Sligo Rovers 1
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
ELLIS CHAPMAN’S FOURTH goal of the season saw Sligo Rovers win for the first time in seven games as they beat St Patrick’s Athletic at the Showgrounds on Monday evening.
Sligo came into this game having not won in their last six games, and with just one win at The Showgrounds this season.
Pat’s, on the other hand, travelled to The Showgrounds on Monday with just one win away from home all season.
The home side have a lengthy injury list at present, and so youngster Conor Reynolds made his first senior start for the club.
RB Leipzig loanee Fabrice Hartmann also came into the team with JR Wilson suspended.
Jon Daly made three changes from Friday night’s win over Drogheda.
Ryan McLaughlin missed out through injury, while Kian Leavy and Aaron Bolger dropped to the bench with Kieran Freeman, Jamie Lennon and Jake Mulraney coming into the team.
The visitors were dominating the early stages, with Brandon Kavanagh’s deliveries creating numerous chances for Pat’s, who were probably wondering how they weren’t leading after 15 minutes.
Ruairi Keating, who was with Sligo in 2014 and 2015, flicked over from close range following Kavanagh’s ball into the box, with Conor Keeley’s header just centimetres over the bar from Kavanagh’s free-kick.
Sligo didn’t trouble Danny Rogers too much early on, but as they settled into the game their link up play kept the Pat’s defence on their toes.
And they went ahead on 23 minutes as Hartmann won possession and teed up Chapman, the midfielder scoring his fourth of the season from distance to put Sligo ahead.
Pat’s had further chances to get back level before half-time, but Keating and Chris Forrester couldn’t keep their efforts on target.
Forrester couldn’t connect with the ball after Kavanagh’s delivery after the restart, and while Pat’s really put the pressure on towards the end, they were coming up against a determined and steely Sligo Rovers defence who held out for an important win.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Conor Reynolds (Kailin Barlow 68), Charlie Wiggett, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan, Ellis Chapman, Connor Malley; Fabrice Hartmann (Owen Elding 57), Stefan Radosavljevic (Wilson Waweru 84); Max Mata (Rein Smit 68).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Danny Rogers; Kieran Freeman, Conor Keeley, Luke Turner, Anto Breslin; Jamie Lennon; Chris Forrester, Brandon Kavanagh (Romal Palmer 68); Jake Mulraney (Kian Leavy 73), Alex Nolan (Mason Melia 68), Ruairi Keating.
Referee: David Dunne