Rovers move into second with 3-0 victory
Sligo Rovers moved up to second place ahead of Shamrock Rovers tonight with a 3-0 victory over Bray Wanderers.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Finn
The game got off to a perfect start when Alan Keane crossed the ball into the box, which Matthew Blinkhorn chested down and volleyed beyond Matt Gregg with just two minutes gone.
Alan Kirby should've made it 2-0 when he skipped past Derek Prendergast, but he failed to beat Gregg. Blinkhorn then made it 2-0 at the end of some fantastic play when Alan Keane played a one-two with Joseph Ndo before Ndo sent a brilliant cross into the box which was tapped in by Blinkhorn to put Rovers two goals to the good with just ten minnutes played.
It took a while for the next chance to fall. Richie Ryan picked out Rafael Cretaro with a sublime pass and Raff wasted no time in trying to set up another chance for Blinkhorn, but the big striker pulled it back instead and the chance came to nothing in the end.
It became a quiet affair up until the half-time whistle, but not that the Bit O' Red would complain considering the scoreline.
Kirby had the first real chance of the second half when Aaron Greene layed the ball off to the veteran midfielder, but he wasn't able to keep his effort down.
It took seventy minutes for Bray's first real shot in anger when lone striker Conor Murphy had a strike at goal, but he hit it straight at Brendan Clarke who was having an otherwise quiet night in goal. Subsitute John Mulroy then had a chance minutes later, but couldn't place his shot on target.
Top scorer Eoin Doyle wrapped up the points with five minutes of the ninety to go. Joseph Ndo was there to whip in yet another brilliant cross which was met by the head of Gingerito for his 12th League goal of the season.
Dean Zambra had a late chance to grab a consolation goal for the Seagulls, but Clarke was on hand to deny the midfielder as he kept added to his impressive clean sheet tally which now stands at thirteen in eighteen games.
It was a good night overall for Rovers as Matthew Blinkhorn scored his first in two months, Eoin Doyle made it fourteen goals in all competitons, Brendan Clarke earned his thirteenth clean sheet of the season and most importantly Sligo Rovers moved up to second in the table, but Shamrock Rovers play table toppers St. Patricks Athletic on Sunday. Next up for the Bit O' Red is a home tie against Drogheda United on the 9th July.
Bray Wanderers: Gregg, Mitchell, Prendergast, S. O' Connor, Massey, Dempsey, Doyle (McGuinness, 71 mins), D. O' Connor (O' Neill, 59 mins), Shields, Zambra, Murphy (Mulroy, 71 mins)
Sligo Rovers: Clarke, Keane, McGuinness, Peers, Greene, Cretaro (Horgan, 81 mins), Ryan, Ndo, Kirby (Ventre, 73 mins), Doyle, Blinkhorn (Dillon, 67 mins)
Subs not used: Kelly, Foran, Russell, McGoldrick
