O'Sullivan impact sends Shels joint-top 

TELLING IMPACT: Will Jarvis and John O'Sullivan. Pic: Tom Maher

Sligo Rovers 0 Shelbourne 1 (John O’Sullivan 12)  

SHELBOURNE picked up their second win of this season’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division and are now joint-top with Derry City thanks to an efficient 1-0 away defeat of a battling Sligo Rovers.

John O’Sullivan’s 12th minute goal was the difference at The Showgrounds as the hosts enjoyed a lot of possession but were unable to create anything significant.

Damien Duff’s Shelbourne, now unbeaten after three games, came to the north-west looking to continue the momentum generated by their excellent home defeat of champions Shamrock Rovers in the previous round.

Shels opened the scoring after 12 minutes with a well-worked corner. The ball found its way to the back post via Liam Burt and Sean Gannon’s delivery across the face of goal was converted by John O’Sullivan.

Sligo had possession after going a goal down and there were half-chances for Simon Power and Niall Morahan. 

The home side thought they had equalised when Wilson Waweru nodded in a fine cross from Reece Hutchinson but the ‘goal’ was cancelled by an offside flag.

Liam Burt’s well-struck shot was turned out for a corner by Ed McGinty as Shelbourne remained compact.

Sligo were seeing more of the ball without really opening up Shelbourne but this changed when Niall Morahan’s ball found Ellis Chapman, whose effort was half-blocked.

Chapman went close again, this time from a Wilson Waweru ball, after an error from Shelbourne goalkeeper Conor Kearns.

The pattern of Sligo pressure and Shelbourne resistance continued in the second-half. 

Sligo were then thankful for goalkeeper Ed McGinty’s double save – firstly to deny Will Jarvis and then Gavin Molloy as Shelbourne almost punished a defensive lapse.

Shelbourne, smart and effective with possession, looked increasingly comfortable even with a 1-0 lead.

Only a last-gasp tackle from Ollie Denham denied Shelbourne substitute John Martin from making it 2-0.

Sligo huffed and puffed and almost stole a late equaliser but Nando Pijnaker’s low shot was narrowly wide.

Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Power (Fitzgerald 90), Wiggett, Pijnaker, Denham, Hutchinson; Morahan, Chapman (Elding 90), Malley; Waweru (Hartmann 61), Mata. 

Shelbourne: Kearns; Gannon, Barrett, Molloy, Wilson; Lunney, Coyle; O’Sullivan (Ledwidge 46), Burt (Caffrey 60), Smith (Martin 60), Jarvis (Farrell 83) 

Referee: Declan Toland