A Ronan Coughlan penalty in added time rescued a point for a disappointing Sligo Rovers against Finn Harps at the Showgrounds. The Ballybofey men were full value for their lead when Sean Boyd’s header had them in the ascendancy before the break in
A Ronan Coughlan penalty in added time rescued a point for a disappointing Sligo Rovers against Finn Harps at the Showgrounds.
The Ballybofey men were full value for their lead when Sean Boyd’s header had them in the ascendancy before the break in this scrappy north west derby. Rovers failed to capitalise on a number of chances to turn the game in the second half, until their determination finally paid off in the first minute of added time.
Danny O’Reilly was shown a second yellow when he floored Coughlan. The latter stepping up to slot home from twelve yards. Having picked up just two points from their opening games, it was Harps who had the better of the opening exchanges against a rusty start from the home team.
Both O’Reilly and Tony McNamee sent warning shots across the Sligo bows in the opening 20 minutes. Ex-Rovers winger Caolan McAleer flashed his first time effort past Mitchell Beeney’s post before the half hour as Harps continued to grow in confidence.
Liam Buckley’s side produced their first chance of the game with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Ronan Murray guiding Romeo Parkes’ pass as far as Coughlan who skied his effort from the edge of the area.
Ollie Horgan’s charges were again enjoying the better of their neighbours and deservedly hit the lead three minutes from the break. Rovers twice conceded possession down their left side with both Parkes and Coughlan caught lapsing. John Kavanagh making the most of Coughlan’s mistake as his floated ball landed on the head of Boyd, who beat Dante Leverock to the ball before nodding past Beeney.
Parkes had the ball in the Harps net on 65 minutes but the Jamaican was adjudged to have mis-timed his run by the referee’s assistant. Sligo’s perseverance was finally rewarded when O’Reilly felled Coughlan inside the area as the Limerick native pulled the trigger inside the box.
The same man stepped up to send Burke the wrong way for his first goal for the club.
