Rovers make it two wins from two as they see off Shels with ease
SLIGO Rovers moved ahead of both Cork City and Finn Harps following a 2-1 victory over Shelbourne at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.
It was Rovers’ first home game since the season’s restart, following on from their victory over Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium the previous week.
Jesse Devers scored after just 30 seconds, with David Cawley doubling their lead early in the second-half.
Shelbourne captain Gary Deegan made it 2-1 in the dying minutes, but it was too late for the Dubliners to stage a comeback.
Liam Buckley named Danny Kane in the squad for the first time since the opening game of the season against Finn Harps, while new signing Sigitas Olberkis received international clearance on time and made the bench.
Garry Buckley missed out following the injury he sustained against Derry City, and Teemu Penninkangas was also forced to miss out.
Johnny Dunleavy and Ronan
Murray were both named on the bench, but Lewis Banks and John Mahon remain sidelined.
Darragh Noone once again started at right back.
The 50 or so Rovers fans at the game had barely settled into their socially distanced seats when they had taken the lead.
A cross from Ryan De Vries seemed to catch the Shels defence offguard, with Devers leaping high to meet his ball, sending it into the back of the net.
The visitors could have equalised seconds later when Dayle Rooney’s cross just needed a touch to force it past Ed McGinty, but Ryan Brennan’s outstretched leg could not reach it in time.
Liam Buckley’s side were well organised and dangerous on the attack.
De Vries again found Devers in space just minutes later, but the visitors’ netminder Colin McCabe had it covered.
Ian Morris’ side were trying to find Ciaran Kilduff and Ryan Brennan with long balls, but to no avail.
Former Dundalk man Kilduff tried his luck from distance but his effort was deflected wide, before Rooney’s curling shot was just off target.
Devers tried to get on the end of Noone’s cross, but there was too much on it, before the Mayo man sent his shot over the bar after good work from Will Seymore and Ronan Coughlan.
Coughlan headed just wide from Cawley’s cross, but Rovers’ lead was safe at the half way point.
Jaze Kabia was first to get a glimpse of goalmouth action following the break, but his effort did not trouble McGinty in the Rovers goals.
Daniel Byrne headed over from a Shelbourne corner, before Cawley’s left-footed attempt went wide.
And a minute later, the hosts extended their lead.
Regan Donelon’s corner fell nicely to the Rovers captain Cawley who made no mistake and slotted it past McCabe to make it 2-0.
Shelbourne boss Ian Morris changed things up slightly as they went in search of an outlet to try reduce the deficit.
Aaron Dobbs and Georgie Poynton were brought on as attacking options, with Dobbs getting in on the action almost immediately, firing wide.
Will Seymore was forced off with what looked like a hamstring tweak, while Rovers had a number of chances to extend their lead further.
McCabe did really well to block a shot from De Vries after he dispossessed Aidan Friel.
De Vries himself was later substituted also with what looked like a hamstring tweak.
Coughlan tried to reach Cawley’s cross late on, but the Limerick man just couldn’t get to it.
Four minutes into injury time, the Dubliners pulled one back courtesy of a fine strike from their captain Deegan, who kept them ticking over all night.
It was too little too late, however, and a victory for Rovers took them off the bottom and into eighth place.
They make the long journey to Cork this weekend to take on Neale Fenn’s side, a pitch that has been a happy hunting ground for Rovers in recent years.
SLIGO ROVERS: Ed McGinty; Darragh Noone, Kyle Callan McFadden, Danny Kane, Regan Donelon; Niall Morahan, David Cawley, Will Seymore (John Russell, 59); Jesse Devers, Ryan De Vries (Alex Cooper, 85); Ronan Coughlan.
SHELBOURNE: Colin McCabe; Aidan Friel (Oscar Brennan, 80), Daniel Byrne, Luke Byrne (Daniel O’Reilly, 60), Alex O’Hanlon; Gary Deegan, Sean Quinn (Alex Cetiner, 80); Dayle Rooney, Ryan Brennan, (Georgie Poynton, 53), Jaze Kabia (Aaron Dobbs, 53); Ciaran Kilduff.
REFEREE: Rob Hennessy.