All at Sligo Rovers were saddened to hear of the recent passing of Ronnie Melly. Ronnie was a well-known figure in the sporting community in Sligo from his time playing junior football to his long spell as a referee.

He was also an important part of the Sligo Rovers family from supporting the club to working for it as he helped to run the club’s astro turf facility and indeed his son Gary also previously played for the club.

He managed the bookings and also helped the club to get its popular astro turf league off the ground. He was also an important part of the club’s coaching camps and helped with the club shop on match nights.

He will be missed by all involved with the club and our deepest sympathies go out to his wife Bernadette and his children Trevor, Gary and Sharon and all the rest of his family.

He will be remembered with a minute’s applause at our home game against Derry City in the Showgrounds Saturday night. May he Rest in Peace.

Three Sligo Rovers Under 17 women’s players have received international recognition.

Muireann Devaney, Kate O’Dowd and Emer O’Neill have all been selected for the upcoming Women’s Under 16 Development tournament in the Czech Republic.

The camp takes place from May 18th-25th.

Head-coach Darragh Healy congratulated his players: “It’s a great honour for any player to represent their country and I’m delighted to see the girls once again be selected in the squad.

“As a club we take great pride in seeing players playing at this level and it shows the great work that is being done by all coaches. We wish the girls the best of luck and hopefully they enjoy the experience.

“They have been fantastic since I have come in as head-coach this season and I’m not surprised that they have been called into the squad for this training camp.

“Let’s hope we have more girls going on to represent their country in the near future.”

The Bit O’Red girls are enjoying a fine season so far. With five games played they have picked up three victories (including a 5-3 defeat over Athlone on Saturday), one draw and one defeat.

Fureys Bus are running a supporters bus for our home game against Derry City this coming Saturday night May 18th in The Showgrounds.

It will be a double decker bus. Prices are €8 return per adult and €4 return for U12s. No booking is necessary.

The collection points are as follows:

O Grady’s Coolaney (6.10pm) , The Square Collooney (6.30pm) & The Salley Gardens Ballisadare (6.40pm).

The bus will then depart The Showgrounds 15 minutes after the game.

Waterford and Sligo Rovers added their contribution to a madcap week of football as they played out a pulsating 3-3 draw which saw both goalkeepers save second half penalties.

Both sides had the opportunity to move into the top half of the table but neither was able to hold onto any lead on the night ensuring that the pair shared the spoils in a match none of the spectators wanted to end.

After a sluggish opening 10 minutes good work out wide from Aaron Drinan earned him space for a shot but his 30-yard effort was always rising over the Sligo goal, while the home fans felt they should have had a penalty just after the quarter-hour mark as Izzy Akinade was felled having been neatly played in by Zack Elbouzedi.

Within a minute the visitors were ahead when Kris Twardek bundled in David Cawley’s cross after a fine run down the left from the Rovers’ captain but their lead lasted just two minutes.

As he did several times in the second half of last season, Cory Galvin picked up the ball in space centrally and his right footed, 20-yard effort snugly tucked inside the left hand side of the Mitchell Beeney’s’ goal.

The Blues were on the front foot as the half progressed and they took the lead they deserved 10 minutes from time when Elbouzedi reached the byline and lofted a pull-back to the onrushing Duggan, whose effort ricocheted off the crossbar and onto the arm of the keeper before rippling the net.F

Following the restart Drinan curled an effort at Beeney before Akinade nodded a hanging Aaron Simpson cross into the side-netting but the sides were level just before the hour mark. A short free kick set Cawley down the left again and he whipped in a devilish delivery across the goal which was steered in by Ronan Coughlan.

Waterford almost found the perfect response when Galvin again cut in onto his right foot but his curling effort bounced back into play off the crossbar and Liam Buckley’s men took the lead for a second time in the 64th minute when Parkes finished emphatically to the near post having been played in on Matt Connors’ goal by Cawley.

Shane Duggan had a penalty saved by the outstretched Beeney after Akinade was fouled by Leverock but the Blues equalised with 10 minutes remaining when the striker nipped onto a bouncing ball and lofted it over the keeper who went from hero to zero in seven short minutes.

Parkes and Duggan had chances from open play to put their sides ahead although neither could find the target and Coughlan followed their lead by spurning a spot-kick after Georgie Poynton’s handball, with Matt Connor saving to his left hand side.

Waterford FC: Matt Connor; Aaron Simpson (Chvedukas, 65), Rory Feely, Damien Delaney, Georgie Poynton; Cory Galvin (Twine, 76), JJ Lunney, Shane Duggan, Zack Elbouzedi (Hery, 65); Izzy Akinade, Aaron Drinan.

Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; Lewis Banks, Johnny Dunleavy, Dante Leverock, Regan Donelon; Daryl Fordyce (Morahan, 90), Jack Keaney (Warde, 45), David Cawley; Kris Twardek (Murray, 45); Ronan Coughlan, Romeo Parkes.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer

Sligo Rovers travel to Waterford on Saturday in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

The Bit O’ Red go into the game on the back of two wins – against UCD and Shamrock Rovers – and now visit the RSC. 

John Mahon serves a one-game ban. Kyle Callan-McFadden is likely to miss out with a hand injury. The Donegal man is very close to full fitness.

Johnny Dunleavy will travel with the squad and should be fit – he picked up a leg injury against Shamrock Rovers which forced a first half substitution.

Liam Buckley: “Firstly it has been good to have an uninterrupted week  – we head into a one game a week scenario now pretty much which will suit us a bit more given our squad size. We’ve been lifted by the two wins, we’ve had a good preparation this week and it has been easier to manage things. 

“We’d like to build on what was gained last week. There was a great drive and spirit in us last Saturday. We’re trying to get the guys in positions to be effective, to keep better possession of the ball and win games. That’s the only way to climb the table because everyone is beating everyone in this league and the teams that put runs together make progress. 

“One of our staff, Dave Campbell, was in Inchicore to watch Waterford last week and it was a really good win and they played well. Everyone knows the quality of player they have. But we are gradually improving and starting to show what kind of side we are. We go there in good spirit and looking to get another three points.”

Sligo Rovers would like congratulate Alan Jinks and Peter Kerins who are the final two players left standing in our Last Man Standing competition. After a brief consultation between the two players and the club, both players agreed to split the €1,000 prize money and collect €500 each.

Both Alan and Peter are Sligo based and will be presented with their winnings later this afternoon by competition co-ordinator Shane Crossan.

The club would like to put on record our thanks to everyone who entered the competition which began last February. The club would also like to thank Jevin O Toole from Letterkenny IT who assisted in the running of the competition during his work placement with the club.

Due to the popularity and success of the competition, plans have already commenced within the club to run another Last Man Standing competition which will kick off in conjunction with the new Premier League season in August.

Sligo Rovers would like to thank both the Match Sponsor and Match Ball Sponsor from our last home league game against Shamrock Rovers.

The Match Sponsor on the night was Comit PR while the Match Ball Sponsor was Hot Rods in Collooney.

Comit PR are based in Dublin who specialize in tech focused PR, social media marketing and communications.

Hot Rods are based at the Sligo Junction Collooney who specialize in hot food for both sitting in and taking out.

Also on the night, MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan was guest after being an advertiser in the Dublin Race Night.

Our thanks to all parties for their kind sponsorship and continued support of the club as a whole.

Liam Buckley speaks after 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers

Jack Keaney’s superb second half set piece settled the tie as an in-form Sligo Rovers beat Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Following a scoreless first half, it was Daryl Fordyce who opened his Sligo account with a special effort on 55 minutes.

Aaron Greene replied with his own piece of magic eleven minutes later, but it was youngster Keaney who settled the tie with a 35 yard free kick on 74 minutes.

In a game which produced three wonderful goals, it was Sligo who created the best of the early opportunities.

Regan Donelon had Alan Mannus worried just three minutes in when his volley flashed past the post less than three minutes in.

While the sun seemed to startle the Hoops net minder when he fumbled Fordyce’s header from Donelon’s searching cross.

The former Linfiel man relying on his defence to clear the danger at the second call.

Stephen Bradley’s men when settled, began to find space and runners in front of the Sligo back line.

Ronan Finn’s superb cross-field ball found Greene who managed to get a low drive off. But Sligo goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney did enough to block the effort away with his legs.

Dylan Watts flashed an effort across the face of goal a quarter of an hour in as the Dubliners continued to trouble on occasion.

Liam Buckley withdrew injured full-back Johnny Dunleavy mid-way through the half, but the switch didn’t affect Sligo in the short term.

Ronan Coughlan’s speculative effort from all of 35 yards, took a touch off a defender’s foot on its way over. Mannus left flat-footed as he watched the ball sail narrowly over the far side of his goal.

While David Cawley couldn’t keep his glancing header down after he beat his marker to another Donelon cross from the left.

Donelon was involved again six minutes into the second half when he stung the palms of Mannus with a long range drive.

But the stopper could do little about Sligo’s opener.

With nowhere to go, Coughlan pulled the ball back to Fordyce who curled a stunning 25 yard strike past Mannus’ reach.

The league leaders had their reply eleven minutes later.

Greene’s super close control allowed him to keep hold of Trevor Clarke’s cross, before the attacker executed a classy overhead kick to tie the contest.

But the westerners were back in the lead, settling the game on 74 with style.

Keaney, who scored a stunner in Dundalk on the opening night, did it again when he smacked his set piece from all of 35 yards beyond Mannus and into the top corner.

Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; John Mahon, Dante Leverock, Johnny Dunleavy (Kris Twardek 26); Lewis Banks, Regan Donelon; David Cawley, Jack Keaney; Daryl Fordyce (Niall Morahan 90); Romeo Parkes, Ronan Coughlan.

Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Joey O’Brien, Lee Grace, Roberto Lopes, Trevor Clarke; Ronan Finn, Greg Bolger (Joel Coustrain 85); Dylan Watts (Dan Carr 77), Aaron McEneff, Jack Byrne; Aaron Greene. 

Referee: Graham Kelly.

Attendance: 2,053