CIARAN KILDUFF’S 16TH minute strike gave Shamrock Rovers all the advantage they needed to overcome Drogheda United.
The Drogs sat five points clear of the champions at the start of play, but that gap is down to just two after Stephen Kenny watched his side streak into a two-goal half time lead.
Kilduff converted his opening head from a corner after good work from Gary McCabe, but the highlight of the evening was Ronan Finn’s superb individual second.
For every high, there must be a lowlight and that was held by Chris Turner after the midfielder apparently delivered a headbutt to Paul Crowley. The home side rallied, but Killian Brennan – despite the best efforts of his brother, Sean – led the counter.
The gap closed on Drogheda, but Sligo remain imperious at the league summit. The Bit O’ Red took just two minutes to breach the Shelbourne defence, Jason McGuinness with a near-post header.
His fellow stopper, Gavin Peers would double the lead after 16 minutes and Mark Quigley converted a penalty with just under 14 minutes to go. That left time for a Paddy Kavanagh consolation, leaving Shelbourne with a 3-1 home defeat.
No Saints
Meanwhile, St Patricks Athletic lost further ground on the leaders after a frustrating night at home to Bray, who took all three points from an ill-tempered encounter thanks to Kieran Waters’ 87th minute decider.
Led by the Jason Byrne, Wanderers started well but Danny O’Connor and Jake Carroll failed to capitalise on their openings.
Two head clashes would force Pat Devlin into two substitution before half time as both Dean Zambra and Adam Mitchell came off the worst in separate incidents.
As frustration mounted after a goalless hour the atmosphere grew hostile with Devlin and Liam Buckley arguing on the sideline. Jason Byrne appeared the victim of the noise in Richmond Park, he was sent off – adjudged to have struck Sean O’Connor – and he was soon followed by Pats’ Darren Meenan after several players had escalated the argument.
With both sides down to 10 men, it was Bray who made the most of the space.
The wrong end
Across Dublin, UCD comfortably overcame Cork by three goals to one, a result which sees them leapfrog Dundalk at the wrong end of the table.
Mick Leahy had the students ahead after just eight minutes. Cork substitute Keith Quinn picked a lovely pass to find Keigan Parker after 22 minutes. The striker expertly lobbing his finish over Mark McGinley. However, parity would only last 10 minutes: David O’Connor’s whipped cross ricocheting off Andy O’Connell and into the defender’s own net.
The result was sealed with 22 minutes on the clock. Robbie Benson finishing from outside the box after a barnstorming run from David McMillan.
Candystripes
At the Brandwell, Derry City also ran out convincing winner. A late Stephen McLaughlin strike consigning Bohemians to their second defeat on the spin.
Conor Murphy found himself well positioned to snatch his first goal for the Candystripes after 28 minutes of a tightly contested first half.
With Bohs limited to long-range pot-shots, the defining goal arrived after a scrappy spell of play from both sides. Andrew McNulty was unconvincing as he reached for Mark Farren’s corner kick and the ball fell to a grateful Murphy.
Bohs upped the tempo in the second half, but chances for Evan McMillan and ken Carr went begging before McLaughlin found the net with four minutes on the clock.
