Update Rovers continue pre-season work with two wins

Bit O’Red defeat Galway United in Westport and record a victory away to Fermanagh outfit Ballinamallard

THE Sligo Rovers senior men’s team pre-season preparations have continued in positive fashion with back-to-back wins.

Last Saturday they recorded a 1-0 win over Galway United in Westport. The sides were playing in the second annual Adam Mulchrone Memorial Match, organised in aid of Galwaybased charity, ACT For Meningitis.

The match honours the memory of former Westport United footballer Adam Mulchrone on the fifth anniversary of his untimely passing, aged just 21, due to meningitis.

After an evenly contested first-half, Rovers went 1-0 up just after the hour mark when ex-Galway man Wilson Waweru opened the scoring for the Bit O’Red.

Galway had a chance to equalise minutes later but Ed McGinty marked his Rovers return in style by saving a penalty.

Rovers were then in action on Tuesday night away to Fermanagh’s Ballinamallard United in a match organised to make up for the cancellation of their previously scheduled friendly away to Longford Town.

Trialist Rein Smit found the back of the net twice after finishing off passes from Reece Hutchinson and Kailin Barlow.

Ballinamallard pulled a goal back in the second-half to halve the deficit but Rovers answered back with another two goals courtesy of Fabrice Hartmann and Owen Elding.

Ed McGinty also featured in this match and recently spoke about his return to the club.

“I love the club and I worked with John Russell and Ryan Casey before. John has been on the phone to me ever since I went over [to England] and it was a no-brainer really.

“I have enjoyed being in Oxford, I