SSE Airtricity League Away defeat for Rovers increases present turmoil THEGAME
SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division Drogheda United Sligo Rovers
SLIGO Rovers’ woes of recent weeks continued in Weavers’ Park last Friday as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Drogheda United.
Rovers had a dream start when Will Fitzgerald opened the scoring in the opening minutes before a superb Darragh Markey strike levelled matters. A Frantz Pierrot penalty and a late Aaron McNally goal sealed the points for Drogheda’s second win of the season.
Rovers came into the game shy of three players who started the previous Monday’s 0-0 draw with Galway United as Simon Power, Fabrice Hartmann and Max Mata all missed out through injury. Will Fitzgerald, Wilson Waweru and Stefan Radosavljevic came into the starting line-up. These absentees also opened the door for Sean McAteer to appear in a matchday squad for the first time since March 2023 when he suffered a horrific leg injury in an U-19 game.
There was also a first matchday squad appearance for U-20 forward David Jonathan, who was named among the substitutes.
The Louth side – currently ninth in the table – have been John Russell’s bogey side but the early exchanges suggested this fixture could swing in Rovers favour thanks to an early goal.
Brilliant link-up play between Ellis Chapman, Wilson Waweru and Will Fitzgerald allowed the latter to find enough space from the left to curl an exquisite shot into the bottom right corner in the seventh minute.
This passage of play was a reminder of what Rovers are capable of before their current poor run but unfortunately these kind of moves were few and far between.
Drogheda improved and there was a sense an equaliser was on the horizon as they moved the ball well and striker Frantz Pierrot continually occupied good positions against a Rovers side allowing them far too much room to operate. Rovers were punished for standing off in the 24th minute when a ball knocked away from the Rovers box fell to Darragh Markey who had
MEN’S PREMIER DIVISION D F 4 15 5 22 4 22 1 13 4 7 3 12 5 13 4 12 5 12 5 6
Shelbourne Shamrock Rvrs Derry City Bohemians Galway Utd St Patrick’s Ath Sligo Rovers Waterford FC Drogheda Utd Dundalk 3 1
Diff +6 +11 +8 -1 0 -2 -1 -2 -8 -11 a fine last-ditch interception by Ollie Denham. The centre-back had to be alert minutes later to deny Darragh Markey a second goal.
Rovers weren’t sorry to see halftime approach, but they should have gone in with a restored lead when the ball broke kindly in the box for Stefan Radosavljevic, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.
The visitors started the second-half well, with substitute Kailin Barlow – brought on in place of Will Fitzgerald – at the heart of their promising efforts.
Barlow was unlucky not to connect a ball fizzed across the face goal, while a promising ball from midfielder intended for Ellis Chapman was brilliantly cut out by a Drogheda defender.
Rovers let this momentum slip in the 69th minute when Drogheda were awarded a penalty. Niall Morahan attempted to pressure Luke Heeney but ultimately gave up a cheap penalty when he shoved Heeney from behind.
The Rovers captain will be disappointed looking back on this as Ollie Denham and Charlie Wiggett had Heeney’s path to goal firmly locked down. Frantz Pierrot stepped up and sent Ed McGinty the wrong with a cool finish into the bottom right corner.
Rovers looked stunned by the concession of this goal and struggled to get back into this game, with a fine Reece Hutchinson shot parried away by Jethren Barr as close as they would come to an equaliser.
The next goal would instead be an opportunity for Drogheda to put the icing on the cake. Aaron McNally showed plenty of neat footwork to weave his way through the Rovers defence and beat Ed McGinty with a strong, low drive. This wrapped up three valuable points for Kevin Doherty’s side on a night when both they and bottom club Dundalk both gained valuable ground on an out-ofsorts Bit O’Red side.
BEST FOR ROVERS: Wilson Waweru. The Rovers striker showed great awareness in setting up Will Fitzgerald for his goal – Fitzgerald’s first of the season – and played with plenty of honest endeavour in what was an otherwise thankless role up front. TURNING POINT: Drogheda’s spot-kick conversion. Rovers will be sick reflecting on how they let Drogheda back into this one. Rovers were well on top when they gave away a cheap second-half penalty which gave Drogheda all the belief in the world against a side whose heads were down as a result.
all the time in the world to run and guide a powerful strike into the top right corner.
Drogheda pushed on, looking to benefit from more mistakes. Connor Malley was easily dispossessed by Gary Deegan who fired straight into the arms of Ed McGinty while Adam Foley, pouncing on an error by JR Wilson, was denied a goal thanks to
RESULTS
Played on Friday, April 26
WEAVERS PARK: Drogheda United (1) 3 (Darragh Markey, Frantz Pierrot pen, Aaron McNally), Sligo Rovers (1) 1 (Will Fitzgerald)
Played on Saturday, April 27
The number of points that Rovers have taken from their last five fixtures in the top flight.
THE SHOWGROUNDS: Sligo Rovers (0) 0, Cork City (0) 1 (Colleen Kennedy)
FIXTURES
Friday, May 3
Saturday, May 4
Wexford FC v Sligo Rovers (Ferrycarrig Park, 5pm)
Monday, May 6
FIXTURES
Friday, May 10
SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division – Round 15
Galway United v Sligo Rovers (Eamonn Deacy Park, 7.45pm)
Saturday, May 11
SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division – Round Seven
Sligo Rovers v Bohemians (The Showgrounds, 7pm)
Drogheda United: Jethren Barr, Hayden Cann, Jack Keaney, Luke Heeney, Conor Kane, Darragh Markey (Dave Webster 90), Gary Deegan, Oisin Gallagher, Warren Davis, Adam Foley (Aaron McNally 63), Frantz Pierrot (Ryan Brennan 84)
Subs not used: Andrew Wogan (gk), Matthew O’Brien, Stephen Bawa, Emre Topcu, Killian Cailloce, James Byrne Referee: Mark Houlihan
Attendance: 1,694