FORMER LIVERPOOL YOUNGSTER Alex Cooper scored a superb last-gasp free kick as Sligo Rovers beat Waterford 2-1 at The Showgrounds today.
28-year-old defender Cooper, a former Liverpool academy player who also represented a number of clubs in Scotland, only signed for Sligo towards the end of February and curled home a beautiful winner this evening.
Michael OโConnor had given the visitors the lead in the 16th minute, producing a clinical finish, after a spectacular assist fromย Olawutunmise Sobowale that saw him run almost the entire length of the field before his cross found the attacker.
Olawutunmise Sobowale ๐
— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) August 18, 2020
Assist of the season so far? ๐ค
Huge second-half coming up for @sligorovers & @WaterfordFCie (0-1)
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Sligo should have equalised just after the hour mark, but David Cawley missed a gilt-edged chance, as his close-range header from Ronan Coughlanโs cross came back off the post.
HOW?!
— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) August 18, 2020
Incredible miss for @sligorovers (0-1)
What a game this is!
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Coughlan made no mistake on 77 minutes, however, converting a simple finish fromย Jesse Deversโ cross to set up an exciting finish.
INCREDIBLE! LAST-MINUTE FREE-KICK ๐
— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) August 18, 2020
FULL-TIME | @sligorovers 2-1 @WaterfordFCie
Alex Cooper scores a last-minute free-kick to win an incredible match at the Showgrounds
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And it was Cooper who then found the net amid a dramatic conclusion, curling a free-kick from just outside the area around the wall in the dying moments to send the 50 home fans in attendance into ecstasy.
The victory moves Sligo up to seventh in the table on nine points, while John Sheridanโs men are two places above them in fifth.