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Sligo Rovers’ Wilson Waweru. Evan Logan/INPHO

Sligo climb to fourth with win over Galway

Wilson Waweru and Luke Pearce were on target for the home side.

Sligo Rovers 2

Galway United 0

SLIGO ROVERS OVERCAME Galway United to move up to fourth place in the League of Ireland Premier Division table with a 2-0 win at The Showgrounds.

In a hard fought win, Wilson Waweru netted against his former side to put the Bit O’Red in the lead in the first half.

Despite being under pressure for spells, Sligo were holding out and Luke Pearce secured all three points in the 96th minute.

The sides were level on points coming into this game, with John Caulfield’s men in fifth and the Bit O’Red in sixth. Galway were travelling to The Showgrounds looking for a first league win at the venue since 1996.

But they were coming up against a Sligo side in top form, with three league wins on the bounce since the return from the mid-season break, including wins over Shamrock Rovers and Derry City.

It was the visitors who looked more menacing early on, with Ed McCarthy and Patrick Hickey going close.

But as the hosts settled into the game, they were asking plenty of questions of the Galway defence.

Ellis Chapman, who has seven goals to his name this season, hit the crossbar with his header on 14 minutes, while Simon Power also nodded wide three minutes later.

Galway certainly shaded the possession stats early on, but it was the hosts that went ahead on 33 minutes.

A headed clearance from inside the box came to Waweru whose volley from the edge of the box was perfectly hit, giving Brendan Clarke no chance.

It should have been 2-0 to Sligo Rovers five minutes later when Niall Morahan’s brilliant ball came to Chapman, but with just Clarke to beat he dragged the shot wide at an angle.

Karl O’Sullivan scuffed a shot from close range early in the second-half as Galway went in search of an equaliser.

A superb one-handed save from Oxford loanee Ed McGinty kept Sligo’s lead intact after Hickey’s header looked troublesome.

And another brilliant stop down the other end from the experienced Brendan Clarke denied the hosts a second after Cardiff loanee Luke Pearce broke free.

Galway were fighting hard to find an equaliser, but Sligo were battling harder to try and hold onto this win.

And they made sure of all three points in the 96th minute when Pearce broke free, tucking his shot past Clarke to make it 2-0 with his first goal for the club.

SLIGO ROVERS: Ed McGinty, Charlie Wiggett (Jack Henry-Francis, 65), Nando Pijnaker, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson, Connor Malley, Niall Morahan, Ellis Chapman, Simon Power (Owen Elding, 69), Will Fitzgerald, Wilson Waweru (Luke Pearce, 79).

GALWAY UNITED: Brendan Clarke, Jeannot Esua (Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, 81), Killian Brouder, Garry Buckley, Ed McCarthy (Francely Lomboto, 70), Karl O’Sullivan (Vincent Borden, 53), Jimmy Keohane, Conor McCormack (David Hurley, 81), Bobby Burns (Greg Cunningham, 70), Patrick Hickey, Stephen Walsh.

Referee: Gavin Colfer.

Author
Jessica Farry
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