Sligo Rovers 3 Derry City 0: Derry City's stay at the top of the Airtricity Premier League was short lived as Sligo Rovers powered their way to an impressive win at the Showgrounds.
Derry who lost their 10-game unbeaten run were reduced to 10 men in the 68th minute when Patrick McEleney was sent off for a tackle on David Cawley, leading to a penalty that was tucked away by Ross Gaynor.
The top of the table clash at a packed Showgrounds produced some superb football with neither side prepared to give an inch.
Sligo started the first half promisingly with a Joseph Ndo free kick 25 yards out causing some anxious moments in the Derry defence.
Mark Griffin did well to keep the ball in play for Derry in the sixth minute and his flick on to McEleney set up Barry McNamee for a shot that wasn’t too far off target.
Great play by Derry skipper Barry Molloy had Sligo at sixes and sevens as the game approached the fifteen minute mark.
Derry were incensed that they weren’t awarded a penalty 22 minutes into the half when McNamee was taken down a couple of yards to the left of the Rovers goal.
The visitors were under pressure following a Gaynor corner after 24 minutes but it came to nothing when Derry keeper Gerard Doherty gathered the ball safely from Iarflaith Davoren’s long range effort.
Rory Patterson missed a gilt-edged chance for the Candystripes on the half hour mark when he failed to convert a Simon Madden cross.
Sligo’s persistence paid off in the 37th minute when Lee Lynch cracked the ball past the Derry goalkeeper.
Sean Houston had a great chance to level matters seconds before half time but Sligo somehow managed to get the ball clear.
Derry were left with a mountain to climb eight minutes into the second half when Cawley doubled the “Reds” advantage.
The Candystripes missed a great opportunity to pull a goal back in the 64th minute when Rory Patterson was only inches off target from a McNamee free.
Gaynor duly slotted the third from the spot four minutes later, leaving no way back for the visitors.
Sligo Rovers : Rogers, Keane, Peers, McMillan, Davoren, Millien, Lynch, Ndo, Cawley, Gaynor, Greene. Subs: Ventre for Lynch (73 mins), Martin for Gaynor (76), Henderson for Millien (87).
Derry City :Doherty, McCaffrey, Molloy, S McEleney, Griffin, P McEleney, McBride, Houston, Patterson, Madden, McNamee. Subs : Rafter for Griffin (61), Duffy for P McEleney (61).
Referee : D McKeon, Dublin.
Attendance : 4,256
