Sligo Rovers 0 Dundalk 2
Dundalk kept their seventh clean sheet in a row in a 2-0 defeat of Sligo Rovers in front of 2,586 at the Showgrounds.
Patrick Hoban capitalised on a mistake from Seamus Sharkey for the opener on the half-hour, and Michael Duffy wrapped it up with the second ten minutes into the second half, as Rovers lost at home for the fourth time this season.
Rovers’ best period of the game came in the opening minutes, with Calum Waters testing Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers with a shot inside the opening 30 seconds.
But Dundalk grew into the game, and yellow cards for Craig Roddan and Sharkey inside the next ten minutes put Rovers under pressure.
Dundalk were dominant in possession at this stage, but they got a huge stroke of luck for the goal when Sharkey mis-judged Michael Duffy’s ball into the box, and Hoban poked the ball past Micheál Schlingermann.
Ally Roy, Eduardo Pinceli and Lewis Morrison all came off the bench to good effect after the concession of the second goal, but Rogers stood firm yet again, and made a brilliant stop to deny Patrick McClean.
Further chances fell to Roy and Caolan McAleer, but both missed the target on a night of disappointment for the hosts.
Sligo: Schlingermann, Boylan, Callan-McFadden, Sharkey, McClean, Waters (Roy 56), McCabe (Morrison 67), Roddan (Pinceli 57), Cawley, McAleer, Morgan.
Dundalk: Rogers, Gannon, Hoare, Cleary, Massey, Shields, Benson, Murray (Mountney 76), Duffy, McGrath (O'Donnell 86), Hoban (Tagbajumi 81).
Referee: R Hennessy.
