Wilson Waweru struck a sensational hat-trick as Sligo Rovers safely progressed through to the last 16 of the Sports Direct FAI Cup, beating Cobh Wanderers at the Showgrounds.
Waweru struck from play in each half and rounded off a good evening both personally and for his team when he slotted home an injury time penalty at the end of the game.
Rovers manager John Russell was looking to advance the hosts through a round of the cup for the first time under his tenure and the first time for the club since 2020, when they reached the last four under previous boss Liam Buckley.
It was the League of Ireland side who were well in charge throughout.
Ollie Denham went close nine minutes in when he nodded Will Fitzgerald’s corner inches wide of the target, seven minutes before the full-time outfit struck for the opener.
Ellis Chapman’s initial shot was saved by Power who could only spill the ball into the path of Waweru who was left with a simple finish, tapping home for his fourth goal of the year.
The seriousness with which Rovers took this tie was evident by the fact that none of the starting eleven took part in Friday’s mid-season friendly with Everton. They manufactured further opportunities in the half through Chapman who went close twice in quick succession.
The hosts ended the half with a Chapman header which bounced off the frame of the goal, Waweru knocking home the rebound only to be flagged offside.
It was all Rovers again in the second period as Ed McGinty went the full 90 minutes untested.
Waweru twice headed wide before Power held on to a speculative Reece Hutchinson drive, as Rovers switched to two up top in the hope of avoiding an uneasy finish to this tie.
That tension lifted somewhat 15 minutes from time when Fitzgerald knocked Stephen Mallon’s cross to Waweru who slotted the ball past Power for his second of the evening.
Waweru brought his goal total for the season to six in injury time. The Galway native sending Power the wrong way from the penalty spot after the same player was tripped by Conor Walsh inside the area.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; Charlie Wiggett (Luke Pearce 67), Conor Malley, Nando Pijnaker, Reece Hutchinson (Owen Elding 84); Niall Morahan, Conor Malley, Ellis Chapman (Jack Henry-Francis 76); Will Fitzgerald (Kyle McDonagh 84), Stephen Mallon; Wilson Waweru.
Cobh Wanderers: Mark Power; David Curran, Conor Walsh, Eoin Hastings, David Stack (Darragh Heelan HT); Adam Hastings-Gilley (Kevin Foster-O’Reilly 37), Nathan O’Connell, Dylan McNamara, Stephen O’Leary (David Brennan 71); George Keating (Stuart O’Rourke 71), Oisin Dorgan (Loic Nguefang HT).
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea
David Goulden