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The ten-man Shelbourne bravely resisted them all, but avoided the threat of relegation from the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division as Sligo Rovers’ hopes of finishing in the top four took a crushing blow on a pleasant afternoon in northern Dublin.
Captain Gary Deegan scored the only goal of an entertaining game at home towards the end of the first quarter and it was always going to be one of those games where the first would be critical.
The dismissal of Luke Byrne gave Sligo hope, but they made little impression and many of their offensive players didn’t do enough to make a difference.
The return of John Mahon for the visitors, the hugely promising defender who broke his leg in a preseason game, was a major talking point. And he made a superb save to stop Ciaran Kilduff potentially giving Shels the lead six minutes later, Ryan Brennan played it; within 90 seconds, Kilduff threatened again, but Ed McGinty went down well.
Busy Jesse Devers crossed for Ronan Coughlan, whose header had more in the direction than power at stake in 13 minutes.
Shels took the lead in excellent circumstances in the 20th minute. Finn great Teemu Penninkangas gave up the ball and then was caught by Kilduff, whose magnificent cross was faked by Dayle Rooney, Deegan shot from the crossbar.
Gary Deegan finishes a sweeping move to give @shelsfc the advantage against @sligorovers in Tolka Park #RTESoccer pic.twitter.com/Rh2Co3m6ub
– Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) October 18, 2020
The disappointing Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, who has only scored once for Sligo, deflected a header from a David Cawley free throw as Sligo rallied.
The standout Kilduff put Denzil Fernandes straight for the goal in the half hour, but a hideously strong touch killed his chance and McGinty stifled.
Coughlan was a danger to Sligo and, from the center of Devers, his kinky effort went just over Jack Brady’s bar with five minutes to go before the break.
Full match details
Sligo finished the half very strongly, but couldn’t cause Brady any real problems, Ryan De Vries curled wide open in injury time, before McGinty attacked Rooney’s shot to wrap up a great opening half.
Dan O’Reilly, a replacement for the previously injured Georgie Poynton, made a brilliant block when Ogedi-Uzokwe tried to restore parity right after the restart. Coughlan then fired widely as Sligo continued to press.
Shels’ pace of work was epitomized by Kilduff running to keep the ball at the hour mark and finding Brennan, who was fouled, killing some time in a tight game.
Shels were down to 10 men in 69 minutes, Luke Byrne ejected after what seemed like an honest 50-50 with Ogedi-Uzokwe. He had the air of a desperately tough straight red, a potentially premature end to the season for the central defender.
Shels was going to have a hard time holding out from then on, apparently, and replacement Alex Cooper could have easily matched, just to drive on his left foot.
A hopeful stoppage time punt from Mahon in the direction of Ogedi-Uzokwe, which was being handled by O’Reilly, made Shels’ substitutes in the main stand worry, but the Reds had their way. It looked like a penalty.
Interestingly, the Rovers created almost nothing against the 10 men, who grew in confidence and worked as hard as if it was their last game this year. Now they are close to the certainty of being in the top flight again in 2021.
Shelbourne: Brady; Poynton (O’Reilly 19), O Brennan, Byrne, O’Hanlon; Fernandes (D Byrne 72), Deegan, Byrne, R. Brennan (Quinn 85); Rooney; Kilduff (Dobbs 85).
Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Olberkis (Cooper 60), Mahon, Penninkangas, Banks; Cawley, Morahan (Seymour 78); Devers (Byrne 78), Coughlan, De Vries (Noone 60), Ogedi-Uzokwe.
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