Sligo Rovers moved off the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division with a sublime four goal trouncing of Waterford at the RSC on Friday.
On a night of a few firsts, the Bit O’Red pocketed a maiden first clean sheet of the season courtesy of an assured defensive performance.
While a first senior goal for centre half Gareth McElroy was complimented by strikes from Owen Elding, Cian Kavanagh and Francely Lomboto as the visitors ruthlessly sentenced Waterford to their sixth league defeat on the trot.
The hosts finished this game with ten men after Kyle White was sent off on the hour having committed a second bookable offence.
Rovers made three changes from the defeat to Galway, with goalkeeper Sam Sargeant replacing Conor Walsh in nets. While attacker Cian Kavanagh and the influential Jake Doyle-Hayes returned following respective bans, both putting in impressive shifts.
John Russell’s side took charge of this game straight away. Teen defender McElroy stood his ground to get a head on Will Fitzgerald’s corner in the seventh minute, as the Donegal man nodded past Stephen McMullan for the first senior goal of his fledgling career.
Sligo have been the victim of quick-fire goals a few times this term but were able to turn the tables on the Blues here and had their second within three minutes.
The composed Doyle-Hayes tidied up the loose ball before Fitzgerald and Reece Hutchinson combined to tee up Elding who rose highest at the back stick to head his fifth of the year past a stunned McMullan.
The pressure coming from the away side was incessant as Sligo purred in the south east rain. Jad Hakiki kept McMullan busy, forcing two stops from the young net minder as Keith Long’s side were carved open again and again.
Elding, now the division’s joint-top scorer, sent a drive from the angle which had McMullan at full stretch on 33 minutes as a clinical Rovers sought to put this game to bed even before the break.
Waterford lost White on the hour after a challenge on Hutchinson produced a second yellow from referee Aaron O’Dowd.
Things got worse for the Munster men on 62 when McMullan spilled a Fitzgerald corner as he looked to pick the ball from the sky. A scrap for possession ensued but Sligo were the winners of this duel as the ball landed at Kavanagh’s foot. The striker smashed home his third of the season against his old club from close range.
Hakiki again caused concern in the Waterford ranks and tested McMullan once more with ten to go. The roaming Dubliner seeking out the space before sending a low shot into the arms of the young goalkeeper.
Three became four with two of the 90 minutes left. Substitutes Connor Malley and Francely Lomboto got in on the act when the former found the latter with a simple through ball. Lomboto firing past McMullan, completing the rout with his second goal in three outings.
Rovers are away from the Showgrounds again this Tuesday as we face Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm.
Waterford: Stephen McMullan, Navajo Bakboord (Andy Boyle, 46), Kacper Radkowski, Darragh Leahy, Kyle White, James Olayinka (Ben McCormack, 71), Grant Horton, Trae Coyle (Sam Glenfield, 75), Conan Noonan, Tommy Lonergan (Dean McMenamy, 68), Padraig Amond (Maarten Pouwels, 71).
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant, Conor Reynolds (Daire Patton, 70), John Mahon, Gareth McElroy, Reece Hutchinson, Ronan Manning (Matty Wolfe, 82), Jake Doyle-Hayes (Connor Malley, 70), Jad Hakiki (Francely Lomboto, 81), Owen Elding, Reece Hutchinson, Cian Kavanagh (Stephen Mallon, 70).
Referee: Aaron O’Dowd.
David Goulden