Win allows breathing space, but we’re in an early relegation battle

KIERAN Sadlier showed his potential as one of the League of Ireland’s brightest stars once more on Saturday as he dragged Sligo Rovers off the foot of the table with a wonderful individual display against Bray.

For the first time this year and after five games, the Bit O’Red no longer prop up the division. It wasn’t pretty, it all to regularly isn’t these days but the win gives boss Dave Robertson breathing space going into three huge games which are likely to decide the path the club goes down in 2017.

I wrote on these pages last week that had two defeats been the story of the last seven days, it would be very hard to see the current regime still in place. Cork wasn’t a hard luck story by any means.

They would have been deservedly aggrieved had they not taken three points at Turner’s Cross last Thursday such was their dominance for large portions of the game.

Rovers showed shades of that spirit and character Robertson often mentions, but John Caulfield’s team could have been three up at the break without reason to argue.

Cork tried to play through us but were thwarted by poor finishing on their part and pure determination on Rovers’ behalf in the shape of last gasp tackles and a strong save from Shaun Patton who did well to keep out Steven Beattie mid- way through the first half.

Jonah Ayunga ( pictured) did well to turn Kevin O’Connor shortly before the break but showed his inexperience when his speculative effort was tipped over by Mark McNulty.

Although well hit, the over- eager Ayunga seemed to have plenty of time to both carry the ball and steady himself.

Ayunga had a quiet game against Cork and showed promise, if a little timidity against Bray but he really needs to start using that dominative frame of his when up against a centre half both in the air and on the ground if he’s to make a mark on these shores.

Eventually against Cork and as has been the case on several occasions this year, it was two long balls and a lack of experience that caught Rovers out.

The first saw Gary Boylan too far off Achille Campion as the former Rovers striker was able to nod O’Connor’s long ball into the path of Beattie unchallenged.

Beattie was already yards ahead of Liam Martin before firing past Shaun Patton.

Whilst another hit and hope from the City rearguard caught both Boylan and Martin ball watching. Sean Maguire was never going to miss from nine yards out.

Again, Sadlier was the beacon for Sligo both in Cork and against Bray.

It’s no secret that Caulfield and Stephen Kenny both have eyes for Kieran over the last number of months.

The former Irish underage international is under contract in Sligo until the end of the season but the worrying aspect is that if Kieran becomes unsettled by another club or sees an opportunity elsewhere during the summer, he can force his own way out.

It happened with a few players under Owen Heary and there is a genuine risk it could happen again should Sadlier feel he wants to move on.

He has carried the team, the midfield in particular over the past three games with his pace and technical ability.

Crazy to think he was dropped so many times both last season and also against Dundalk earlier this month. Following last Saturday’s ugly but vital win over Bray, Rovers face into three crucial tests. Finn Harps away, Galway away and Bohemians at home.

The target must be to take seven points from those three games but anything less than four from the first two could leave us in a perilous situation with Shams and Derry to follow further on.

Harps had our number in all three games last season and probably deserved to take more than the five points they won against us.

Ollie Horgan’s team learned how to take points from the teams around them last term.

They’re dogged and are probably one of the ‘ better’ sides in this league at dragging teams to their level and churning out points particularly at home where they took 23 of their 32 total points tally last term. You would expect Harps to try and catch us high again, bomb balls down the middle for Danny Morrisey and Ciaran O’Connor to run on to. While the likes of Paddy McCourt ( if fit) and Sean Houston will be big threats from set- pieces.

It was Harps’ sheer determination, work ethic and spirit that got them over the line last year and Rovers are going to have to summon these mental attributes in bucket loads if they are to put it up to them.

We’re probably going to have to score at least twice if not three times to win it as it’s hard to see us not conceding up there given our haphazard standard of defending.

We’re already in what is essentially an early season relegation battle.

So maybe a point wouldn’t be the worst result but that would mean a win over Galway would then become imperative.