Rovers maintain good form to beat spirited Sligo

Shamrock Rovers collected their fifth win in six games, as goals from Johnny Kenny and Trevor Clarke negated the efforts of a spirited Sligo Rovers at Tallaght Stadium.

The Hoops victory closes the gap on league-leading Bohemians to four points and stretches the Dublin side's unbeaten run to nine games.

Greg Bolger nabbed Sligo's second-half consolation, but John Russell’s men left Dublin 24 empty handed on a night where they arguably deserved much more.

Judging on tonight’s performances, a Sligo win against St Patrick’s Athletic on Monday is not unlikely and could see them return to within touching distance of the coveted European places.

While many teams choose to sit back and counter attack when they come to Tallaght Stadium, the Bit o’ Red opted for the opposite.

Russell’s men stressed their hosts with a high-press, consistently winning possession deep into Hoops territory.

Will Fitzgerald and Frank Liivak collected the ball high and wide, but their final product was lacking as pass after pass failed to find Max Mata up top.

Despite missing that crucial final ball, the visitors were the better team throughout the first half. However, it was Rovers who took the lead midway through the half.

Cruelly, it was the Sligo academy graduate now at Shamrock Rovers who displayed composure beyond his years to put his boyhood club behind.

Latching onto a Markus Poom long ball, 19-year-old Kenny brushed past Nando Pijnaker before charging into the box and cushioning a half-volley finish into the top right corner.

His fourth goal of the season reminding those in attendance why Celtic tied the Ireland Under-21 international to a five-year contract in January 2022.

Undeterred by that suckerpunch, the visitors built fluidly in their attempts to