Rovers (0) 1 - Twigg 61'

Sligo Rovers (0) 2 - Russell 80' Dillon 90+2'           
 

Airtricity League - Tallaght Stadium - Friday 9th September 2011

Hoops Line out
16 Ryan Thompson
2 Pat Sullivan
3 Jim Paterson
4 Craig Sives
5 Dan Murray (c)
6 Stephen Rice
18 Chris Turner
21 Ronan Finn
9 Gary Twigg
10 Karl Sheppard
14 Rohan Ricketts

Substitutes
21 Billy Dennehy
for Ricketts 67'
11 Ciaran Kilduff
for Twigg 65'
13 Pat Flynn
for Sheppard 85'
7 Gary McCabe
8 Stephen O'Donnell
19 Gary O'Neill
1 Richard Brush

Controversy reigned in Tallaght Stadium as Referee Hancock's decision to send two Rovers players off allowed the Reds to snatch a dramatic win. Sligo had the better of the first half but could have had Danny Ventre sent-off for a high tackle.

Sligo Started the game on the offensive but Rohan Ricketts brilliantly picked out Gary Twigg on 9 minutes but the Scotsman’s first touch took the ball past ‘keeper Clarke and past the post.

Joseph Ndo was causing problems for the Hoops defence but the Hoops had another chance on 15 minutes when a Ricketts free-kick was headed down by Sives and both Finn and Murray had shots blocked in the area.

Sligo began making chances in the 18th minute when Ndo and Russell combined to win a corner and Ndo’s kick saw Greene denied by a block in front of goal. Ndo then cut in from the left to shoot with the outside of his boot only to see the ball hit the angle of post and cross-bar.

Craig Sives then cleared another low Ndo cross and at the other end Gary Twigg almost played in Ricketts but Davoren got across to clear the danger. Ronan Finn then delivered a fine ball across the Sligo goal but neither Twigg or Ricketts could take advantage.

On 27 minutes Pat Sullivan played a good ball for Finn on the right but his low cross was cleared. A minute later a Ricketts corner was met by Turner but he couldn’t guide his header on goal.

The best chance of the game fell to Doyle on 32 minutes when Ryan found him in the box and his first touch took him past Murray but somehow he managed to miss the target under pressure from Paterson.

After 39 minutes the visitors had another chance when Thompson took the ball of Ndo’ boot it was returned to Doyle in the box and Captain Dan Murray was on hand to clear off the line. Russell then forced Thompson to save his low shot with his feet.

Chris Turner was booked as the Hoops players frustration at Referee Hancock’s handling of the game but on 42 minutes a lunge by Danny Ventre on Turner was punished by a yellow card and the Sligo man was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Rovers almost went into the break ahead after a good move involving Twigg and Finn ended with Ricketts shooting just over the bar.  

The second-half was four minutes old when Paterson whipped in a free-kick from the right and Chris Turner dived to head the ball on goal but ‘keeper Clarke made a brilliant one-handed save.

On the hour Pat Sullivan was controversially sent-off when following a harsh corner awarded against him he seemed to punch the ball towards the corner flag only for Referee Hancock to interpret this as dissent and brandish a second yellow card.

Incredibly Rovers scored with their next attack when Ricketts skipped past a defender to cross for Twigg to meet the cross with a header that nestled in the back of the net.

On 65 minutes sub Blinkhorn was played into the box on the right and although Thompson made a great save the ball fell to Ryan just outside the box and his shot was goal bound but Stephen Rice got back to clear the ball off the line.

On 70 minutes Ryan Thompson was called on again to race from his line to block Blinkhorn as the Sligo number nine once again breached the Hoops defence.

In the 77th minute Eoin Doyle was found in space inside the area but Thompson again was alert to deny the former Hoop. At the other end a rare attack from Rovers saw Billy Dennehy race on to Turner’s pass but his shot was blocked got a corner.

The visitors equalised when Russell took a pass on the left-hand edge of the Rovers area and found the space to curl a fine shot past Thompson.

Stephen Rice’s free-kick was met by the head of Sives in the 83rd minute but Clarke saved comfortably. Pat Flynn was introduced as a substitute in the 85th minute but four minutes later Referee Hancock adjudged that his lunge on Davoren merited a straight Red card but it was difficult to see what was different with this tackle compared to Danny Ventre’s yellow card tackle in the first-half.

It got worse for Rovers as sub John Dillon headed in the winner at the back post two minutes into added-on time and although nobody could deny Sligo their celebrations Referee Hancock turned a blind eye to a Sligo players gestures to the Hoops crowd in the East stand.