Five-star Sligo humiliate Dundalk at Oriel Park

Ed McGinty celebrates.

Sligo Rovers 5

Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park

DUNDALK WERE THRASHED by Sligo Rovers in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division after The Bit O’Red came away from Oriel Park with a stellar 5-0 win.

Braces from the superb Ellis Chapman and Max Mata added nicely to Fabrice Hartmann’s strike, condemning The Lilywhites to the foot of the table after three games.

Sligo took the lead on seven minutes as Hartmann’s through ball caught the Dundalk defence napping, allowing Mata to offer it out to Chapman, whose effort deflected in off Andy Boyle and beyond the grasp of goalkeeper George Shelvey to put the visitors 1-0 up.

The Bit O’Red scored another seven minutes later after Will Fitzgerald set up Hartmann, whose innocuous shot from outside the box was fumbled by Shelvey and into the net.

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Robbie Benson had Dundalk’s first effort on 19 minutes, heading comfortably wide at the far post from a Paul Doyle left-field cross. At the opposite end, ex-Lilywhite Connor Malley tried his luck, but his free-kick attempt was gathered by the nervous Shelvey.

On 33 minutes, Ollie Denham nicked possession off Benson in his own half before his incisive pass put Mata through on goal. He was challenged by Boyle, however nobody in a white shirt reacted, allowing Chapman to score what was a comical third for Sligo.

It got even worse for Stephen O’Donnell’s side six minutes before half-time when Boyle didn’t react to a long ball over the top, allowing Mata to score a fourth for The Bit O’Red.

Dundalk’s best opportunity at this point was having the game abandoned due to the treacherous conditions, but they did have a chance to pull one back before the break, with Scott High’s effort from outside the box fizzing over the top of Ed McGinty’s bar.

Sligo became the first visiting team to score four first-half goals in Oriel since Cork Hibernians matched that feat in 1966 as a chorus of boos rang around the main stand on the half-time whistle, with goalkeeper Shelvey being replaced by Ross Munro for the second period.

However, things didn’t get any better for the Lilywhites, who shipped a fifth on 62 minutes after Boyle slipped when trying to defend a Chapman ball as Mata then finished.

Munro did save well from a John Ross Wilson free-kick, which was pushed around the post, before the ex-Ross County stopper saved again from Denham just moments later.

High and Ciaran McGuckin had reasonable attempts for Dundalk kept out by McGinty, but all in all, this was a miserable night for The Lilywhites, who were lucky to escape with just a 5-0 deficit as Munro did well to deny substitute Owen Elding in the dying embers.

Dundalk: George Shelvey (Ross Munro HT); Archie Davies, Mayowa Animasahun (Louie Annesley HT), Andy Boyle, Jamie Walker (Sam Durrant 37); Zak Bradshaw (Hayden Muller 37), Paul Doyle; Scott High, Robbie Benson (Jamie Gullan 64), Daryl Horgan; Cameron Elliott (Ciaran McGuckin 64).

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; John Ross Wilson (Charlie Wiggett 83), Ollie Denham, Nando Pijnaker, Reece Hutchinson (Stefan Radosavljevic 71); Connor Malley (Owen Elding 71), Niall Morahan; Fabrice Hartmann, Ellis Chapman (Kailin Barlow 64), Will Fitzgerald; Max Mata (Wilson Waweru 64).

Referee: Marc Lynch

Attendance: 1,663