SLIGO ROVERS RETURNED to winning ways in the league with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Bray Wanderers at the Showgrounds to reclaim fifth spot.
A first-half Paul O’Conor goal was added to by a sensational John Russell strike and a late Eric Odhiambo effort to seal all three points for Rovers.
It’s been a good week for the Bit o’Red, having claimed the Setanta Cup for the first time last Sunday, they managed to bring that momentum into tonight’s league game.
Striker Danny North came close to breaking the deadlock early on when he tried to chip goalkeeper Stephen McGuinness from the right wing, but he watched on as his effort just clipped the crossbar.
Alan Mathews’ men had an excellent chance of their own when David Cassidy’s header from close range was just cleared off the line by Rovers’ Evan McMillan.
Soon after, Ross Gaynor dispatched the ball for Paul O’Conor, who chested the ball down for Danny Ledwith. The former Shamrock Rovers man took a touch and smacked it way over.
The hosts eventually took the lead on 19 minutes through midfielder Paul O’Conor. John Russell did well on the left, and leaving Dean Zambra for dead, he crossed into the box, where Dun Laoghaire man O’Conor was on hand to force the ball into the net.
Ian Baraclough’s men once again broke down the Bray defence on 56 minutes, when an O’Conor ball was only cleared into the path of John Russell, and the Galway native hit it first time with a superb volley to make it 2-0.
It could have been three for Rovers when Danny North was on the end of a David Cawley cross, which he managed to direct towards the side-netting.
And indeed, it was soon 3-0 to the Bit o’Red. Substitute Seani Maguire was played in by Danny Ledwith, and the West Ham loanee did excellently to hold off three players, before laying it off to Eric Odhiambo, who beat the ‘keeper to put the final nail in the coffin for the visitors.
SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Conneely, Henderson, McMillan, Gaynor, Russell, O’Conor, Cawley, Ledwith (Donelon, 90), Greene (Odhiambo, 75), North (Maguire, 85). Subs: Brush, Spillane, Dykes, Loftus.
BRAY WANDERERS: McGuinness, Zambra, O’Connor, Webster, McGlynn, O’Neill (Akinade, 71), Cassidy, Kelly (S. Byrne, 66), Curran, Hanlon (Browne, 88), Scully. Subs: Redmond, Hurley, C. Byrne, Moloney.
Referee: Anthony Buttimer