Miserable week for Dundalk compounded by Sligo Rovers defeat

Gary Rogers of Dundalk fails to keep out a freekick from Regan Donelan of Sligo Rovers. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Sligo Rovers: 3 Dundalk: 1 

A miserable week for Dundalk was compounded by a 3-1 defeat away to Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Without a manager, out of the Champions League and drifting out of league title race, a missed penalty from Patrick Hoban midway through the first half summed up a frustrating night in Sligo.

Dundlak, managed by John Gill and Alan Reynolds following Vinny Perth’s departure midweek, were 1-0 down but dominating at that stage, but Ed McGinty’s fine save from Patrick Hoban’s spot-kick stalled their momentum.

And with Ryan de Vries and Junior Ogedi-Owokwe adding to Regan Donelon’s opener in the second half, the home side claimed a win that moved them to fourth in the table, and left the visitors nine points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.

The first action for Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers was to pick the ball out of his net on 12 minutes, after full-back Donelon smashed a free-kick low into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

It was the home side’s first attack, and came after Daniel Cleary tangled with Ronan Coughlan off the ball. Donelon’s pinpoint execution left Rogers with no chance, and the former Sligo keeper was mightily relieved not to concede again six minutes later.

Ogedi-Ozokwe was the architect this time, showing strength and awareness to control the ball inside the area, and then lay it off for de Vries. The New Zealander’s effort flashed agonisingly across the face of goal and wide however, as Dundalk escaped.

Sprung to Life

The visitors sprung to life after this, with the Rovers goal living a charmed life for the next 15 minutes. Somehow the home side came out of it unscathed, but only thanks to the penalty save and a dramatic goal-line clearance.

Kyle Callan-McFadden was first with the heroics, as he threw himself in front of Daniel Kelly’s close-range effort and got the vital block when an equaliser seemed certain. Then McGinty brilliantly deflected Hoban’s powerful spot-kick onto the crossbar, after Teemu Penninkangas handled inside the area.

The home side claimed a brilliant second on 50 minutes, as David Cawley powered from the middle, latched onto Coughlan’s pass and crossed superbly for de Vries to smash home at the back post.

Dundalk reacted with a double-change and a reshuffle as attackers Nathan Oduwa and Stefan Colovic came in, but Cawley’s set-piece exposed Dundalk’s makeshift defence, and Ogedi-Ozokwe headed home unmarked on 62 minutes.

Hoban won another penalty with 15 minutes left, but opted to leave this one to Colovic, who sent McGinty the wrong way to offer the visitors mere consolation.

SLIGO: McGinty, Banks, Callan-McFadden, Penninkangas, Donelon (Cooper ht), Morahan, Cawley, de Vries (Olberkis 86), Devers (Noone 70), Ogedi-Ozokwe, Coughlan.

DUNDALK: Rogers, Hoare, Gartland (Oduwa 54), Cleary (Massey 60), Leahy, Shields, McEleney, Mountney, Kelly (Colovic 54), Duffy (Murray 82), Hoban (McMillan 82).

REF: R Hennessy.