First of all, today’s teams at the Showgrounds (which is absolutely hopping, by the way)…

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers; Jeff Henderson, Gavin Peers, Jason McGuinness, Ross Gaynor; Lee Lynch, Danny Ventre, Joseph Ndo; Pascal Millien, Mark Quigley, Raffaele Cretaro.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Barry Murphy; Ger O’Brien, Conor Kenna, Kenny Browne, Ian Bermingham; James Chambers, Jake Carroll, Greg Bolger; Chris Forrester, Christy Fagan, Seanie O’Connor.

Stephen Alkin describes it as a ‘Cup final atmosphere’ and he’s not wrong. Some fans have been here for over two and a half hours, no doubt looking for something to raise their spirits after last night at the Aviva Stadium.

The match kicks off…

Joseph Ndo has picked up an early injury, following an accidental clash with one of the Pat’s players. He’s alright to continue though.

A Hollywood pass from James Chambers just misses the onrushing Ian Bermingham. Ndo is off the pitch getting treatment for a knee problem and it’s unclear at this stage whether he can carry on or not.

Mark Quigley – a former Pat’s player, of course – and Pascal Millien exchange passes before Quigley blasts the ball over the net.

Chance! Ross Gaynor’s free-kick just shaves the outside of the post, before Lee Lynch – playing in the hole – misses another chance for the home side. Exciting start in Sligo.

Chance! Quigley attacks a brilliant cross from Milien but Conor Kenna gets in a brilliant interception and the ball goes out for a corner.

In news…

It’s not all Sligo – Pat’s attacker Christy Fagan unleashes an effort but it’s straight at goalkeeper Gary Rogers.

What a waste! As Raffaele Cretaro looks for the ball on the other side of the pitch, Quigley shoots straight into the arms of Barry Murphy from the halfway line. True, Murphy was off his line, but Quigley was never going to be able to pull that off.

In the next wave, Gavin Peers heads over the bar when he should have left it for Quigley, who surely would have put his side ahead. Waste.

Goal!!! It’s 1-0 to Sligo Rovers and an absolutely sublime goal from Cretaro, who takes a pass from Milien before sublimely slotting the ball past the advancing Murphy. That piece of skill has illuminated the game…

Another goal!!! A Sligo corner finds Cretaro at the back post, and he makes absolutely no mistake to ghost in and grab his second goal of the game. It looks like Sligo will be lifting the league trophy come the end of the game…

The ball is bobbling all over the place as Ian Baraclough cheerfully tells RTE that his side is doing exactly what he asked of them before the game. We’re nearly half an hour into the game and Sligo are bossing this.

Cretaro, who turns 31 on Monday, now has five goals in his last six games.

Liam Buckley admits that his side haven’t started yet and they’re going to have to make some changes at the break. He’s quick to criticise his full-backs, admitting they’re being run ragged by Quigley, Milien, Ndo et al…

There’s already talk of Vinny Faherty coming on for the Dublin side, who need to get a goal from somewhere soon.

Ger O’Brien gets free down the right and pulls the ball back for Chris Forrester, but there’s no conviction in the effort and it flies over the bar. Forrester looks a bit embarrassed afterwards…

Christy Fagan has the right idea from a dangerous free-kick, conceded by Ndo, but he curls the ball wide. Rogers had it covered anyway.

There will be one minute of added time.

Meanwhile, in some parallel universe, Giovanni Trapattoni has claimed that Ireland played well against Kazakhstan. What planet is that man on?

Back at the Showgrounds, Jake Carroll has a chance to pull one back for the visitors but it’s wasted. We have half-time, and it’s 2-0 to Sligo Rovers…

A couple of quick turnovers later. Everything just looks very forced from the hosts. McFadden was the first to react when James Hanks lost possession, but he scrambled the ball backwards and it bounced so as to ensure a knock-on.

As predicted, Vinny Faherty is on for St Pat’s. Fagan stays up front on his own and the new man goes over to the left. We’re back on…

Sean O’Connor goes down in the box under a challenge from McGuinness. It looks like there’s contact but the referee is having none of it. As he went down, O’Connor was caught in the head by Gavin Peers, so well as a nasty headache he’s going to have a booking for diving. Harsh. Should have been a penalty.

Another weak effort from Chris Forrester. He’s had a poor game, trying the elaborate when keeping possession is paramount.

In Malahide, Trap’s press conference has ended and apparently we’re all living in some kind of parallel universe.

Goal!!! Pat’s have been much improved in the second half and they’ve pulled a goal back. O’Connor’s cross from deep brushes off the head of Danny Ventre and into the path of Christy Fagan, who makes no mistake to shoot past Rogers and halve the deficit. Great strike.

Liam Buckley, refreshingly, says the O’Connor incident didn’t look like a penalty from where he was standing.

A brilliant curling effort from O’Connor – who’s everywhere – comes within a whisker of bringing the Saints level. This is tremendous, a match that’s really living up to its billing.

We have an equaliser! St Patrick’s Athletic play a short corner and Forrester’s shot is headed past his own goalkeeper by Ross Gaynor. The Inchicore men go into raptures! Game on!

The ball bobbles as Cawley lines up a shot for Sligo, who have finally started playing again in the last five minutes.

James Chambers is about to be replaced by former Sligo player John Russell for Pat’s.

Cretaro should cross the ball but shoots with his left foot, and the ball is easily gathered by Barry Murphy. Poor decision making from the Sligo scorer, looking for his hat-trick.

So close for Sligo! Milien’s cross-shot just evades Quigley as Murphy decides to let it go across his goal and out of play…

After Quigley is brought down in the box (no penalty), an injured Forrester is taken off and replaced by Anthony Flood.

Ian Bermingham launches a swinger with his right foot from all of 30 yards.

No.

Cawley and Ventre combine well and the ball falls to Cretaro, who lumbers his way to a shot that is easily saved by Murphy.

Up the other end, substitute Anto Flood launches an absolute stunner that clips the frame of the Sligo goal! The best chance of the game for quite some time…

Mark Quigley, who has played well, is holding his hamstring but there’s no way he’s coming off the pitch.

Penalty for Sligo! The ball strikes the arm of Conor Kenna and Mark Quigley steps up to take it.

The crowd goes quiet…

and Quigley scores!!! Have we just seen the goal that brings the title to Ian Baraclough and Sligo Rovers?

We have four minutes of injury time coming up…

Mark Quigley, deservedly, has been voted man of the match.

35 years of waiting for Sligo Rovers fans is almost up…

Jake Carroll clears the ball after Lee Lynch almost scores for Sligo from a drop ball. Tempers have become frayed, Pat’s are disgusted that the ball didn’t seem to hit the ground before Sligo broke.

Sean O’Connor and Danny Ventre have both been sent-off for dissent. This will leave a poor taste…

Sligo Rovers are the Airtricity League Premier Division champions!!!

Forget about the last few minutes of the game, this has been a stunner and a great advert for League of Ireland football. Brilliant and chaotic, and well deserved for Sligo who will be celebrating long into the night.

That’s all from us, thanks for keeping up…