Dundalk 1

Sligo Rovers 0

Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park

DUNDALK OPENED UP a three-point gap on Drogheda United at the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table after beating Sligo Rovers 1-0 at Oriel Park.

An eighth straight clean sheet at home for The Lilywhites will no doubt put them in good spirits heading into the mid-season break, but Sligo – the last opposing team to score a goal at Oriel when they did so in March – will be anxiously looking over their shoulders.

Dundalk played some nice stuff and looked threatening throughout the opening half, but aside from a few blocked attempts, didn’t create anything of note in the first 30 minutes.

On the half-hour mark came their first meaningful effort when Paul Doyle got away from Ellis Chapman on the right before his low cross was turned just wide by Zak Bradshaw.

The only thing that resembled a chance for Sligo in the opening 45 minutes was when Fabrice Hartmann’s innocuous set-piece was fumbled out for a corner by Sean Molloy.

Indeed, it was Jon Daly’s side who continued to threaten as the half wore on, with a neat passage of play ending with Archie Davies pulling it back for Hayden Muller, whose goal-bound shot was crucially blocked by Will Fitzgerald and out for a corner for the hosts.

That corner, taken by Daryl Horgan on the right on 39 minutes, was headed off the crossbar by Muller in what was possibly the best chance of a relatively uneventful first half at Oriel.

The Lilywhites took the lead nine minutes into the second period when after Bradshaw had retained possession, Ryan O’Kane broke through before incisively slipping in Horgan, whose deft first-time finish nestled into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-0.

Having scored three goals in 11 appearances upon his return to Dundalk from Wycombe Wanderers last summer, this was ex-Ireland international Horgan’s first goal of 2024.

Daly’s side went in search of a second to make the points safe after that, with O’Kane’s curler straight at Ed McGinty, while Paul Doyle’s volley was deflected just wide.

Andy Boyle’s header from a Horgan right-field corner was saved by Sligo goalkeeper McGinty, not long before Eoin Kenny failed to connect properly with Horgan’s set-up.

Dundalk never looked in danger of surrendering their 1-0 lead, with Doyle’s volley from distance which bounced off the turf and wide, the last meaningful attack of the contest.

Dundalk: Sean Molloy; Archie Davies, Zak Johnson, Andy Boyle, Zak Bradshaw; Hayden Muller, Paul Doyle; Daryl Horgan, Robbie Benson (John Mountney 72), Ryan O’Kane (Eoin Kenny 77); Cameron Elliott (Sam Durrant 78).

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; John Ross Wilson, Charlie Wiggett, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Connor Malley (Stefan Radosavljevic 86), Niall Morahan; Fabrice Hartmann, Ellis Chapman, Will Fitzgerald (Owen Elding 62); Kailin Barlow (Wilson Waweru 62).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

Attendance: 2,036.