Shelbourne 2
Sligo Rovers 1
Paul Buttner reports from Tolka Park
A TERRIFIC Matty Smith strike and an own goal brought Shelbourne a come-from-behind victory in a game of two halves at Tolka Park.
Such is the tightness of the table below leaders Bohemians, Shelbourne, who began the night third bottom, leapfrog Sligo, who were third, up to fifth place.
Despite an early chance for Jack Moylan which Luke McNicholas saved, Shelbourne were on the back foot for the entire first half.
Sligo initially caught the home side cold on the counter on seven minutes.
Will Fitzgerald’s cut-back fell to Stefan Radosavljevic who somehow shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Shelbourne were carved open all too easily once again 10 minutes later.
A McNicholas clearance was threaded through by Radosavljevic for winger Fitzgerald who blasted his shot off the crossbar.
Conor Kearns then excelled with a superb reflex save to keep out a Nando Pijanker header from a Fabrice Hartmann free kick before Sligo’s pressure told on 36 minutes.
Hartmann’s corner was met by left-back Lafferty whose header Kearns nor John Ross Wilson, on the line, could keep out.
Making three changes as the break, Shelbourne turned the game on its head within 13 minutes.
Shane Farrell, one of those substitutes, crossed to the back post for the equaliser on 52 minutes. Smith took an excellent first touch to finish superbly.
An own goal then gifted Shels their winner as Farrell’s long ball looked to pose no danger.
Sligo defender John Mahon’s flicked-back header wrong-footed McNicholas who then slipped and watched as the ball rolled into his net.
A fine save from Kearns denied Frank Liivak at the other end within a minute as Sligo chased an equaliser that never materialised.
Shelbourne: Kearns; Quinn, Barrett, Griffin; JR Wilson (Farrell, h-t), Lunney, Coyle (Hakiki, 54; McManus, 87), T. Wilson (Ledwidge, h-t); Leavy (Caffrey, h-t), Smith, Moylan.
Sligo Rovers: McNicholas; Liivak, Mahon (Clancy, 68; Morahan, 90+3)), Pijnaker Lafferty (Hutchinson, 68); Bolger, Browning (Barlow, 68); Hartmann, Vastuk (Radosavljevic, 5), Fitzgerald; Mata.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).