- Alan Finn
- Sat, May 19 2012
Two goals from Danny North and a late Pascal Millien strike were enough to see Sligo Rovers send Shelbourne home from the Showgrounds without any points for their trouble on Friday night.
Sligo Rovers were very much on top right from kick-off but there were very few chances of note. Centre-back Jason McGuinness had the only opening in the early proceedings, but he skied his effort from 20 yards.
It was with five minutes to go until the break when the hosts threatened again, when Mark Quigley picked out Alan Keane in acres of space with an exquisite pass. The right-back then took the ball into the box and shot from an angle, but Dean Delany got down well to save.
Three minutes later, the deadlock was finally broken. Sligo’s Danny Ventre sent a ball forward for Danny North and the striker brushed off Andy Boyle to find himself one on one with Dean Delany.
The ball nicked off of Delany as North slotted it under him, but it still managed to trickle towards goal and nestle in the bottom left corner.
After a largely unexciting first 45, it took just two minutes of the second half for goal number two to come for the home side.
Mark Quigley played a great through ball to Danny North who once again was one on one with Dean Delany and again calmly slotted it past the 'keeper to double his side's lead.
Rovers had a chance to make it three as the clock approached the hour mark. Gavin Peers laid a ball off to David Cawley who played a lovely ball over the top for substitute Lee Lynch.
Lynch shot and forced a decent save out of Delany just minutes after coming on for the injured Mark Quigley.
Shels threatened with a quarter of an hour to play when they won two corners in quick succession, but Rovers almost scored on the break when Rafael Cretaro booted the ball up to North.
North found Iarfhlaith Davoren as he bombed into the box, but the left-back was closed down by the Shelbourne defence at the vital moment and the danger was cleared away.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, it was Pascal Millien's time to shine. Millien picked the ball up out wide and skipped past a couple of challenges before unleashing a curling shot that went beyond the ‘keeper’s reach.
He lit up the Showgrounds again two minutes later. He skipped past three challenges before setting up Romauld Boco from an angle who saw a header cleared off the line.
That proved to be the final action of the game as The Bit o' Red secured a victory that never looked in doubt.
Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers; Alan Keane, Gavin Peers, Jason McGuinness, Iarfhlaith Davoren; Romauld Boco, David Cawley, Danny Ventre (John Dillon, 85), Rafael Cretaro; Mark Quigley (Lee Lynch, 59), Danny North (Pascal Millien, 83).
Unused subs: Richard Brush, Marty Owens, Jake Dykes, Liam Martin.
Bookings: North (63), Davoren (80).
Drogheda United: Dean Delaney; Gareth Matthews, Brian Shorthall, Andy Boyle, John Sullivan (Kevin Dawson, 54); Paddy Kavanagh (Conan Byrne, 46), Barry Clancy, David Cassidy (Philip Hughes, 74), Glenn Cronin, Anto Murphy; Philip Gorman.
Unused subs: Paul Skinner, Ian Ryan, Brendan McGill, Paul Byrne.
Bookings: Dawson (70).
Referee: Paul Tuite.
Attendance: 2,477
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Jason McGuinness (Sligo Rovers).
