A bitterly cold Winter evening at The Showgrounds saw Sligo Rovers begin their pre-season preparations in earnest against Shelbourne with a 3 -1 victory for the home side. Dinny Corcoran, Morten Nielsen and Ruairi Keating scored for the bit o’ Red with Mark Sandford replying for the visitors.

The opening ten minutes saw the ball changing sides many times but Sligo had two of the best chances when, after nine minutes, Sander Puri  - on trial from Estonia - crossed the ball in from the left but found no red shirts in the box. A minute later a corner landed dangerously but Rovers were unable to capitalize on the chance.

Sligo kept up the pressure when Raffaele Cretaro rifled a shot from twenty yards in the twelfth minute but again Sligo were unable to find the mark.

Jordan Keegan had the first chance for Shelbourne after sixteen minutes but he was unable to control his twenty-yarder which went well left of Richard Brush’s net.

Keith Ward responded two minutes later by putting Greg Murray under pressure but the Shelbourne keeper plucked his shot out of the air and managed to get the ball away. 

Rovers found the net after 33 minutes when Puri crossed the ball into Dinny Corcoran who slotted the ball neatly over Murray’s head into the top right corner.

David Cawley tried to add his efforts to the score sheet with two excellent chances but unfortunately for the Sligo man his first attempt went just right of the goal while the second clipped off the left hand post and ended up in the arms of Murray.

The best chance for the visitors came two minutes before the half time whistle when Alan O’Sullivan had a shot from the six yard line bounce off Sligo’s crossbar and go out of play.

Gareth Coughlan had another chance for Shels at the end of the half but his shot was aimed squarely at Brush who caught it easily and cleared the danger.

Mark Sandford got the visitors off the mark just after the second half got under way when his shot got by substitute keeper Ryan Coulter and ended up in the bottom left corner of the Sligo net.

That was to remain Shelbourne’s only real contribution to the half as Rovers set the pace for the rest of the game.

Ryan McManus had the first opportunity of the half for Sligo when his shot from twenty yards caused Murray to stretch and just get his fingertips to the ball to keep Shels level in the game at the 55 minute mark.

Two minutes later the Bit o’ Red pulled in front again when Kevin Devaney’s corner found Morten Nielsen in the box who promptly sent the ball into the back of Shelbourne’s net.

A solid passage of play between Gary Armstrong and Ruairi Keating, with seventeen minutes to go, almost added to Sligo’s tally but Murray followed the ball all the way and easily cleared the danger.

Sligo kept up the pressure when Keating had a shot from the left just scrape over the crossbar with twelve minutes to go and McManus tried his luck five minutes later with a header that Murray smothered to cut off the Bit o’Red’s chances on that occasion.

The final minute of the game saw Ruairi Keating capping off a dominant Sligo half by finding the mark past Murray and ending the score with a 3 – 1 victory for Sligo Rovers.

Sligo Rovers: Richard Brush (Ryan Coulter; 46); Gary Boylan, Jeff Henderson (Gavin Peers, 46), Jake Dykes (Sterphen Folan, 46), Danny Ledwith (Regan Donelan, 70); David Cawley (Eoin Wearen, 46), Keith Ward (Ryan McManus, 46), Rafaele Cretaro (Kevin Devaney, 46), Steven Beattie (Sander Puri, 46), Sander Puri  (Ruairi Keating, 46)(Gary Armstrong, 70); Dinny Corcoran (Morten Nielsen, 46).

Shelbourne F.C: Greg Murray; Evan Osam, Simon Dixon, Adam O’Conor; Ryan Robinson (Colm Crowe, 57); Daire Doyle, Gareth Coughlan, Craig Walsh (Darragh Gannon, 58), Alan O’Sullivan, Jordan Keegan (Conor Earley (Aaron Brilly, 62).
Subs not used:

Referee:

Attendance: 120 (estimate)

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Sander Puri (Sligo Rovers).