An injury hit Sligo Rovers were beaten by Bohemians at the Showgrounds, ending the Bit O’Red’s magnificent run of seven league wins in a row on home soil. 

Goals from Dawson Devoy and Archie Meekison were enough for a disciplined Bohs who are now seven points clear of Drogheda and therefore cannot be caught by the ninth placed Boynesiders with two games to go. 

The result also hit Rovers’ outside chances of European qualification, as they now sit five points off fourth place with two games to go. 

Missing a handful of attacking players courtesy of both injury and suspension, Rovers were forced into two changes with Kailin Barlow and Owen Elding replacing Ellis Chapman and Luke Pearce from the score draw against Derry last Monday. 

Knowing a second win in Sligo this season would assure their top flight status for yet another year, Bohs made just the one change in personnel from their loss to St Pat’s. Martin Miller returned in place of the suspended Ross Tierney who was sent off against the Saints. 

In front of the biggest attendance this year, Rovers were chasing down eight league wins at home in a row for the first time this century. Skipper Niall Morahan had the game’s first opportunity seven minutes in when Ollie Denham nodded Will Fitzgerald’s corner back across the face of goal for Morahan who was unable to get a clean contact with his header which sailed narrowly wide. 

Arguably Rovers’ outstanding performer this term, goalkeeper Ed McGinty pulled off what is now a trademark reaction save to deny James Clarke from five yards. The Oxford loanee somehow got a hand to Clarke’s point blank effort from a Dawson Devoy cross. 

On his centenary appearance, Sligo’s Will Fitzgerald fizzed a drive across the bow of Kacper Chorazka’s goal on 22 minutes, moments before the Gypsies hit the front. 

Clarke’s work forced the ball through to Devoy who created enough space for himself to fire into the corner of McGinty’s net from ten yards out. 

Lifted by this, Bohs had a short period of dominance but it was the hosts who ended the half the stronger. 

Elding did well to lay JR Wilson’s cross into the path of Simon Power, but the Wicklow man was slightly behind Elding’s assist as he could only wrap the ball the wrong side of Chorazka’s far post. While the Pole had to use both hands to push Fitzgerald’s lusciously struck half-volley over his crossbar 60 seconds from the interval.  

The Dubliners spurned a great chance to extend their lead on 63 minutes when Dayle Rooney blazed over after Denham got the ball stuck under his feet. 

Elding should have had Sligo level on 76 minutes but shot wide with the goal at his mercy. The group of Bohs defenders in close proximity did enough to put off the teenager. 

Russell’s side were to regret this six minutes later when Connor Malley conceded play in midfield. Devoy was allowed travel unchallenged before finding Meekison whose neatly struck effort flew past McGinty. 

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Niall Morahan, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchison; Jack Henry-Francis, Conor Malley; Will Fitzgerald, Kailin Barlow (Stefan Radosavljevic 67), Owen Elding; Simon Power.  

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Martin Miller, Jake Carroll, Cian Byrne, Paddy Kirk; Adam McDonnell (Danny Grant 78), Jordan Flores; Archie Meekison (Jevon Mills 92), Dawson Devoy, Dayle Rooney; James Clarke (Alexander Greive 84). 

Referee: Rob Harvey

Attendance: 3,436

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers recently conducted a comprehensive survey among supporters to understand their views on climate change, its impacts on the community, and how the club can play a role in driving sustainable action. With the support of the European Football for Development Network (EFDN) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the survey saw over 600 fans sharing their insights and concerns.

We are delighted to share the full results, analysed by the EFDN, which demonstrate the commitment of the Rovers community to tackling climate challenges. The findings reveal that fans are not only concerned about climate change but also recognise the unique role Sligo Rovers can play in promoting sustainable practices.

The Rovers community is not immune from the real impacts of the climate emergency, and we all have a role to play in helping create a sustainable future for this and future generations of supporters. We will keep everyone informed of the next steps in this process.

Key Findings and Next Steps:

Survey responses highlighted barriers such as cost and awareness in adopting climate-friendly solutions, with nearly 90% of fans expressing that affordability is essential for broader climate action. The results also underscore a strong desire for Sligo Rovers to lead by example, with over 75% of fans advocating for the club’s active involvement in sustainability efforts.

Jamie Murphy, Football and Social Responsibility Officer at Sligo Rovers, commented:
“We are absolutely delighted with the levels of engagement we received on our Community Climate Captains survey. It demonstrates that a large majority of supporters recognise the serious threat posed by climate change while also acknowledging the role we as a club have to play in helping tackle those issues. The results of the survey strongly support the fact that Rovers, like other parts of society, have a responsibility to act and we are looking forward to doing that”

In response to these findings, Sligo Rovers is exploring a range of initiatives to support sustainable action.

We invite all fans to read the complete report and learn more about our ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Please see the full report below.

For further information, please contact fsr@sligorovers.com.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that no less than four academy graduates have agreed professional deals with the club. 

Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh, Gareth McElroy and Conor Reynolds have each committed to pro-contracts for next year, further strengthening the Bit O’Red’s commitment to nurturing and developing players from within its own ranks. 

The news comes as a further boost to the club following the news that first team manager John Russell has signed a new two year deal. 

18-year-old Patton has been at the club since he was 13 and was a stand-out talent as he rose through the ranks at both club and schoolboy level for Summerhill. The skillful midfielder has represented the Republic of Ireland at schoolboy level and has featured twice for Rovers’ senior team, making his debut against Bohemians earlier this year. 

McDonagh has played three times for the first team and has also represented his country. The Tubbercurry native made his senior debut against Derry City at the Brandywell when he replaced Stefan Radosavljevic back in May. 

Rovers supporters will already be familiar with Burnfoot born McElroy who has impressed since his first team debut in a win over Waterford at the Showgrounds in September. A commanding centre-half, McElroy has slotted into the heart of the Sligo defence on three occasions this term following the departure of Nando Pijnaker. The 19-year-old also played a key role in the club’s under 20s team this season.

While Reynolds, another centre half, made his debut back in 2023 against Cork City and has gone on to line out for the first team on three more occasions. An unfortunate leg injury cut short his opportunities for senior football after he sustained the knock in the win over Shelbourne at Tolka Park back in May. Although there was good news for the Westport native who continued his recovery with a brief appearance in the mid-season friendly with Celtic earlier this week. Reynolds has also been capped at international level. 

Commenting on the deals, Russell says the news is further proof of how the club’s underage structures are run. 

“Developing players through the academy system and bringing them to a level where they are ready for first team football is what the underage set-up at the club is there for”, he said. 

“Daire, Kyle, Gareth and Conor are each proof of the great work the academy coaches are doing here at Rovers. It shows that the academy structures are in good shape and it’s a huge boost for the first team when we can call on the young lads when needed. All four have reasonable first team experience at young ages and each have excelled when called upon. It’s an indication of how healthy a state the club is in when you have groups of players rising through to sign professional deals. 

“We are always keen to give youth a chance here at the Showgrounds and we will be looking to further develop and sign from our own academy as the years go on.” 

David Goulden  

Ten-man Sligo Rovers were unlucky not to take all three points at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Monday evening.

A stunning Connor Malley strike in the first half had Rovers in a more than deserved lead against Derry City, however an unfortunate Reece Hutchinson own goal allowed the hosts slip back into this game.

Rovers were up against it for the last quarter of this tie when Luke Pearce was shown a second yellow card following a challenge on City goalkeeper Brian Maher. However, John Russell’s side remained a constant threat and looked the most likely to claim a winner which never arrived. 

The draw sees Rovers keep pace with the sides near the summit of the league, sitting just six points off leaders Shels. 

The away side hit the front on 34 minutes when man of the match Jack Henry-Francis teed up Malley for a sumptuous long range strike into the corner of Maher’s goal. 

Derry emptied their talented bench at the interval in an attempt to wrangle a way back into this one and were handed an equaliser on 53 when a mix-up between Hutchinson and Ed McGinty saw the former turn the ball into his own net. 

Now also up against a buoyed home support, Rovers steadied the ship with a few super saves from McGinty.

While both Will Fitzgerald and Ellis Chapman fashioned chances at the far end as Derry held on. 

Pearce was shown a second yellow on 75 for what looked like an innocuous challenge on Maher. 

Despite the disadvantage, it was a determined Rovers who looked most likely to produce a winner.

Fitzgerald fired narrowly over from an Owen Elding cross with seven to go. 

Derry City: Brian Maher, Ronan Boyce, Mark Connolly, Andre Wisdom (Colm Whelan, Ciaran Coll; Sadou Diallo (Sean Robertson 85), Adam O’Reilly (Patrick McEleney HT), Will Patching (Jacob Davenport HT); Michael Duffy, Pat Hoban (Daniel Mullen 36), Paul McMullan

Sligo Rovers: Edward McGinty, John Ross Wilson, Niall Morahan, Oliver Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Jack Henry-Francis, Connor Malley; Ellis Chapman (Owen Elding 73); Simon Power, Luke Pearce, Will Fitzgerald.

Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin)

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that no less than four academy graduates have agreed professional deals with the club. 

Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh, Gareth McElroy and Conor Reynolds have each committed to pro-contracts for next year, further strengthening the Bit O’Red’s commitment to nurturing and developing players from within its own ranks. 

The news comes as a further boost to the club following the news that first team manager John Russell has signed a new two year deal. 

18-year-old Patton has been at the club since he was 13 and was a stand-out talent as he rose through the ranks at both club and schoolboy level for Summerhill. The skillful midfielder has represented the Republic of Ireland at schoolboy level and has featured twice for Rovers’ senior team, making his debut against Bohemians earlier this year. 

McDonagh has played three times for the first team and has also represented his country. The Tubbercurry native made his senior debut against Derry City at the Brandywell when he replaced Stefan Radosavljevic at just 16 back in May. 

Rovers supporters will already be familiar with Burnfoot born McElroy who has impressed since his first team debut in a win over Waterford at the Showgrounds in September. A commanding centre-half, McElroy has slotted into the heart of the Sligo defence on three occasions this term following the departure of Nando Pijkanker. The 19-year-old also played a key role in the club’s under 20s team this season.

While Reynolds, another centre half, made his debut back in 2023 against Cork City and has gone on to line out for the first team on three more occasions. An unfortunate leg injury cut short his opportunities for senior football after he sustained the knock in the win over Shelbourne at Tolka Park back in May. Although there was good news for the Westport native who continued his recovery with a brief appearance in the mid-season friendly with Celtic earlier this week. Reynolds has also been capped at international level. 

Commenting on the deals, Russell says the news is further proof of how the club’s underage structures are run. 

“Developing players through the academy system and bringing them to a level where they are ready for first team football is what the underage set-up at the club is there for”, he said. 

“Daire, Kyle, Gareth and Conor are each proof of the great work the academy coaches are doing here at Rovers. It shows that the academy structures are in good shape and it’s a huge boost for the first team when we can call on the young lads when needed. All four have reasonable first team experience at young ages and each have excelled when called upon. It’s an indication of how healthy a state the club is in when you have groups of players rising through to sign professional deals. 

“We are always keen to give youth a chance here at the Showgrounds and we will be looking to further develop and sign from our own academy as the years go on.” 

David Goulden   

Sligo Rovers are back in front of the television cameras again this Monday night as the Bit O’Red travel to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium to take on Derry City, kick-off 7.15pm.

This game was initially meant to take place on Friday, October 4th but was rescheduled due to Derry’s involvement in the FAI Cup. 

This will be Rovers’ second visit to the Brandywell this season after claiming a well deserved draw with Ruaidhiri Higgins’ side back in May. 

Rovers’ recent form against the cup finalists has been impressive, having not lost to the Candystripes in their last four meetings.

Rovers boss John Russell was handed a boost this week with the return of both John Mahon and Conor Reynolds to the match day squad for Wednesday’s mid-season friendly against Celtic. 

Both players appeared for the latter portion of the late defeat to the Scottish outfit after missing the season to date with achilles and leg injuries respectively. 

However, neither Mahon or Reynolds will be available to travel to Derry next week.

In other team news, Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh, Wilson Waweru and Stephen Mallon will all miss out due to knocks.

“It’s another really tough game against a title-challenger, but again we embrace these sort of games and really look forward to them”, Russell says.

“These are the games you want to be involved in where you’re still in with a great chance of getting a European spot. We’ll be doing all we can in these last few games to secure as high a finish as we can.

“We were genuinely unfortunate not to take the win from Tolka against Shels, so Derry will know they can expect a game. 

“We have a very good record against them recently and we’ll be looking to maintain that. They’ll be playing in front of a sold-out, expectant home crowd and also in front of the RTE cameras so it’s a huge night for everyone. They have a vast squad to choose from and have huge experience in all areas of the pitch, so it’s no wonder they’re chasing a double.”

Wednesday’s sold-out game with Celtic was Rovers’ first outing since that Shels stalemate two weeks ago. Russell selected several first team players for that game and was happy with how it went.

“It was great to stretch the legs and keep that freshness in the boys given we had no game the weekend previous. It was a great evening for the club and I thought we performed very well, even with the chopping and changing with subs in the second half.

“It was great to see John (Mahon) back on the pitch. He’s a local lad who loves the club and you could see by the reception he received when he came on, how well regarded he is amongst our supporters. His recovery has been steady but we need to ease him back in.

“Neither he or Conor will be involved on Monday but we’re hopeful they’ll be ready for a few competitive minutes in the next few weeks.”

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm that First Team Manager John Russell has signed a two year extension to his current contract. 

The Rovers boss has put pen to paper on a deal which extends his contract to the end of the 2026 League of Ireland season.

Russell, who won two FAI Cups with the club as a player, took over in summer 2022 having served as assistant to former manager Liam Buckley for three and a half seasons. 

Shortly after being appointed, Russell guided the club past both Welsh outfit Bala Town and Scottish Premiership side Motherwell in the Europa Conference League. This feat meant that the Galway native is the only manager to steer Rovers through two rounds of European competition in the storied 96-year history of the club.

2023 was a mixed year for the club on the pitch, but despite operating off one of the Premier Division’s tightest budgets and losing star players through long-term injury and transfers across 2024, Russell’s men currently sit just seven points off the league’s top spot with four games remaining. 

Qualification for Europe is still a possibility as things stand, while the fact that the club are mathematically still in the hunt for the league title, speaks volumes regarding Russell’s achievement this year. 

Speaking having signed the deal, Russell says he is eager to progress the club further and build on the work he and his staff have done to date. The Rovers boss also repeated his previous statement in regards to the fan-owned model the club proudly operates under. Russell is keen to keep discovering opportunities and different ways to further develop Sligo Rovers in relation to the more traditional model. 

“I’m absolutely delighted to extend my contract at the club. We have made really good progress this season”, he says.

“I feel myself and the staff have created a really good environment for our players to develop, improve and play with confidence. We want to win, but we want to win by playing an attractive, attacking brand of football, while continuing to promote from within our academy. 

“I understand our club model but that does not mean we cannot be competitive. We need to continue to be innovative in how we operate. 

“I’m excited for the challenge ahead and I am determined to bring success to this football club.”

Sligo Rovers chairperson Tommy Higgins welcomed the news, saying: “We’re over the moon to have secured terms with someone who knows this club inside out. John has proven himself as one of the top young managers in the country is someone we feel can really take this club forward. He has produced some really striking results on the pitch and has made the squad really competitive in what is the tightest season of League of Ireland football in recent memory.

“We are looking forward to seeing how far John can take us.” 

David Goulden 

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers will look to extend a three-game Women’s Premier Division (WPD) unbeaten sequence on Saturday when Wexford visit to the Showgrounds for the final game of the season.

Buoyed by the long-overdue first win of the season in Cork last Saturday and draws against Peamount Utd and Shamrock Rovers, the Sligo Rovers players will be determined to take the points tally into double figures.

Neither side can improve on current positions with Wexford guaranteed a fourth-place finish, an improvement on seventh last season, while for Sligo Rovers, a victory on Saturday would see them equal the number of points they achieved last season.

On that basis, there is still plenty to play for and another competitive encounter is definitely on the cards, one that stand-in manager Conor O’Grady is relishing after the determined display against Cork City last weekend.

“I was delighted for the girls last weekend, the conditions were horrendous but we dug in and had a really good second-half performance and it was great to come away from Cork with the win,” he commented.

“It has been a tough few days, we were in Cork on Saturday, some of the girls were playing for the 19s on Sunday and then for the ATU on Monday.

“We also picked up a few injuries, Kate Nugent and Rachel McGoldrick will both miss out while Muireann Devaney is not available.

“It’s going to be a really tough game against an experienced Wexford side, but we want to finish on a high and to do that we are going to have to be at our best,” he concluded.

Last Saturday Wexford surrendered a 2-0 interval advantage, Leah McGrath and Kylie Murphy scored the goals, at home to Shamrock Rovers. They had to settle for a 2-2 draw and they will certainly be well-motivated to address that.

Last May the Bit O’Red conceded three second-half goals in the WPD encounter at Ferrycarrig Park after getting back to parity a minute after the interval as Wexford recorded a 4-1 victory.

The scoreline was a bit unfair on Sligo Rovers who lost the influential Jodie Loughrey on 66 minutes after a challenge from a Wexford player forced her out of the action and also denied what looked like a decent goal-scoring chance.

Wexford hit the front after 16 minutes of a well-contested first-half when Ciara Rossiter created an opening and Ellen Molloy finished confidently to the net.

Kelly Crompton had Sligo Rovers on terms a minute after the resumption, but parity lasted less than three minutes. Some hesitant defending gave Wexford an opportunity and Ciara Rossiter capitalised to make it 2-1 and she went on to complete her hat-trick.

In the last three WPD games Sligo Rovers scored four goals and conceded three, that statistic suggests the defensive frailties have been resolved. There will be an opportunity to demonstrate that on Saturday.

Sligo Rovers v Wexford will be live on LOITV and kick-off at the Showgrounds is at 3pm.

We look forward to welcoming all supporters to our friendly with Celtic this Wednesday 9th October. The game is sold out. If you are attending the game please note the following match-day arrangements which have been agreed in consultation with authorities.

SLIGO ROVERS V CELTIC MATCHDAY NOTICE

1) Car parking for cars at The Showgrounds will NOT be available on Wednesday October 9th.

2) Parking for buses only at The Showgrounds

3) Supporters parking will be available at Nazareth House (limited), and most of the car parks in Sligo town centre, a short walk away from the Showgrounds.

4) Turnstiles open 5:30pm, K.O. 7:30pm. Game sold out, ticket only with no cash/cards taken at the gate.

5) Seating is limited, on a first come basis.

6) Please observe Garda traffic management and be respectful to parking at neighbouring estates. Illegal parking may result in fines or clamping.

By Conall Collier

The long journey was much shorter on the way home as Sligo Rovers Women maintained recent good form with a first Women’s Premier Division win of the season as they got the better of Cork City with a goal in each half from Muireann Devaney and Keri Loughrey.

That’s  three successive games unbeaten in the WPD and the victory will certainly boost confidence for the final home game of the season next Saturday against Wexford.

This game was played at Leeside FC (pictured) which is located at Little Island after the alternative venue that was declared on Thursday afternoon, St Colman’s Park, Cobh was deemed unsuitable on Saturday afternoon.

The game was initially moved from Turner’s Cross on Thursday due to the anticipated inclement weather and the various Status Orange and Status Yellow weather alerts from Met Eireann.

The diversion to Little Island was slightly shorter than the journey to Cobh although it still added some extra travel time and distance with the kick-off time also changed from 5pm to 7pm.

Both teams had to cope with poor conditions at the windswept and rain-lashed venue.

Cork City had a couple of early chances from Freya De Mange who saw her shot saved by Bonnie McKiernan and soon after Barrett Edison was denied by the post.

However, the Bit O’Red remained composed and produced some enterprising passages of play before finding the lead goal in the 15th minute when Muireann Devaney hit the target with a fine finish.

The joy for the Bit O’Red was brief as Christina Dring conjured up an equaliser inside a minute and the sides remained deadlocked at the interval.

Cork City resumed smartly, but Sligo Rovers stood strong and the first real action of the second-half was a card to a member of the home sideline team around the hour mark.

Then there was a stoppage in play due to an injury sustained by Rachel McGoldrick with about 15 minutes remaining and she was replaced by Paula McGrory.

Despite the wind and rain Sligo Rovers kept probing for an opening and in the 82nd minute Keri Loughrey, a consistent performer all season, gave Sligo Rovers the lead and they weathered the storm in the closing minutes for that crucial victory.

THE TEAMS

Cork City – Una Foyle; Kiera Sena, Orlaith O’Mahony, Christina Dring, Freya De Mange, Niamh Cotter, Barrett Edison, Colleen Kennedy O’Connell, Dorothea Greulich, Alix Mendez, Becky Cassin.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKernan; Cara King, Alice Lillie, Sarah Kiernan, Kate Nugent, Emma Hansberry, Muireann Devaney, Eimear Lafferty, Rachel McGoldrick, Keri Loughrey, Katie Melly.

Subs – Paula McGrory for McGoldrick and Keeva Flynn for Kiernan both 75 mins, Leah Kelly for Devaney and Robecca Doddy for Melly both 83m.