A brace from Padraig Amond saw Sligo return to winning ways when they got the better of a gutsy youthful Drogheda side in an entertaining match that produced a hatful of chances and five goals.

 

Nothing for almost quarter of an hour and then like the proverbial city bus two goals in the space of a couple of minutes saw the first half come to life.

 

Drogheda drew first blood when Glen Fitzpatrick got his head under Eric McGill’s free sending a looping header to the top corner of the net.

 

However, the home side’s advantage was wiped out almost immediately as a Richie Ryan free found Gavin Peers whose header down into the turf bounced embarrassingly over keeper Paul Skinner.

 

Sligo should have then hit the front twice when firstly Eoin Doyle’s effort was turned away by Skinner and with the net minder beaten all ends up  John Russell’s angled drive came back off the crossbar.

 

As the half moved towards a conclusion Michael Daly should have restored United’s advantage when he met Joe Kendrick’s delivery but he guided his header over with the target yawning.

 

A second defensive implosion gifted Sligo the lead when Padraic Amond tangled with Skinner before managing to bundle the ball over the line.

 

Drogheda made a change at the interval bringing in local youngster Ronan McEnteggart and within  minutes he levelled matters meeting Alan McNally’s cross to send a bullet like header past a stranded Richard Brush.

 

A stinging drive from Eoin Doyle saw the post come to Drogheda and Skinner’s rescue after he spilled the ball onto the timber before it came back into his grasp.

 

As the home side visibly wilted in the closing stages and Sligo piled on the pressure Conor O’Grady missed a great chance to win it with a header that he somehow sent over the bar.

 

But Sligo weren’t to be denied seven minutes from the end when a fine Peers run set up Amond who drove his shot home for what proved to be the winner.

 

Drogheda United: Skinner, Kendrick, McNally, McGill, Crowley (Duffy 87), Flood, Meenan (McEnteggart HT) (Kierans 83), Daly, McMahon, Fitzpatrick, Brennan.

 

Sligo Rovers: Brush, Keane, Davoran, Peers, Ryan, McCabe (Dillon 77), Ndo, Russell (O’Grady 65), Laughlin, Amond, Doyle (Blinkhorn 77).

 

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin)