Points from visits to Cork and Pats would be ideal

IN the aftermath of what’s been an interesting couple of days for football in this country, on Friday, Sligo Rovers provided us with ninety minutes worth of much needed distraction from all the negativity surrounding our game.

With bookies offering as low as one chance in thirteen of the Bit O’Red overturning champions Dundalk, not many would have predicted the result to go the way it did.

Less than half of the opening minute had elapsed when Romeo Parkes directed the ball past Gary Rogers. We couldn’t have asked for a better start but although the Lilywhites are struggling to adjust to life without Stephen Kenny, you expected the opposition to give Rovers more trouble than they did.

Rovers for their part were superb on the night.

There have been performances this season which have been way off what Liam Buckley would have expected from the current group. Displays in Tallaght, Derry and the EA Sports Cup defeat to a second string Finn Harps were just way off the mark.

But Friday’s defeat of the champions was a team showing what they could and can do.

Dundalk themselves had an off night. Even without playmakers like Robbie Benson and Patrick McEleney and the influence of Chris Shields, you would still expect a team with Dundalk’s resources to offer more than they did.

Their biggest loss is Kenny, without doubt but it didn’t help that they came up against one of the best performances from a Sligo Rovers team in a long time.

Maybe the Bohs and Derry defeats served as the kick in the arse we needed. Two teams we need to be taking points off should we expect to stay well clear of the bottom pack come October.

There was a risk in the way we set up against Dundalk. The much maligned diamond midfield formation we struggled with in Dave Robertson’s second season was introduced, not for the first time under Buckley.

Playing without wingers against a team with a wide man like Michael Duffy in it wouldn’t usually be recommended. But both Duffy and Daniel Kelly on the right side genuinely struggled against both Johnny Dunleavy and Lewis Banks. While Jack Keaney and David Cawley didn’t shy away from their defensive duties.

Predominantly a right sided player, Banks is looking like he’s making his case for a starting berth at left back each week. His patience in waiting for the winger to make the first move and his ability to then sweep the ball away from his man is akin to how Alan Keane used to marshal opponents at the Showgrounds not so long ago.

Between Dunleavy and Banks, there was the usual commanding performance from John Mahon while Dante Leverock harked back to his days as a centre forward with an opportunistic finish at the back post for the winner.

Like John Delaney in front of an Oireachtas committee, both Mahon and Leverock were giving nothing away. While at the other end of the pitch, Ronan Coughlan’s determination and willingness to chase every cause sees him literally work his way towards the appreciation of Rovers supporters.

A first and much deserved goal was all that was missing from his output on Friday. A hard working goal-scorer is always appreciated on Church Hill.

Beside him, Romeo Parkes’ shift was much more purposeful than the one he put in against Bohs. Parkes’ ability to link play between the midfield and his front line is something Rovers have lacked in the past few seasons. More of the same please Romeo.

We’ll enjoy a much deserved victory but the win is now forgotten about.

It gave us that boost required for last night’s visit of Waterford and I hope you witnessed a similar performance.

The ideal situation would be for Rovers to find themselves with six points from consecutive home games, while two points from this weekend’s visit to Inchicore and Cork would suffice.