Shamrock Rovers scored in the fifth minute of each half at the Showgrounds to move up to second in the Premier Division.

Sean O’Connor and Michael Drennan got the goals either side of Danny Ledwith’s superb free-kick, to leave the Bit O’ Red without a win from four league games.

Referee Tomas Connolly dished out five yellow cards and also turned down two penalty appeals in the opening half.

The Hoops took the lead when Alan Keane’s backpass was intercepted by Keith Fahey.

Fahey’s effort was saved by Ryan Coulter but the midfielder gathered the rebound and had the awareness to pick out Sean O’Connor, who finished to the net.

Top corner

Sligo had a penalty shout when Raffaele Cretaro dispossessed Patrick Cregg at the edge of the area, and the midfielder appeared to trip him inside the box. Connolly waved play on but did book Cregg five minutes later for a foul on Eoin Wearen, and Ledwith stepped up to sweetly curl the free-kick into the top corner.

The Hoops’ penalty shout came on 35 minutes, when Simon Madden’s ball over the top was chased down by Drennan. Rovers captain Gavin Peers came across to challenge but looked to have got the man and not the ball.

The Hoops started the second half brightly and regained the lead on 50 minutes when Fahey found some space on the right to drive a superb low ball across goal for Drennan to tap in.

SLIGO ROVERS: Coulter, Keane, Peers, Folan, Ledwith, Beattie, Cawley, Wearen, Puri (Devaney, 74 mins), Cretaro, Nielsen (Corcoran, 74 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland, Madden, Webster, Kenna, D O'Connor, Cregg (R Brennan, 62 mins), McPhail, Fahey, S O'Connor, G Brennan (Waters, 80 mins), Drennan (McCaffrey, 87 mins).
Referee: T Connolly.