A BRACE FROM ANTHONY Elding handed Sligo Rovers their seventh straight win of the season as they kept up their 100% record against struggling Shelbourne.
Rovers, who have stormed into an early lead at the top of the table, named an unchanged side to the one which defeated UCD 3-0 in Belfield on their last league outing for the visit of Shels, who had claimed just one point from their opening seven games.
The home side went ahead on 14 minutes and unsurprisingly it was in-form striker Anthony Elding with the goal. Rafael Cretaro, playing wide right in a 4-2-3-1 formation, got down the wing and crossed for the former Grimsby Town forward to convert his seventh league goal of the campaign.
The Bit O’Red looked comfortable througout, although Gary Rogers had to be at his best to tip over from a Dean Kelly strike just before half-time.
One 58 minutes, the same combination of Cretaro and Elding doubled the league champions’ advantage in front of 3,158 at the Showgrounds.
Cretaro cut back inside from the flank and saw his effort saved by Shelbourne goalkeeper Niall Burdon but Elding was on hand to send the loose ball over the line.
The win sees Ian Baraclough’s side open up a five point gap between themselves and Derry City while Alan Mathews will be under increasing pressure to haul the Dubliner’s away from the bottom of the table with just UCD below them.
