League of Ireland: Sligo Rovers 2 (Meekison 18, Fitzgerald 57) Waterford 0
Sligo Rovers won the clash of the Premier Division’s bottom two sides as they overcame Waterford at the Showgrounds to pick up their second win on the bounce and third of the season.
Archie Meekison scored from a Will Fitzgerald cross in the opening half while roles reversed in the second as Fitzgerald turned home a Meekison assist to double the Bit O’Red’s lead just shy of the hour.
The result lifts Rovers out of the bottom two for the first time this season, while a despondent Blues continue to look for their first victory of 2026.
Sligo led this game by a goal at half-time but will wonder how they didn’t stretch their lead further before the interval although it was the visitors who should have gone ahead on 16 minutes. Jorgen Violas kicked fresh air as he aimed to meet Trae Coyle’s cross just five yards from goal.
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Waterford instantly regretted this as they fell behind two minutes later. The ever reliant Fitzgerald doing all the hard work down his left side before sending a ball across the face of Arlo Doherty’s goal for Meekison who tapped home for his first goal for Sligo.
Ireland international Kevin Long went close early in the second period, but any optimism garnered by the Munster men was short lived. Goal-scorer Meekison turned provider as he landed a cross which Doherty flapped at but Fitzgerald profited from, as the Limerick man netted his third of the term.
The RSC side thought they had delivered a late scare when Luke Heeney found the net with eight to go. But the referee’s assistant on the Jinks’ Avenue side of the ground adjudged the former Drogheda man to be offside, much to the frustration of the Blues’ bench who were convinced the goal was legitimate.
SLIGO ROVERS: Sargeant; McElroy, Denham, McHale; Esua, Fitzgerald; McHugh, McManus (Blaney 77); Patton (Nolan 77), Meekison; Kavanagh.
WATERFORD: Doherty; Zborowski (Houston 41), Mahon, Long, Couto; Heeney, McMenamy (Glenfield 60), McLaughlin (Carty 60); Coyle, Voilas (Cann 41); Amond (Lonergan 70).
Referee: A Hunter.
Attendance: 2,316.
