Sligo Rovers 3
Cork City 0
David Goulden reports at the Showgrounds
SLIGO ROVERS MOVED six points clear of Cork City and in doing so, the relegation play-off, as goals from Max Mata, Johan Brannefalk and Stefan Radosavljevic did the damage at the Showgrounds.
The much needed victory moved the Bit O’Red to within six points of Shelbourne in sixth, while the Leesiders remain five points off Drogheda who sit one position above the play-off spot.
Despite the extremely poor conditions, both sides did produce a decent opening half of football with either camp coming up with strong spells.
Cork’s goalkeeper Jimmy Corcorcan was alert early on to keep out Kailin Barlow’s effort which almost found the bottom corner, while Mata arrived almost too early as he was unable to properly control Barlow’s cross from the right. The New Zealander’s header easily gathered by Corcoran under his own crossbar.
The lively Barlow again went close on 20 minutes, while Nando Pijnaker did well to block Tunde Owolabi’s shot on the turn as City manufactured their best spell of the half.
Although the closest City came to an opener was when Luke McNicholas went full stretch to keep out Kevin Custovic’s header which looked destined for the bottom corner.
Barlow was again involved on the half hour when Rovers went ahead. The determined Sligo native managing to swing a cross on to the head of Mata who nodded the ball
into the ground, the bounce taking it over Corcoran’s arm for his eleventh goal of the season.
The home side finished the half the stronger with John Mahon and Radosavljevic not far off doubling Rovers’ lead. Mahon skied from the angle, while Radosavljevic couldn’t produce the power required to really worry Corcoran on 37 minutes after the Faroese international’s mazy run brought him past two Cork challenges.
There was a scare for Sligo just before the interval when their former player Ruairi Keating played in Owolabi, but the Belgian striker could only fizz his effort across the target.
Corcoran kept his side in contention on 51 minutes when he got in front of another Radosavljevic effort, but the Irish underage international was helpless moments later when Brannefalk’s corner evaded the Rebels rearguard, floating past the beleaguered net-minder.
The situation got worse for Buckley’s charges on 73 minutes when Corcoran spilled Mata’s innocuous looking shot onto the foot of Radosavljevic who was left with a simple finish for his third of the season.
Rovers bossed the remainder of the tie but couldn’t add any further gloss to what was an important win for the Connacht men.
Sligo Rovers: Luke McNicholas; John Brannefalk (Conor Reynolds 88), John Mahon, Nando Pijnaker, Danny Lafferty; Niall Morahan, Greg Bolger (Lukas Browning 71); Will Fitzgerald, Stefan Radosavljevic; Kailin Barlow (Frank Liivak 71); Max Mata (Pedro Martelo 81).
Cork City: Jimmy Corcoran; Joshua Honohan, Cian Coleman, Kevin Custovic; Cian Bargary (Daniel Krezic 65), Conor Drinan; Barry Coffey (Gordon Walker 65), Aaron Bolger (Rokas Stanulevicius 65), Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh; Ruairi Keating (John O’Donovan HT), Tunde Owalabi.
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
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