Sligo Rovers 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 Shamrock Rovers are back to within four points of leaders Dundalk after inflicting a sixth defeat of the season on Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds yesterday.

A scrappy own goal five minutes before the break was enough to see the Hoops take all three points and move back to third in the table.

But the visitors had to work hard for the win – twice clearing balls off the line in the second half, and finishing the game with ten men after the late sending-off of Gary McCabe for two bookable offences.

Hoops boss Trevor Crolly paid tribute to his side's efforts. "I thought we deserved the win. First half we created some really good chances. Second half, Sligo came on to us as you would expect from them in the Showgrounds.

"There was some fantastic defending out there. Shane Robinson and Jason McGuinness threw their bodies in front of shots, and Ronan Finn and Simon Madden cleared two off the line."

Sligo boss Ian Baraclough said: "We knew it was going to be the kind of game that would hinge on a set-piece, a mistake or a bit of brilliance. And it ended up being a set-piece that we should normally defend. But we didn't deal with it . . . ."

The goal came on 41 minutes when a corner from Kieran Marty Waters bounced off Alan Keane and into the net. In the second half Aaron Greene's volley was taken off the line by Madden on 58 minutes. From the resulting corner, Evan McMillan's header was cleared by Finn. SLIGO ROVERS: Rogers; Keane (Odhiambo 73), McMillan, Henderson (Spillane 70), Gaynor, Conneely, Cawley, Russell, O'Conor (Ledwith 64), Greene, North. SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, Madden, Kenna, McGuinness, Cornwall, McCabe, Robinson, Finn, Brennan (Bayly 90+3), Waters (O'Connor 73), Kilduff (Zayed 81). Referee: G Kelly.