Sligo Rovers 2 - 0 Glentoran
Credit:
Two stunning goals give Sligo Rovers the upper hand heading in to the second-leg of the Setanta Cup quarter final against Glentoran. Goals from Romauld Boco and Mark Quigley gave an impressive Sligo Rovers their first win under new manager Ian Baraclough.
It was only the second meeting ever between the sides and Sligo Rovers were far superior in the first-half and came close on many occasions.
At times, it looked like the bit o’red were salsa teachers and Glentoran were merely their students. Mark Quigley, Lee Lynch, Romauld Boco and Joseph Ndo, in particular, were impressive.
Glentoran had just the one early chance and it was a weak effort from Darren Boyce from outside the Sligo box. Apart from that one opportunity, Glens were not gifted much of the ball and were subject to a total football lesson from Ian Baraclough’s side.
Ross Gaynor went close to putting Rovers ahead with a stunning free-kick from 25 yards out but it tipped just over the crossbar of Elliot Morris. It took 37 minutes for Sligo to take their lead, and they took it in typical Sligo Rovers fashion. A perfectly placed ball from Cameroonian Joseph Ndo was met by Romauld Boco and he fired into the back of the net.
Glens had the first clear-cut chance of the second-half when Richard Gibson’s cross was missed by the Sligo defence and Darren Boyce latched onto it, but the former Coleraine forward sliced it just wide of Richard Brush’s goal.
Eddie Patterson’s side found themselves a bit more in the game in the second half and Sligo native Ciaran Martyn was the first to force Richard Brush in to action. The well travelled Leon Knight tipped a delightful ball in to Martyn who could only hit it straight at Brush in goal.
Just as the Belfast side looked to be getting in to the game, Sligo soon doubled their lead in the 63rd minute after stunning build-up play. Joseph Ndo brought the ball down the left and played it to Ross Gaynor, who could have shot but instead laid it off to Mark Quigley to slot it to the back of the net.
Things got worse for Glentoran when they had their captain Colin Nixon sent off towards the end after he picked up two yellows. Former Dundalk man Ross Gaynor nearly gave Sligo a third when he flew down the left wing and slipped the ball across the face of the box and wide.
Lee Lynch forced an excellent saved from Elliot Morris in the 92nd minute when he smashed a ball at the Glens keeper, who tipped it over. There was no way back for Patterson’s men who have it all to do in the second-leg.
Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush; Gavin Peers, Jason McGuinness (David Cawley, 46), Alan Keane, Ross Gaynor; Danny Ventre, Joseph Ndo, Lee Lynch, John Dillon (Danny North, 75); Mark Quigley, Romauld Boco.
Subs not used: Gary Rogers, Mark McGoldrick, Ben McGarry, Liam Martin, Jake Dykes.
Glentoran: Elliot Morris; Sean Ward, Aidan O’Kane, Colin Nixon, Jamie McGovern (Ciaran Martyn, 46); Richard Clarke, Stephen Carson, Jimmy Callacher, Darren Boyce (Andrew Waterworth, 64); Leon Knight (Martin Murray, 77), Richard Gibson.
Subs not used: John McGuigan, Aaron Hogg, Jason Hill, Calum Birney.
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.
Attendance: 2,145.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Romauld Boco.
