Sport

Rampant Rovers consolidate position at top as Dundalk finish with nine players

Sligo Rovers 5 Dundalk 0 RAMPANT SLIGO Rovers put five past nine-man Dundalk at the Showgrounds last night to strengthen their…

Wed Oct 05 2011 - 01:00

Sligo Rovers 5 Dundalk 0RAMPANT SLIGO Rovers put five past nine-man Dundalk at the Showgrounds last night to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League.

Second-half goals by substitutes John Dillon on 61 minutes and Eoin Doyle on 71 minutes, and an own goal by John Breen in the 86th minute, completed a miserable night for Dundalk who had Gregg Bolger sent off for a second bookable offence in the 90th minute.

Richie Ryan put Sligo ahead in the fourth minute with a blistering free kick after Dean Bennett was shown a straight red card for bringing down Matthew Blinkhorn as he raced in on goal.

Mark Quigley floated a Dundalk free kick from near the halfway line into the box in the 10th minute but Sligo goalkeeper Brendan Clarke gathered the ball without any difficulty.

READ MORE

A Joseph Ndo free kick caused some anxious moments in the visitors’ defence on 18 minutes but the danger was eventually cleared.

Dundalk struggled to get a foothold in the game in the first half, allowing Sligo far too much leeway at the back with the result that Paul Cooke’s side could do as they liked with the ball.

Blinkhorn went close from an Ndo corner after 27 minutes as the home side continued to press forward with fast counter-attacks.

Ndo brought the home supporters to their feet in the 35th minute. Following a ball across the face of the goal by Aaron Greene, the former Cameroon international sent a blockbuster of a shot past a stunned Paul Murphy in the Dundalk goal, leaving the visitors with an uphill battle in the second half.

Sligo had defender Jason McGuinness back after injury and he added strength to the Rovers back line that, with the exception of Mark Quigley, faced very little threat during the opening 45 minutes.

Sligo will be happy with this performance but they will also be mindful of much more stern tasks away from home against St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians in the coming weeks.

SLIGO ROVERS:Clarke, Keane (Martin,83) , Powell, McGuinness, Peers (Dillon, 34) Ventre, Ryan, Russell, Blinkhorn (Doyle, 70) Ndo, Greene.

DUNDALK: Murphy, Madden, Bennett, Gaynor, N.murphy, Bolger, Mcdonnell,Ward (Reilly 88), Quigley, Breen, Byrne.

Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).