Waterford FC 0
Sligo Rovers 1
Adrian Flanagan reports from the RSC
ELLIS CHAPMAN STRUCK the crucial winning goal as Sligo Rovers moved up to second spot in the Premier Division with a 1-0 win against Waterford FC in front of 2,751 spectators.
A tight opening saw limited chances with Maleace Asamoah getting his head on a fine Niall O’Keeffe chip into the penalty area on seven minutes, but his header cleared Ed McGinty’s crossbar.
Asamoah carved out a half-chance for himself on 15 minutes when he took a pass from Rowan McDonald, but his goalbound effort was cleared out for a corner-kick, before the same player has a free-kick blocked out for a corner minutes later.
Ryan Burke brought a fine save out of keeper McGinty just past the half-hour mark and there was another opportunity for Grant Horton on 34 minutes when he got on the end of McDonald’s delivery only for the visiting netminder to tip the ball around the post.
Blues keeper Sam Sargeant came to his sides rescue three minutes before the half-time whistle when Fabrice Hartmann raced through the home defence, but his effort was diverted wide.
The golden goal for Sligo arrived on 52 minutes when Ellis Chapman took possession of the ball outside the penalty area, and he beat keeper Sam Sargeant with a fine strike that found the corner of the net.
Sligo were reduced to ten men on 76 minutes when Simon Power received a straight red card for an elbow on a Waterford player before Dean McMenamy had an effort from distance saved by Ed McGinty.
There was a final chance for McMenamy deep into second-half added time when getting on the end of Connor Parsons delivery, but his glancing header went wide of the target at the back post.
Waterford FC: Sargeant, Power, Horton, Radkowski (McMenamy 70), Leahy (Evans 81), Burke, McDonald, O’Keeffe (Pattisson 70), Asamoah (McCormack 70), Amond, Parsons.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Hutchinson, Chapman (Barlow 65), Wiggett, Morahan, Hartmann (Fitzgerald 65), Denham, Mata (Waweru 65), Power, Malley, Punaker.
Referee: Marc Lynch (Galway).