AN INJURY time goal from John Dillon gave Sligo Rovers a crucial 2-1 win over nine-man Shamrock Rovers in their absorbing Airtricity League Premier Division encounter at Tallaght Stadium.

The first genuine chance of the night was created by Rohan Ricketts who played a sublime ball over the head of Gavin Peers into the path of Gary Twigg but the Hoops’ top scorer belied his usual predatory instincts by bundling his effort wide from eight yards.

Despite that let-off, the visitors were far more cohesive in the opening exchanges, enjoying plenty of space down a badly exposed home left flank and Eoin Doyle should have done better than placing his cross too close to Ryan Thompson when freed by a clever pass by Joseph Ndo.

The Cameroonian was revelling in the freedom afforded to him and he went close to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute when his cross shot evaded the sprawling dive of Thompson but rebounded to safety off the right-hand upright.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic with Pat Sullivan producing a sublime ball to release Ronan Finn down the inside right channel in the 26th minute but the latter’s subsequent cross was easily intercepted by Gavin Peers at the expense of a fruitless corner.

Within two minutes, Karl Sheppard headed wastefully over from another Ricketts corner as the league leaders gradually began to settle after their inauspicious start.

However, most of the attacking threat lay with the Westeners and they should have taken the lead in the 32nd minute when Doyle evaded Craig Sives to meet Richie Ryan’s left-wing cross but under pressure from both Dan Murray and Thompson, the centre-forward blazed wide from a central position seven yards out.

The hosts’ goal was leading a charmed existence and they enjoyed a double reprieve in the 40th minute when firstly Murray cleared off the line when Doyle’s shot from 12 yards beat Thompson and from the resultant failed clearance John Russell easily strolled through two flimsy challenges but his left-foot shot failed to trouble Thompson unduly who hacked to safety.

The entertaining half concluded with the Hoops piecing together their best move of the half as Ricketts, Twigg and Ronan Finn combined intelligently but the former Tottenham player shot two feet over the bar from 22 yards.

The second-half continued in a similarly exciting vein and the Hoops were denied an opening goal four minutes in when Clarke produced an inspired save, diving to his right to tip Chris Turner’s header over the bar from an inswinging Paterson free-kick.

The game appeared to swing in Sligo’s favour when referee Damien Hancock issued a controversial second yellow card to Pat Sullivan on the hour but within a minute the champions eked out the lead with a goal of the highest calibre.

The creator was Ricketts, who outfoxed Raffaele Cretaro down the left and his floated cross was met superbly by Twigg, who powered an unstoppable header beyond Clarke from eight yards.      

In the 66th minute, Sligo were denied an equaliser on two separate occasions with Thompson doing superbly to dive at the feet of substitute Matthew Blinkhorn and from the resultant play, Stephen Rice was on hand to clear off the line from Ryan’s well-placed strike.

After Billy Dennehy had almost doubled his side’s lead after a 79th minute counter-attack, the visitors finally drew level two minutes later as Ndo and Blinkhorn worked well to free Russell, who curled a glorious shot inside Thompson’s left-hand post from 16 yards.

A draw looked the most likely outcome entering injury-time but there was a sting in the tail as the hosts were reduced to nine men following Pat Flynn’s crude hack at Iarflaith Davoren and in the 91st minute, Sligo availed of their numerical superiority as Ndo chipped to an unmarked Dillon, who powered a header across Thompson for a dramatic conclusion to a wonderful encounter.  

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Thompson; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Paterson; Sheppard (Flynn, 85) , Rice, Turner, Finn, Ricketts (Dennehy, 67); Twigg (Kilduff, 66).

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke; Cretaro (Keane, 66), Peers, McGuinness, Davoren; Ndo, Ryan, Ventre (Dillon, 46), Greene (Blinkhorn, 54); Russell, Doyle.

REFEREE: D Hancock (Dublin)