Sligo Rovers’ pre-season calendar was completed on Saturday afternoon as the Bit O’Red beat Finn Harps at Ray McSharry Park by one goal to nil.

Callum Lynch scored the game’s only goal early in the second half as Rovers completed our on-the-pitch preperation for Premier Division kick-off in one week’s time in Derry.

Initially set to take place at the Showgrounds, this game was moved to the home of the Sligo/Leitrim District League to protect the Showgrounds’ surface ahead of our first league home league game against Bohs on February 14th.

Rovers used the full match day squad which included the evergreen and ever-ready Richard Brush in the nets in his 42nd year. While Shane Blaney appeared in a Rovers kit for the first time since he returned on loan from Livingston. 

Lynch secured the win on 51 minutes when he got to the back post to finish off a Guilherme Priosti cross. 

Blaney almost marked his return in style when he headed another accurate Priosti cross over Lorenzo Barbarosa’s goal. 

With pre-season now complete, Rovers can look forward to Friday’s first league game of the season away to Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. A huge crowd is anticipated, with the away end already sold-out. 

Rovers XI: Brush, Reynolds, McElroy, Denham, Fitzgerald, Nolan, Harkin, Quirk, Hakiki, O’Kane, Traore. 

Subs used: Stewart, Blaney, Meekison, Kavanagh, McHugh, Lynch, Kelly, O’Malley, Cannon, Priosti, Patton.