First clean sheet and first point for Rovers
Sligo Rovers manager John Russell during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Waterford and Sligo Rovers at RSC in Waterford. Picture: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Sligo Rovers got their first point of the new season as they played out a goalless draw with Waterford FC in the Regional Sports Centre last Friday evening. The home side will feel they should have picked up the win as Padraig Amond had missed a penalty at the start of the second half.
It was Rovers who had the first chance of the game and it was their best of the half. In the fourth minute Will Fitzgerald won the ball in midfield and broke down the left. He played it across into box where Meekison was in space but he pulled his shot across the face of goal and wide. Waterford’s first effort came on the quarter hour mark when a Stephen McMullan clearance was knocked on by Thomas Lonergan for Trae Coyle whose low drive from outside the box was saved by Rovers goalkeeper Sam Sargeant.
A flurry of corners led to their next efforts. Just after the half hour mark Conan Noonan sent an inswinger of a corner over from the left which was headed over by Hayden Cann. Noonan put in another corner in the 37th minute again from the left but this time an outswinger. He aimed it towards the front of the six-yard box where Jorgen Voilas got his foot to the ball and his effort was cleared off the line at the post by Sean Stewart. Noonan again sent in the resulting corner from the left. This time picking out John Mahon who headed wide.
The second half was only a minute old when Waterford were awarded a penalty. Samuel Glenfield took a throw on the right launching the ball into the box where Voilas was pulled down by Rovers defender Gareth McElroy. Amond stepped up to take and struck the ball well beating Sargeant only to be denied by the underside of the crossbar with the ball cleared away then from danger.
Waterford had another great chance to break the deadlock in the 51st minute. Noonan played the ball out left to Coyle. His cross was cleared back out to Noonan who took it down just inside the box making space for shot which was brilliantly kept out thanks to a flying one handed save by Sargeant.
Rovers first chance of the half came just after the hour mark. Fitzgerald and Stewart linking up on the left with the ball being played in to the feet of Mai Traore. He couldn’t get space for a shot with the ball coming out to Jeannot Esua and his first time strike flashed wide of the post.
They had another chance late in the game in the 88th minute. McElroy played the ball out left to Fitzgerald. His cross in the box found Traore but his header didn’t have enough on it to trouble McMullan in the Waterford goal. Rovers strengthened their squad after this game, bringing Sean McHale in on loan from St. Patrick’s Athletic and James McManus on loan from Bohs.
Both will now be in the squad for their next game which is the Connacht Derby. Rovers will head down the N17 to take on Galway United in Eamonn Deacy Park this coming Friday. Kick-off is at 7:45pm.
Waterford FC: Stephen McMullan; Luke Heeney, John Mahon, Hayden Cann, Bernardo Couto; Samuel Glenfield, Trae Coyle (Evan McLaughlin 72), Conan Noonan; Jorgen Voilas (Jordan Faria 80), Padraig Amond, Thomas Lonergan (Conor Carthy 72).
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Jeannot Esua (Kyle McDonagh 81), Ollie Denham, Shane Blaney (Gareth McElroy 45), Sean Stewart, Will Fitzgerald, Seb Quirk, Archie Meekison (Jad Hakiki 57), Ryan O’Kane, Ciaron Harkin (Daire Patton 57) (Carl McHugh 81), Mai Traore.
