Soccer

Late drama helps Sligo Rovers slip out of relegation zone

Round-up: Limerick take point with last kick against Pat’s

Limerick’s Barry Cotter celebrates his side’s equalising goal late in SSE Airtricity premier Division game against St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Paul Buttner
Sun Oct 8 2017 - 12:36

Late drama in Inchicore and Bray intensified the ever-intriguing battle to avoid relegation as Sligo Rovers emerged as the only winners in the bottom half of the table from Saturday night’s Premier Division action.

Sligo beat Bohemians, who played for over an hour with 10 men, 1-0 at the Showgrounds to lift themselves a point out of the bottom three.

The game's only goal came after nine minutes, Vinny Faherty heading home a Regan Donelon corner.

Bohemians midfielder Keith Ward was then sent off on 24 minutes following a clash with Sligo's Craig Roddan.

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A cracking equaliser with literally the last kick of the game from captain Shane Duggan salvaged a point for Limerick in a 2-2 with St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park.

The home side were left none too pleased with referee Derek Tomney at the final whistle which came straight from the restart.

Despite four minutes having been shown on the board, the game was into the fifth minute of added time when substitute Barry Cotter and Rodrigo Tosi set up Duggan who blasted a superbly-struck left foot shot to the net to deprive St Pat's of a big win.

Seventh-placed Limerick, who remain two points ahead of St Pat’s, will be the happier with the draw, not least in the manner it came, though both remain in the relegation mire.

The sides had swapped goals in a frantic end to the first half, Limerick taking the lead on 44 minutes.

Chiedozie Ogbene’s powerful shot from distance came down off the underside of Lukasz Skowron’s crossbar and spun out, though the ball was deemed to have crossed the line before Tosi bundled it into the net.

St Pat's levelled a minute into added time. Christy Fagan and Conan Byrne were involved with the latter's cross tapped home from close range by Paul O'Conor.

St Pat’s got on top in the second half, deservedly taking the lead on 71 minutes.

Graham Kelly found Byrne who cleverly cut by a defender to drill an angled shot past Brendan Clarke with Cotter merely helping the ball over the line.

There was similar drama at the Carlisle Grounds as a stoppage time penalty save by Peter Cherrie cost Galway United two points in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Bray Wanderers.

Bray manager Harry Kenny announced afterwards that he will step down at the end of the season.

Jason Marks quickly equalised Kevin Devaney's 14th-minute lead goal for Galway before putting Bray in front two minutes into the second half.

Galway midfielder Ronan Murray squared the match for a second time on 66 minutes with the first of the game’s three penalties.

Aaron Greene put Bray 3-2 ahead from 12 yards six minutes later before Devaney got his second of the night on 85 minutes.

Cherrie then saved Murray’s penalty three minutes into stoppage time to deprive Galway of two valuable points as they slipped back into the bottom three.

Second-half goals from captain Ronan Finn and Brandon Miele consolidated Shamrock Rovers' third place in the table as they won 2-0 at already relegated bottom side Drogheda United.

Following a tight first half, Rovers took the lead eight minutes into the second with Miele setting up Finn to tap the ball home.

Miele then sealed the win on 70 minutes, working a one-two with James Doona before shooting past goalkeeper Stephen McGuinness.

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