Rovers exploit Mons disadvantage

Rovers exploit Mons disadvantage

Sligo Rovers 4-0 Monaghan Utd
Monaghan United were reduced to ten men when goalkeeper Danny O’Leary was sent off after just 18 minutes at the Showgrounds last night, and the home side exploited their numerical disadvantage with clinical authority.

O’Leary - a former Sligo player - was dismissed after hauling down Paul McTiernan and, as if a red card wasn’t a sufficient punishment, a penalty was awarded to the home side.

Derek O’Brien stepped up to despatch his kick past sub keeper Kevin McCormick, and from there on in, the home side were always in the ascendancy.

Monaghan prevented Sligo from extending their lead for the remainder of the first half, but three goals after the break - two of them in the space of a minute - gave Sligo a comfortable victory.

Five minutes into the second period, Michael Keane capped his debut for the Bit O’Red with a goal to give Sligo some much-needed breathing space.

McTiernan grabbed his fourth goal of the campaign in the 77th minute, before O’Brien converted his second penalty of the game less than 60 seconds later.

Sligo Rovers: Kelly, Rossiter, Carr, Gorman, Sheridan, Cretaro (O’Dowd, 84), Feeney, Keane (Gaffney, 77), O’Brien, Mullen (Jordan, 81), McTiernan.

Monaghan United: O’Leary, Gifford, Shevlin, Doyle, Meier, Byrne (Rice, 60), Scanlon (McCormick, 18), Vaughan, Shiels (Arkins, 75), O’Brien, Robinson.

Referee: P. Murphy (Athlone)


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