Dundalk FC slump to Sligo defeat
Sligo Rovers 2-0 Dundalk
Dundalk FC missed the chance to tighten the title race as they slumped to only their second defeat of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division campaign, beaten 2-0 by a sharper, hungrier Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds on Saturday night.
Had the visitors prevailed, the gap at the summit would have been cut to two points. Instead, they were second best for long stretches and could have few complaints as Sligo claimed a deserved victory through goals from Will Fitzgerald and Cian Kavanagh, struck early in either half.
Sligo established control almost immediately. Inside three minutes, Fitzgerald’s teasing delivery nearly forced Harvey Warren into an own goal, Enda Minogue reacting sharply to prevent early embarrassment. From the resulting corner, Archie Meekison recycled possession and Gareth McElroy’s header drifted inches wide.
Dundalk’s first sight of goal arrived after 10 minutes when Jeannot Esua’s loose back-pass was seized upon by Gbemi Arubi. Spotting Sam Sargeant off his line, the striker tried his luck from inside his own half but saw the effort slide wide.
Esua atoned swiftly. Two minutes later his cross caused a collision between Minogue and Kavanagh, and Fitzgerald was alert enough to lift the loose ball into the unguarded net as the goalkeeper scrambled to recover.
The hosts threatened repeatedly thereafter. Fitzgerald volleyed off target before Daire Patton’s strong work down the right created a gilt-edged opening for Meekison, who blazed over from close range when scoring looked the simpler task.
Minogue was then required again, standing tall at his near post to deny Patton after Dundalk failed to clear a Fitzgerald free-kick with conviction. Patton later sent another effort straight at the Dundalk goalkeeper.
Only in the closing stages of the half did Dundalk begin to stir. Arubi’s intelligent hold-up play teed up Daryl Horgan on the edge of the area, but the captain lifted over. Ronan Teahan then fired narrowly wide after Bobby Burns’ cross had been only partially cleared.
Sligo should have doubled their lead before the interval. Fitzgerald’s cross evaded Burns and found Meekison, whose close-range effort rolled agonisingly wide.
Dundalk nearly punished that reprieve in first-half stoppage time when Horgan’s corner was met by Mayowa Animasahun, whose header clipped the outside of the post.
Any prospect of a recovery was undermined within three minutes of the restart. Meekison’s clever pass released Kavanagh, who surged beyond Animasahun and Warren before finishing with composure for 2-0.
Dundalk did respond. On the hour mark, Eoin Kenny’s pass for Arubi was diverted on to the crossbar by Sargeant, while Warren later tried his luck from distance without troubling the target.
Ciaran Kilduff turned to his bench with a triple change and substitute Harry Groome injected some urgency. He first sent Kenny clear, only for the forward to drag narrowly wide, before unleashing a fierce long-range drive that Sargeant pushed around the post.
Leo Gaxha’s late effort, hacked off the line by McElroy, was the final meaningful act of a night when Dundalk never truly found fluency.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Jeannot Esua (Sean Stewart 33), Ollie Denham, Gareth McElroy, Sean McHale; James McManus, Carl McHugh (Jad Hakiki 69); Archie Meekison, Daire Patton (Shane Blaney 80), Will Fitzgerald; Cian Kavanagh
Subs not used: Liam Hughes (gk), Alex Nolan, Kyle McDonagh, Mai Traore, Callum Lynch, Aidan Gabbidon
Dundalk FC: Enda Minogue; Declan McDaid (Aodh Dervin 64), Mayowa Animasahun, Harvey Warren, Tyreke Wilson; Keith Buckley (Shane Tracey 64), Bobby Burns; Eoin Kenny, Ronan Teahan (Leo Gaxha 85), Daryl Horgan; Gbemi Arubi (Harry Groome 64)
Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (gk), Luke Mulligan, Sean Spaight, Aaron Keogh, Rob Cornwall
Referee: Declan Toland (Roscommon)
Attendance: 2,691