League Report: Sligo Rovers 1 - 2 Dundalk

Sligo Rovers' last home game before the mid-season break against the champions Dundalk at the Showgrounds resulted in a 2-1 defeat for the Bit o'Red with Richie Towell scoring the winner with a well struck penalty.

Co-caretaker managers Gavin Dykes and Joseph Ndo took over in the Sligo dugout due to the absence of Owen Heary and right from the off Rovers seemed the stronger team.

Within two minutes Morten Nielsen was able to cut through Dundalk's back four and thread a pass through to Gavin Peers but the pass was too long and Peers was unable to capitalise on the first chance of the half.

One minute later Bit o'Red winger Sander Puri barreled through Dane Massey and Brian Gartland but a spectacular save by the Lillywhites keeper, Gary Rogers, saved the champions on that occasion.

Play died down for the next five minutes as both sides looked for holes in their opponent's defences while the home fans began to believe a win against the table toppers was in fact possible.

This belief was solidified when after just eight minutes Nielsen rifled off a shot from the eighteen yard line which slipped passed Rogers and ended up in the top right corner of his net.

Puri, Nielsen and Eoin Wearen put a great passage of play together four minutes later which caught Dundalk's back four unawares but Chris Shields got back in time to kill Rovers' chances and kept the score at 1 – 0.

Two minutes later Shields had Dundalk's first real chance of the game when a powerful run down the right hand side by the Lillywhites midfielder got by everyone in his way but a poor finish caused the ball to dribble left of Richard Brush's net.

Wearen and Nielsen counter attacked pretty quickly when a long ball by Wearen found Nielsen in a dangerous position but Sean Gannon had being watching the winger and prevented him from turning and taking a shot before clearing the ball out of danger.

Rovers continued to play the strongest bit of football they had over the entire season – getting every man back to cut off all of Dundalk's attacks with Sander Puri being instrumental in holding off the league leaders.

After twenty minutes however cracks began to appear in the home side's defence – in particlar Richard Brush's short goal kicks began to cause problems as they frequently found Dundalk players.

Dundalk's first real goal chance came when such a clearence by Brush found the feet of Daryl Horgan and while the Lillywhite winger rifled a blistering shoot directly on target – Brush answered with an equally spectacular save.

An equaliser from the Champions was only a matter of time and the goal came in the 33^rd minute when Horgan fired off another shot at Brush.

After that Sligo seemed to lose heart and both sides seemed content to run out the clock until half-time with the teams leaving the pitch at the break tied at 1-1.

In the second period it was quickly apparent that this would be a game of two halves with the Champions finding their form for the second 45 minutes.

Their first chance of the half came when newly arrived substitute Darren Meenan took a corner in the opening thirty seconds and while his delivery was impeccable Brush was aware of the danger and quickly smothered the ball.

After that play became subdued like the opening minutes of the first half with the obvious absence of the attacking football Rovers had played in the opening minutes of the game.

Dundalk's first real goal chance of the half came when Brush again cleared the ball directly to Horgan and in an exact repeat performance – Horgan's shot was on target but Brush pulled off a great save to deny the Lillywhites man.

Horgan and Ronan Finn both had great chances for the table toppers in the next five minutes after that but Horgan's chance was smothered by Brush again while Finn's chance was quickly intercepted and cleared by Peers.

A contentious penalty was awarded to Richie Towell after referee Paul McLaughlin decided Sligo defender Alan Keane had handled the ball inside the box – which resulted in Towell sending Brush the wrong way and putting the Lillywhites 2-1 ahead.

A passage of play between Sligo captain David Cawley and Kevin Devaney almost leveled the game a second time but unfortunately Cawley's attempt hit the side netting.

After that the Champions upped their attack with Horgan and Dundalk striker David McMillan trying to find away passed Brush – but the Sligo keeper and experienced defender Peers denied all attempts by the visitors to increase their lead.

Keith Ward tried to create some chances for Sligo when a long pass to Puri could have resulted in an oppertunity but Rogers came way off his line with eighteen minutes to go to deny them.

Ward again tried the same tactic this time with Devaney with twelve minutes to go but there was too much on the pass and Rogers easily scooped it up.

In the last ten minutes Puri, Ward and seasoned player Raffaele Cretaro all tried to equalise for the home side but the Dundalk defence held firm and saw off their latest challengers with a 2-1 victory.

So Dundalk stretch their lead at the top of the table by another three points while Rovers can take solace in the fact that while some decisions went against them, they have a solid foundation to build on after the season break.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Danny Ledwith, Stephen Folan, Gavin Peers, Alan Keane; Eoin Wearen (Keith Ward 67), David Cawley, Gary Armstrong, Sander Puri; Morten Nielsen (Devaney HT) Dinny Corcoran (Raf Cretaro 61).

Subs Not Used: Ryan Coulter, Jake Dykes, Gary Boylan, Ryan McManus.

Bookings: Cawley (31), Peers (55), Armstrong (68), Ward (89).

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; John Mountney (Darren Meenan HT), Chris Shields, Richie Towell, Ronan Finn (Stephen O'Donnell 72), Daryl Horgan; David McMillan (Kurtis Byrne 75).

Subs Not Used: Gabriel Sava, Shane Grimes, Ciaran O'Connor.

Bookings: Shields (80), Meenan (88), Byrne (90+2).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

Attendance: 1,734.

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Chris Shields (Dundalk).