn’t perform over 90 minutes. We’d be disappointed, it is what it is, we get on with it. We have to make sure we apply ourselves in every game left, we go into this game with a new mindset and looking to find a winning performance. 

“We could go both ways in the table, up or down, so there’s an incentive of course. We didn’t perform well enough last week but we’ve shown previously we can get to a much better level. There’s a lot left for us in the season, we’ve got the Cup and our league position is up in the air so I expect that the group to be thinking about our future and their future. 

“We have to have a regular standard of performance and for much of the season consistency has been a problem. In saying that our injury profile has been terrible and we’ve been making a lot of changes because of it. 

“Every game we want to try to win and I want everyone thinking like that because if we don’t think like that we won’t achieve what we want here.

“We’ve gone to Bohs and won and they did it here and I don’t think there is much between any side outside of the top two. We want to go out and win the game with a much better performance.”

With the first phase of games completed in the Só Hotels Under 17 Women’s National League, it has been confirmed that Sligo Rovers will now be competing in League section, having finished in the top half of Group 1. 

The Bit O’Red now go into the League section with Shelbourne and Galway WFC who also finished in the top half of Group 1 and they will be joined by Limerick, Wexford Youths and Cork City. 

Teams will play each other once during this series of games. 

The Shield group, containing teams who finished in the bottom half of the two groups within the league, will be made up of Athlone Town, Peamount United, Donegal League, Bohemian, Greystones United and DLR Waves. 

The Rovers girls, sponsored by David McConville Orthodontics, are enjoying a fantastic season so far. 

The team is based at IT Sligo, where they train and play their home games.

Fixtures for phase two of the Só Hotels U17 Women’s National League have been announced and Rovers will face Shelbourne in the first game this Saturday at the AUL.

They are home to Cork City on Saturday August 3rd.

Head-coach Darragh Healy said: “It’s great to qualify for the top section and this shows how well the girls have done over the last ten games to do so.

“Our first 5 or 6 games we did very well and had a lot of points on the board going into the last few games.”

“You want to be competing against the better teams and testing yourself each week we play and this will definitely be the case against all the teams we will encounter from now on.

“We qualified at the expense of some well established teams like Peamount so this shows how well it has gone.

“Hopefully we can qualify for the semi final stages and be competing from that side of things. We know we can compete with any team in the country on our day so we are optimistic particularly with a cup semi final to come also.

“We’re delighted with how all the girls have done and especially this time of year with holidays and one or two injuries there has been loads of rotation but every player has contributed and done well, and we will need every player to contribute going forward to the end of the season also”.

Meanwhile, the Bit O’Red are through to the semi-finals of the Só Hotels Under 17 WNL Cup after they beat Donegal League 5-0 at IT Sligo last Wednesday night.

Muireann Devaney scored a brace, while Alva Munnelly, Aife Haran and Ava Keane were also on the scoresheet.

Healy added: ” A cup run would be great. We’ve beaten Bohemians and Donegal to date and have Galway WFC in the semi final. We are one game away from a cup final so it would be brilliant to get to the final and have a day out so hopefully with a bit of luck we’ll get there”.