And so Sally can wait as Rovers march on
Sligo Rovers manager John Russell celebrates after the game. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Despite wearing their special Oasis sponsored kit there was to be no ‘Champagne Supernova’ for Bohemians as they were beaten 1-0 by Sligo Rovers in their FAI Cup tie which was played in Dalymount Park last Friday evening.
In team news for Rovers there were two changes to the side that had been beaten by St. Patrick’s Athletic the week previous, with Jad Hakiki and Conor Reynolds coming in for Wilson Waweru and James McManus. Patrick McClean was also available for selection after his red card was rescinded.
Rovers started well, with Owen Elding looking lively from the start. They could have went ahead in the 14th minute when a loose back pass by Bohs defender Keith Buckley was latched onto by Hakiki, but his first touch though took the ball away from him allowing Bohs keeper James Talbot to make the clearance.
The home side then had their first chance a minute later. Rooney picked out Conor Parsons on the left and he cut inside Reynolds, with his resulting shot well saved by Sargeant. Soon after they threatened again, this time Dayle Rooney sent over a corner from the right which was headed wide by Douglas James-Taylor.
It was from a corner that Rovers had their best chance of the half. In the 37th minute Ryan O’Kane whipped one in from the left, which was met by McClean, but his goal bound header was cleared off the line by Buckley.
The home side were given the chance to take the lead three minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty after McClean was adjudged to have brought down Dawson Devoy. Rooney stepped up to take it and hit it to the right of Sargeant, but the Rovers keeper got down well to make the save. The rebound came out to Ross Tierney and he played it back in for James-Taylor, who volleyed over.
They were made to look back in anger at that miss when Rovers broke the deadlock minutes later. Fitzgerald won the ball just outside the box and laid it off to Elding, and his first time left footed shot fizzed passed Talbot and into the corner of the net for his tenth of the season. Desperate to stay in the cup, Bohs looked to supersonic their attacking efforts and, little by little, they started to get back on top.
They nearly got their equaliser in the 78th minute. Liam Smith picked out Rooney on the right and his cross took a deflection off McClean which looked like it was going to divert it into the net only for Sargeant to brilliantly change his footing and make the save. Feeling like a rock and roll star Sargeant was called into action again on the stroke of full time. Cian Byrne teeing up Rhys Brennan and he struck his shot well but not well enough to beat Sargeant. Bohs spent stoppage time camped in the Rovers half but there was to be no acquiescence from the Rovers defence as they saw out the game to book their place in the last eight.
It’s back to league action for Rovers with a crunch game in terms of the relegation battle as they travel to the southeast this coming Friday to take on Waterford FC. Kick-off in the Regional Sports Centre is at 7:45pm.
