St Patrick's Athletic just a point behind leaders after earning win ...

Joe Redmond of St Patrick's Athletic after celebrates after his side's victory

First-half goals from Chris Forrester and Sam Curtis did the damage for the visitors, with Sligo’s misery compounded by David Cawley’s penalty miss​

Pat’s were more clinical when the opportunities arose and the Inchicore men were gifted their opener. Garry Buckley chopped down Mark Doyle inside the Rovers area after a Jake Mulraney breakaway, with Forrester’s calm finish from the spot sending Luke McNicholas the wrong way.

Pat’s did waste two wonderful chances in quick succession. Jason McClelland’s shot was spilt into the path of Conor Carty, who fluffed his lines from close range. While on the stretch, Mulraney blazed over the Sligo crossbar from six yards as he connected with Doyle’s cross towards the back post.

Indecisive defending led to Pat’s second on 32 minutes. Mulraney’s set-piece from the right caused confusion between Lukas Browning and Johan Brannefalk, neither of whom managed to clear the danger. The ball falling to Curtis, who lashed home for his third of the year.

Sligo had plenty of possession, but Saints goalkeeper Dean Lyness has had busier nights. The Birmingham native did pull off a wonderful save to deny Sligo’s returning Fabrice Hartmann, while Forrester knocked the crossbar from a long-range set-piece late on.

Cawley did have a chance to halve the deficit in injury-time after his goal-ward effort struck a Pat’s arm inside the penalty area. But the Ballina man blasted wide from 12 yards.

Sligo Rovers: McNicholas; Brannefalk, Buckley, Pijnaker, Morahan; Bolger, Browning (Hartmann 63); Radosavljevic, Barlow (O’Sullivan 76), Liivak (Cawley 83); Martelo.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Lyness; Curtis, Redmond, McGrath, Breslin; Murphy, Forrester; Doyle, McClelland (McCormack 92); Mulraney (Nolan 64); Carty (Lonergan 76).

Referee: R Harvey