SKIPPER DANNY VENTRE revealed how he nearly spoiled the training ground set-piece that helped Sligo win the FAI Cup.

There was controversy when Danny North reacted to Joseph Ndo’s quick free kick and put Sligo 2-1 up with five minutes to play.

Derek Prendergast was sent off for leading furious protests to referee Paul Tuite, arguing that Drogheda had been waiting for his whistle.

The drama continued when Ryan Brennan equalised for the 10 men in the second minute of stoppage time, but Anthony Elding had the final say with Sligo’s winner a minute later.

“It was planned,” Ventre said when asked about Ndo’s quick-thinking.

“He had already spoken to Danny North because I asked Danny to move and he said, ‘No I’m doing something.’

“I didn’t see the goal. I was sorting out the lads behind me because I didn’t want to let them hit us on the counter-attack.

All I saw was the net bulge and the next minute I was lying on the bonnet of a car. That was it.

Afterwards Ndo was quick to give North the credit for the moment of inspiration.

When we got the free-kick, Danny North came to me and said ‘we have to do the loopy-loop.’

I was waiting. I was waiting for the ref to move from the wall.

When the ref moved from the wall, I looked at the ref. That means you can go. It was the ‘loopy-loop’.

He added: “It’s not the first time we’ve scored it. That’s Ian [Baraclough, Sligo manager], Ian asked if I could do it.

“I’m connecting people — you ask, I do it.”

Mick Cooke: ‘They were told to wait for the whistle and the whistle was never blown’

Dream come true for Sligo’s cup winner Anthony Elding