Ward gets job Dun in late show
Sligo Rovers 0 Dundalk 1
KEITH WARD struck a late winner against his old club as Dundalk beat Sligo Rovers in what was a tightly fought contest at the Showgrounds.
Ward kept his cool in the 84 th minute of a game packed with chances, to head Darragh Leahy’s cross beyond Luke Mcnicholas to send the County Louth side into fourth place in the Premier Division.
It was the visitors who started the quicker from the traps, although they failed to take advantage.
Pat Hoban fired over the bar with his back to goal seven minutes in as the hosts took their time to get settled. Soon after they did, they almost took the lead.
Dundalk goalkeeper Nathan Sheppard pulling off a magnificent reaction save to deny Max Mata’s header.
Later, the division’s top scorer Mata could only head
Fitzgerald’s cross into the ground and onto the roof of the net before the break.
Only a last ditch tackle from Dundalk’s Hayden Muller denied Mata again from close range early in the second period.
Sheppard did really well to leave his line and keep out Mata just past the hour. The Welsh stopper spread himself as he fell at the feet of the New Zealander as Mata ran on to Johan Brannefalk’s through ball.
Only seconds on the pitch, Dundalk substitute John Martin almost made an instant impact on 71 when he guided Connor Malley’s set piece towards goal. Mcnicholas shifted his feet to scramble away the ex-waterford man’s header.
Desperate to find that goal to claimed the spoils, it was an ex-rovers man who did the damage six minutes from time.