Although everybody knows that the Irish superstar played for Cobh Ramblers before moving to Nottingham Forest to begin his all-conquering career in England, few could say for sure if he had ever played at the Showgrounds.
Well, thanks to the files of The Sligo Champion, we can clarify the matter for once and for all.
Keane was in the Cobh Ramblers side which drew 0-0 with Sligo Rovers in a first division game at the Showgrounds on November 12th, 1989.
And the teenager's impact on the game didn't go unnoticed.
In his match report in The Sligo Champion the following week, Leo Gray wrote:
"Rovers were edged out in the vital battle for midfield supremacy with Sean Hegarty and youth international, Roy Keane, proving quite a handful"
Another interesting fact about the game might trigger the memory of loyal Rovers' fans. It was the day former Northern Ireland international, Billy Hamilton, made his debut for Rovers, who were then managed by Dermot Keely.
The game was a dour contest, with few clear cut goal chances at either end. It was Hamilton, in fact, who came closest to breaking the deadlock with a powerful 84th minute header which crashed against the crossbar.
A noteworthy feature of the day was that Mark Lawrenson, who was then manager of Peterborough United, was among the attendance at the game. Both Lawrenson and Peterborough Chairman, Mr. John Devaney, were special guests of Rovers at the match. I wonder if Lawrenson spotted the superstar in the making on the Cobh side.
Evidently, the emerging Keane was outshone on the day by John Skeffington who, despite playing in an unaccustomed full-back role, was nominated as the man of the match.
Other locals in the Rovers line-up were Gavin Dykes, Fergal Harrison, Mick Savage and Declan Gallagher, who had just returned to the club after a brief spell with Longford Town. Ray Rooney came on as a second half substitute.
The draw kept Rovers in the promotion hunt, putting them into third place behind pace setters, Home Farm and Bray Wanderers, while Cobh were struggling near the bottom of the table.
For the record, the Rovers team was: Nicky Broujos, John Skeffington, Tom Conway, Dermot Keely, Gavin Dykes, Pierse Walsh, Fergal Harrison, Mick Savage, Brian Duff, Billy Hamilton, Declan Gallagher. Sub: Ray Rooney for Gallagher (60 mins)
Keane actually played three times against Rovers that season. The other two matches were at St. Colman's Park, Cobh, on September 10th, 1989 and January 21st, 1990. Rovers won 1-0 on September 10th, with Ray Rooney getting the goal, while the January 21st meeting ended in a scoreless draw. Keane actually missed a golden opportunity to win the game for Cobh but blazed wide from a good position. The Sligo Champion reported:
"Sligo had a lucky escape in the 56th minute when Roy Keane got a clear run at goal but with only the keeper to beat, the Cobh striker lost his nerve and sent a badly hit shot wide of the target"
