SLIGO ROVERS survived a scare against FAI Junior Cup holders Pike Rovers to win a tense FAI Ford Cup Third Round tie at the Showgrounds.

Limerick junior outfit Pike Rovers almost pulled off a shock result in the FAI Ford Cup before Paul Cook's side hel their nerve to seal their progress to the next round.

Plucky Pike deservedly took the lead early in the second half when Colm Carroll headed home Eoin Hanrahan’s cross.

But an unlikely brace from Sligo centre-back Jason McGuinness inside six minutes saw the Premier Division side creep in front.

Substitute Raffaele Cretaro fired home a deflected third against a tiring Pike side with 20 minutes left, but the visitors gave their hosts a nervous final five minutes after striker David Ryan punished a McGuinness error to fire to the bottom corner.

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke, Keane, Foran, McGuinness, Davoren, Ventre (Ryan 62), Horgan (Dillon 75), Kirby, Russell (Cretaro 62), Greene, Blinkhorn.

PIKE ROVERS: Neville, Colbert, Mullins, Cleary, O’Donovan, Carroll, Kavanagh, Hanrahan (Aherne 74), Hartnett, Tierney (Phelan 74), Ryan.

Referee: P McLaughlin.