Late Shels double against Sligo Rovers keeps European hopes alive

Shelbourne's players celebrate the late third. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Shelbourne 3 Sligo Rovers 1 

Late goals from Daniel Kelly and John Martin broke Sligo Rovers’ resolve to keep Shelbourne’s quest for Europe well on course with a fourth win on the spin.

In an enthralling, rip-roaring encounter at Tolka Park, Sligo certainly came to play, contributing hugely to a game in which they took the lead through Cian Kavanagh.

Mipo Odubeko levelled on the half hour before Shelbourne's sheer energy and desire brought them a fourth victory of the season against Sligo over the last 10 minutes.

Joey O’Brien’s thus side consolidate third place in the table, five points ahead of Bohemians and Drogheda United.

Sligo drop a place to eighth, ahead of Waterford in the relegation play off place only on goal difference.

Ahead of what he described as a ‘monster’ game, Shelbourne head coach O’Brien spoke about being within touching distance of their end of season goal of European qualification and it was now about going out and grabbing it.

That Shelbourne had done with big away wins against Shamrock Rovers and Cork City prior to last night.

But it was Sligo who started purposefully here with Owen Elding and Kavanagh having shots blocked early on.

Shelbourne's John Martin scores his sides third goal. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

It was 14 minutes before Shels mustered an opening, a tenacious tackle from Ollie Denham snuffing out the threat of Ali Coote.

Sam Sergeant then prevented Shels taking a 16th minute lead with an outrageous save to deny Jack Henry-Francis.

If Shels thought they were up and running they were in for a rude awakening as Sligo snatched the lead on 20 minutes.

Former Shels man Jad Hakiki flicked a ball wide left for Will Fitzgerald.

Despite Sean Gannon in close attention, the winger whipped over a cross that Wessel Speel, on his 24th birthday, could only flap away.

The ball dropped for Kavanagh at the far post who blasted it into the roof of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Shels looked to respond within a minute, but Odubeko’s shot lacked the venom to trouble Sargeant.

It was a mere reprieve for Sligo as the Shels striker duly had his side level on the half hour.

Kerr McInroy was involved in the build up, feeding the ball to Odubeko who turned Patrick McClean to arrow a low 25-yard shot in off Sergeant’s right-hand post for a fine eighth league goal of the season.

Shels brought on Kameron Ledwidge and Evan Caffrey for the second half, the latter working Sargeant four minutes in following a swift counter.

Kelly then missed the proverbial sitter on 66 minutes, failing to connect with Caffrey’s nod down from a Henry-Francis cross just yards from goal.

A fine slalom run almost brought Kelly redemption as he ghosted past three defenders only to curl his shot wide.

Sean Stewart then bravely blocked a shot from substitute Martin as Shels piled on the pressure.

And it told on 81 minutes.

Sligo failed to fully clear Harry Wood’s corner. The ball fell for Kelly just inside the area and his low drive took a deflection off Fitzgerald to enter the net.

Martin then sealed victory in the first minute of added time, latching onto Wood’s pass to shoot over Sargeant for his ninth goal of the year.

SHELBOURNE: Speel; Gannon, Temple, Wilson (Ledwidge, h-t); Mbeng (Caffrey, h-t), Lunney (Wood, 58), McInroy, Kelly; Coote (Boyd, 63), Henry-Francis; Odubeko (Martin, 73).

SLIGO: Sargeant; Agbaje, Denham, McClean, Stewart (McDonagh, 80); McManus (Waweru, 90), Quirk; Elding, Hakiki, Fitzgerald; Kavanagh (Manning, h-t).

Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin).

Attendance: 4,284.