Crusaders 2 - 0 Sligo Rovers
Credit:
Sligo Rovers unbeaten start to the season came to an end as Crusaders ran out deserved winners in the first leg of their Setanta Cup semi-final on wet and windy night in Belfast.
Stephen Baxter made eight changes to the team that drew with local rivals, Cliftonville, at the weekend and it showed in the early exchanges as the home side were first to every ball and pinned back their southern counterparts in what would provide a blue print for most of the game.
David Rainey had an early chance for Crusaders but he just failed to get on the end of a Timmy Adamson cross as Rovers struggled to get out of their own half.
The Sligo supporters who made their way north thought they had been rewarded with a goal when Lee Lynch latched on to Raffaele Cretaro’s through ball but the former Drogheda man was narrowly adjudged offside.
It would have been against the run of play if rewarded and Sligo had Gary Rogers to thank minutes later when Adamson should have scored after been found six yards out by David McMaster. Adamson was again wasteful from the same distance moments later, this time his header was bundled clear by Rogers when a goal looked the certain outcome.
The pressure was unrelenting as the half neared its end and when Crusaders were awarded a free kick 35 yards from the opposition goal Chris Morrow drilled a low shot that appeared to take a nick off David Rainey and wrong foot Rogers to give the home side a half time lead.
Rainey and Adamson were causing Rovers defence problems all evening and the two combined well at the start of the second half to orchestrate a decent shooting chance for Rainey but the veteran striker shot high and wide.
The Hatchetmen went closer in the 52nd minute when Lee Lynch was adjudged to have played the ball back to his keeper when attempting a clearance and Crusaders were given a free-kick from 15 yards out.
Stephen McBride teed up Gareth McKeown but the ball cannoned off the wall before flying narrowly wide.
Sligo were a shadow of their normal selves but could of had a penalty when Cretaro went down under a Colin Coates challenge, the referee however seen nothing wrong. Ian Baraclough brought on Mark Quigley and Romauld Boco for the ineffective Joseph Ndo and John Dillon and the substitutions did have the effect of creating better ball retention for the visitors without generating many chances.
Worryingly for Baraclough, Jason McGuinness fell to the ground on 75 minutes and left the field in a great deal of pain.
As the rain continued to fall Crusaders pressurised the Sligo defence seeking a goal that would give them a two-goal cushion for the return leg and they were justly rewarded on 81 minutes when Rainey again popped up to head in a McMaster’s corner that sealed a great night for Stephen Baxter’s men.
Crusaders: Sean O’Neill; Stephen McBride, Gareth McKeown, Colin Coates, David Magowan: Stuart Dallas, Chris Morrow, Declan Caddell, David McMaster; David Rainey (Jordan Owens 84), Timmy Adamson.
Subs not used: Michael Halliday, David Gibson, Ciaran Gargan, Matthew Snoddy.
Sligo Rovers: Gary Rodgers; Alan Keane, Jason McGuinness (David Cawley 76), Iarfhlaith Davoren, Gavin Peers; John Dillon (Romauld Boco 68), Lee Lynch, Danny Ventre, Ross Gaynor; Joseph Ndo (Mark Quigley 59), Raffaele Cretaro.
Subs not used: Richard Brush, Jake Dykes, Danny North, Marty Owens
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 800 (estimate)
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: David Rainey (Crusaders).
