Battling Sligo Rovers dent Shelbourne's title hopes

A win for Damien Duff's side would have sent the Tolka outfit five points clear with a game extra to play. But the Bit O'Red had different plans as goals from Will Fitzgerald and Wilson Waweru either side of an Evan Caffrey strike gave Rovers their eleventh league win of the season, sending them level on points with third placed Waterford.

The league leaders started this one on the front foot with an early Harry Wood set piece deflected wide by the Rovers wall while Caffrey hacked an effort from the edge of the area six minutes in.

Shels' goalkeeper Conor Kearns showed some rustiness early on when he was sloppy in coming to deal with a JR Wilson set-piece on 18 minutes. The ball falling to midfielder Jack Henry-Francis who fired Rovers' first warning shot of the night narrowly over.

Sligo then made the most of poor judgement in the Shels rearguard on 24 minutes. Sam Bone's aimless pass across the face of his own goal was easily cut out by Fitzgerald who steadied himself before finding the bottom corner of Kearns' goal..

Kearns threw his hat on Waweru's shot from 20 yards which lacked any conviction on 53 minutes. Four minutes before the Drumcondra men levelled proceedings.

There was more than a hint of offside when Caffrey ran free of the last Sligo man to pick up Wood's through ball. Referee David Dunne and his assistant Shane O'Brien on that side, saw nothing wrong with the timing of the run however as Caffrey kept his cool to slot past the oncoming Ed McGinty.

Parity lasted just ten minutes. Kearns and a handful of his defenders somehow managed to keep out substitute Luke Pearce's initial drive at goal, but could do little about the quick reactions of Waweru who fired into the net on the follow up from five yards out for his eighth goal of the year.

Duff reacted to this set-back by introducing Martin, Rayhaan Tulloch and Matty Smith from his reserves all at once as the Dubliners pressed high. But the closest Shels came to a second was two minutes from time when Liam Burt hammered well over from the angle during a tense finish.

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Nando Pijnaker, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Jack Henry-Francis (Luke Pearce 63), Niall Morahan, Ellis Chapman; Will Fitzgerald, Stephen Mallon (Owen Elding 72); Wilson Waweru (Kailin Barlow 81).

Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Sam Bone (John Martin 73), Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge (Tyrieke Wilson 63); Mark Coyle, JJ Lunney; Harry Wood (Mark Isong 87), Ali Coote (Rayhaan Tulloch 73), Evan Caffrey (Matty Smith 73); Liam Burt.

Referee: David Dunne.

Attendance: 3,056