Sligo Rovers 2
Limerick 0
MARTIN RUSSELL BEGAN his tenure as Limerick manager with a 2-0 defeat to Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
The Blues were under huge pressure from John Coleman’s side throughout, and looked to be doing enough until Seani Maguire netted in the 84th-minute, before Danny North sealed all three points with a 93rd minute goal.
The home side started the brighter and had their first opportunity inside two minutes, when Regan Donelon’s effort was blocked by Shane Cusack before Ruairi Keating skied it over the bar.
The busy Keating was again in the thick of the action shortly afterwards when West Ham loanee Seani Maguire found the 19-year-old on the edge of the box and his curling effort just clipped Cusack’s crossbar.
Robbie Williams then tried his luck with a long-range powerful shot which flew straight into the arms of Gary Rogers. Limerick were again on the attack and Rory Gaffney was gifted a golden opportunity when he intercepted a Danny Ledwith ball, but he fluffed it and failed to get near the target.
Martin Russell’s side continued their attack on the Sligo area when a Shane Duggan free-kick just skimmed the head of Ledwith, in front of the far post, but there was no-one there to nip it in.
Gavin Peers came agonisingly close to giving Sligo the lead just before the break when he took down a David Cawley corner, and hit it just inches over the Limerick bar.
Kilkenny man Maguire was causing problems for the Blues and did very well to take the ball past Cusack in the box, but he put too much on it and couldn’t beat Nzuzi at an awkward angle on the right.
Maguire then started a move in which his shot was blocked, with Danny North knocking the ball in, but the flag had been raised for offside.
The 20-year-old finally got what he deserved in the 84th minute. David Cawley’s corner was headed in the direction of Maguire, who scored past Cusack with his first Sligo Rovers goal. Danny North made all three points secure in the 93rd minute when he collected a pass from Maguire, surged forward and beat Cusack to make it 2-0.
SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers, Keane, Spillane, Peers, Ledwith, Donelon (O’Conor, 62), Cawley, Conneely, Maguire, Keating (McMillan, 62), North.
Subs: Brush, Gaynor, Djlali, Odhiambo.
Limerick: Cusack, Nzuzi, Leahy, Folan, Williams, Turner (Oji, 79), Agyemang, Duggan, McManus (Mann, 61), Murphy (Hughes, 46), Gaffney.
Subs: Abass, Feeney, Whitehead, Coughlan.
Referee: Paul Tuite
Man of the match: Seani Maguire – scored his first goal for Sligo Rovers and could have scored a couple of others. Had the Limerick defence under pressure throughout.