Dundalk 1
Sligo Rovers 0

DUNDALK returned to winning ways with a hard fought victory over a ten man Sligo Rovers side who will feel they deserved at least a point from a thrilling game

Fahrudin Kuduzovic's 56th minute goal settled the affair. The Bosnian pounced on Danny Ventre's fatal mistake to win back possession and smash the ball home from close range to break his old club's resistance.

Sligo arrived with confidence following two impressive 6-0 victories but their plans were thrown into disarray as early as the 13th minute when winger Gary McCabe was stupidly dismissed for clashing heads with Ross Gaynor just seconds after picking up a booking for a foul on the same player.

With the numerical advantage, Dundalk enjoyed the majority of possession without failing to test Richard Brush. Stephen Maher's beautiful cross that just evaded Neale Fenn was the closest they came to opening the visitors up.

Sligo boss Paul Cook, serving a one match ban in the stand, would have been pleased with his side's reaction to going down to ten men as it was the Bit O'Red who looked the more likely to score.

The Airtricity League's top scorer, Padraig Amond saw a header cleared off the line by JJ Melligan while Conor O'Grady tested Peter Cherrie with a vicious effort that had to be tipped over the bar seven minutes before the break.

The second-half provided more of the same and even after Kuduzovic had broke the deadlock, Sligo still had chances with Cherrie producing two magnificent saves to deny John Russell.

However the best was yet to come when the Scottish goalkeeper somehow managed to get down low and tip an Amond effort on to his post and wide in the 84th minute.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Kelly, G Breen, Burns, Murphy (McGuigan, 69 mins); Maher, Cawley; Kuduzovic (McGowan, 85 mins), Melligan, Gaynor; Fenn (J Breen, 76 mins).

SLIGO ROVERS: Brush; Keane, Peers, Ventre, McCartney (Foran HT); McCabe, O'Grady (Russell, 65 mins), Ryan, Doyle (Blinkhorn, 59 mins); Amond, Ndo.

REFEREE: Tom Connolly (Dublin).

Attendance: 1700