Morgan and Roy strike as Rovers pick up first win
SECOND-HALF goals from Adam Morgan and Alistair Roy Sealed Sligo Rovers’ first win of the season as they beat Derry City 2-1 at The Showgrounds on Friday night.
Ronan Curtis’ 89th minute goal did lessen the deficit, but the result was not impacted and Derry City suffered their second defeat in their opening two games of the 2018 season.
With both sides suffering defeats on the opening day of the season, this was not a game either side was willing to give up easily.
This meeting was initially scheduled to take place at The Brandywell, but Sligo Rovers agreed to switch the game to The Showgrounds with refurbishment works not yet completed on Derry’s home ground.
Ger Lyttle handed debuts to new signings Patrick McClean and Chelsea loanee Mitchell Beeney as both Craig Roddan and Micheal Schlingermann dropped to the bench.
Regan Donelon and Raffaele Cretaro sat out the game with injuries picked up prior to the Limerick game.
In a lively encounter, the visitors were first to shoot at goal, with Curtis’ first minute shot at goal setting the tempo for a hectic opening 15 minutes.
The Bit o’Red responded almost immediately, when Eduardo Pinceli’s quick free kick fell into the path of Caolan McAleer, but the former Finn Harps man could not keep his effort on target, before Armin Aganovic conceded possession to Ally Roy.
The Hearts loanee was alert and his dangerous cross from the left should have been sent into the back of the net by McAleer, but again it was just slightly off, much to the relief of Kenny Shiels’ men.
Debutant Beeney was forced into making an excellent stop early doors when he just parried clear a Ronan Hole effort from close range following some excellent play by Curtis and Ben Doherty.
Doherty was the Candystripes’ hero in the first-half, getting in the way of a forceful volley from Patrick McClean against his former employers.
Down the other end of the field, Beeney’s fingertips kept out a Ronan Hale effort at an awkward angle. Doherty did well to prevent the hosts taking the lead when Morgan played in Rhys McCabe, the veteran just doing enough to keep Rovers scoreless.
Rory Patterson pleaded for a penalty just before the half-time whistle after going down in the area, but referee Paul McLaughlin waved play on.
Whatever Ger Lyttle said to his players at half-time seemed to work, with the Bit o’Red starting the second-half with more urgency than their Derry counterparts.
Rory Hale threw his body on the line to get in the way of a McClean attempt, after Gary Boylan flew down the right wing, managing to beat Curtis on his way.
A stunning 25 yard strike from David Cawley was forced over the bar by Doherty, earning a corner for the hosts.
From the resulting Eduardo Pinceli corner, an almighty goalmouth scramble followed with Adam Morgan somehow bundling the ball over the line to give Rovers a vital lead.
The momentum was certainly with the home side, and it was soon 2-0 to the hosts.
A defence-splitting ball by David Cawley was right in Ally Roy’s path, who followed through and tucked the ball past Ger Doherty to double Rovers’ lead in emphatic fashion.
Curtis capitalised on a defensive blunder from Rovers in the 89th minute, but it wasn’t enough for Derry to steal anything from the game.
Rovers played host to Cork City last night (Monday) and will travel to Dublin on Friday night to play St. Patrick’s Athletic in their first away game of the season.
Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; Gary Boylan, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Seamus Sharkey, Patrick McClean; Rhys McCabe, David Cawley, Eduardo Pinceli; Caolan McAleer, Adam Morgan (Greg Moorhouse, 84), Ally Roy.
Derry City: Ger Doherty; Conor McDermott (Jamie McDonagh, 61), Armin Aganovic, Darren Cole, Ben Doherty; Nicky Low, Aaron McEneff; Ronan Curtis, Rory Hale (Eoin Toal 78), Ronan Hale; Rory Patterson.
Referee: Paul McLaughin