SOCCER/Sligo Rovers 0 Shamrock Rovers 1:FORMER SLIGO Rovers player Gary McCabe came back to haunt his old club at the Showgrounds on Saturday night scoring the only goal in a pulsating encounter.
Slack marking by the home side allowed McCabe in for his sixth-minute match winner.
Gavin Peers went close for Paul Cooke’s side a minute after McCabe opened the visitors account from a Richie Ryan corner. Alan Mannus in the Shamrock Rovers goal kept a Jason McGuinness header out after a good run by Eoin Doyle on 10 minutes and John Russell missed from a John Dillon assist a minute later.
Gary O’Neill had a goal chance for the Hoops after 23 minutes but the home goal survived. Russell grazed a post after 26 minutes as Sligo went in search of an equaliser and McCabe was denied by Mannus in the 33rd minute.
A Matthew Blinkhorn effort flew inches wide of the visitors’ goal early in the second half before a 58th-minute shot by Billy Dennehy went narrowly wide at the other end. Sligo Rovers piled on the pressure in the closing stages but Blinkhorn was unable to finish off a corner kick by Richie Ryan a minute from time. Jason McGuinness had a chance to level matters a minute into stoppage time.
SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Keane, Davoren, Peers, Ventre, Ryan, Dillon ,Russel, McGuinness, Doyle, Blinkhorn. Subs: Kirby for Ventre (54 mins), Greene for Dillon (54 mins),Cretaro for Russel (73 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Stevens, Murray, Oman, McCabe, Turner, Finn, Dennehy, Twigg, O’Neill. Subs: Flynn for Oman (half-time), Kilduff for O’Neill (78 mins), Rice for Twigg (85 mins).
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
