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Sligo Rovers' Niall Morahan and Finn Harps' Ryan Rainey. Evan Logan/INPHO
Three and easy

Keena's winning hat-trick helps Sligo Rovers continue excellent start

Luke Rudden scored the consolation goal for Finn Harps in the North West Derby.

Sligo Rovers 3

Finn Harps 1

Jessica Farry reports at The Showgrounds

AIDAN KEENA SCORED a hat-trick as Sligo Rovers continued their excellent start to the season, beating Finn Harps 3-1 in the first North West derby of the season.

Keena had Rovers 2-0 ahead at the half way Point, adding his third in the second-half before Luke Rudden scored a consolation for the visitors.

Liam Buckley’s side have been impressive so far this season, picking up two wins and two draws in their opening four games, keeping three clean sheets.

Ollie Horgan’s side have endured a slower start, although Buckley would have been wary about the threat posed by the Ballybofey men considering Harps staged a massive comeback later in the season to earn a point having been 2-0 down.

Buckley made 4 changes to the side that beat Drogheda 3-0 last Friday night. Colm Horgan, Shane Blaney, Robbie McCourt and Aidan Keena all came into the starting 11 in place of Garry Buckley, Robbie McCourt, Lewis Banks and Max Mata.

Ollie Horgan also shuffled his pack slightly, with two changes from Friday’s defeat to St Patrick’s athletic. Yoyo Mahdy and Bastien Hery dropped to the bench with Eric McWoods and Conor Tourish starting.

The visitors were having joy down the right hand side in the early stages with Eric McWoods causing problems, but it was the hosts who struck first on 14 minutes. Former Harps man Karl O’Sullivan flicked the ball into the path of Keena who struck from 20 yards to put his side ahead.

Shortly before half-time, Keena struck again after lovely link up play involving both O’Sullivan and Jordan Hamilton, his lovely finish beating Mark Anthony McGinley to make it 2-0.

Keena got on the end of a long ball shortly after the re-start, driving forward despite pressure, tucking his shot again past McGinley for 3-0.

Harps pulled back a late consolation goal from Luke Rudden, but couldn’t do enough to stage a comeback. The Bit O’Red are now unbeaten in their opening five games, while Harps have picked up just two points so far.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush, Colm Horgan, Shane Blaney, Nando Pijnaker, Robbie McCourt, Karl O’Sullivan (Paddy Kirk, 79), Adam McDonnell, Niall Morahan, Will Fitzgerald (Mark Byrne, 74), Jordan Hamilton, Aidan Keena (Max Mata, 74)

Finn Harps: Mark McGinley, Conor Tourish, David Webster, Ryan Rainey (Erol Alkan, 63), Ethan Boyle, Ryan Connolly (Bastien Hery, 63), Eric McWoods (Mark Timlin, 46), Barry McNamee, Joe Carrillo (Yoyo Mahdy, 63), Elie N’Zeyi, Filip Mihaljevic.

Referee: Ben Connolly

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