Europa League: Sligo Rovers 4 - 0 FK Banga

Sligo Rovers have won their first European game in 20 years following a comprehensive 4-0 win over FK Banga in The Showgrounds on Thursday evening.

Both teams entered the second leg of the Europa League First Qualifying Round on the back of a 0-0, but goals from Alan Keane, Aaron Greene, Danny North and David Cawley ensured The Bit o' Red would progress to the next stage.

Rovers will now face Norwegian outfit Rosenborg in the Second Qualifying Round.

They began the game brightly with two early chances from Kieran Djilali corners as David Cawley and Evan McMillan both flashed chances wide.

Banga's first chance fell to new signing Eivinas Zagurskas on 20 minutes and his rasping shot from long range forced Gary Rogers into action.

The visitors came even closer again just five minutes later when an Alexey Epifanov free-kick deflected off the wall and towards the bottom right corner, but Rogers still showed great awareness and reflexes to tip the effort on to his near post.

As a tense first-half approached it's conclusion, Rovers took the lead through right-back Alan Keane when he latched on to a loose ball in the box and rifled his effort low into the bottom right corner.

The Lithuanian side posed some problems during first-half injury time and Evaldas Grigaitis forced Rogers into another big save, with the 'keeper pushing the winger's effort from the edge of the box over the bar.

Zagurskas almost equalised for Banga 12 minutes into the second-half when his sweetly struck effort from 25 yards dipped just over the crossbar.

Danny North had two opportunities to score in the space of thirty seconds as the game approached the hour mark, first linking up with John Russell to turn and shoot wide from the edge of the box before meeting an Aaron Greene cross to shoot wide of the opposite corner.

With 18 minutes remaining, Rovers finally had their much needed two goal cushion. Alan Keane put John Russell through down the right flank with a piercing ball and defender found Aaron Greene with a cross which the winger latched onto and finished at the far post.

Russell was almost left to rue a scuffed chance on the 83rd minute, but luckily for the midfielder Danny North was on hand to pick up a loose ball and poke it in to the back of an empty net to make it 3-0.

In the final minute of the regulation time, Rovers would strike once more. Kieran Djilali picked out Seamus Conneely with a through ball and, much like the build-up play for the second goal, the defender created space and crossed for David Cawley to finish from point-blank range.

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers (Richard Brush 84); Alan Keane (Gavin Peers 87), Evan McMillan, Kalen Spillane (Ross Gaynor 23), Seamus Conneely; David Cawley, John Russell, Aaron Greene, Raffaele Cretaro, Kieran Djilali, Danny North.

Subs not used: Richard Brush, Jeff Henderson, Gavin Peers, Paul O'Conor, Eric Odhiambo Sean Maguire.

FK Banga: Sarunas Jurevicius; Zaurbek Karkusov (Artyom Stezhka 25), Davydas Arlauskis, Alexey Epifanov, Karolis Urbaitis; Maksym Khablov (Valery Makiev 70), Andrius Butkus (Artur Siryk 74), Sergei Shevchuk, Evaldus Grigiatis; Eivinas Zagurskas, Aurelijus Staponka.

Subs not used: Soslanbek Arshiev.

Referee: Bardhyl Pashaj (Albania)

Attendance: 2,169

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Alan Keane (Sligo Rovers).