Dundalk 0 Sligo Rovers 2:A BLISTERING Alan Keane goal, combined with a well-worked Conor O'Grady strike gave Sligo Rovers some breathing space at the bottom end of the table as they moved three points ahead of relegation rivals Dundalk.

On the stroke of half-time, Keane delivered a powerful strike into the roof of the Dundalk net from 25 yards.

Dundalk will feel aggrieved not to have received a penalty on 54 minutes as referee Derek Tomney awarded an indirect free kick inside the box after Shaun Kelly was blocked by Holmes.

But just as the home side were building some momentum, Sligo hit them with a counter-attack and made them pay with a sublime second goal. Brian Cash slipped the ball into the waiting feet of striker Romauld Boco.

He pulled it back to Conor O’Grady who sidefooted it into the corner of the net.

It could have been a different story for Dundalk. Returning midfielder Chris Turner’s free-kick nearly opened the scoring on nine minutes.

His curled free kick was parried by Richard Brush into the feet of Shaun Kelly who spurned his shot from a tight angle.

Darren Mansaram could have had two in as many minutes in the first half. Gavin Peers denied Mansaram when his last-ditch tackle thwarted the striker after Seán Kelly cut the ball back to him.

Early in the second half Mansaram went close again but his header smacked off the bar and away to safety.

DUNDALK: Bennion; Simon Kelly, Heary, Burns, Synott (Coburn, 80 mins); Shaun Kelly, Turner, Daly, Mulvenna (Singh, 60 mins); Rowe (O’Brien, 60 mins), Mansaram.

SLIGO ROVERS: Brush; Keane, Peers, Holmes, Ventre; O’Grady, Ryan, Morrison, Cash; Feeney, (Keohane, 65 mins), Boco.

Referee: D Tomney (Dublin)