SLIGO ROVERS moved top of the Airtricity League Premier Division with this comprehensive victory over Drogheda United.

Drogheda boss Mick Cooke found his side depleted by suspensions and always on the back foot after conceding an early goal.

Sligo got off to a flyer scoring inside two minutes when Joseph Ndo’s corner found Derek Foran who teed the ball up for Aaron Greene to rattle the net with a powerful strike from the edge of the box.

Rovers dominated matters but created little in the way of chances apart from a Matthew Blinkhorn shot that keeper Stephen Trimble saved and Gavin Peers who sent a bullet liker header wide.

However, just short of the half hour the visitors doubled their lead when a defensive error allowed Blinkhorn cut in from the right before picking out Greene who netted for the second time from an acute angle.

Drogheda’s solitary opportunity of the half didn’t materialise until just before the break as Shane Fitzgerald sent his long-range strike only just wide.

The second half ambled along aimlessly for the most part as Sligo comfortably held what they had and Drogheda struggled to fashion anything resembling a clear cut goal scoring opportunity.

The best United could muster was a Peter McMahon volley which Brendan Clarke dealt with comfortably.

In the closing stages Rovers were denied a third when Trimble denied Richie Ryan and Ndo with fine stops in quick succession. However, number three duly arrived eight minutes from time after a goalmouth scramble which eventually saw John Russell bundle the ball over the line.

With the Drogheda defence now at sixes and sevens Russell and Conor Powell saw their efforts stopped on the line as the home side just about avoided a tanking.  

In additional time United were reduced to ten men after Mark O’Brien was cautioned for a second time.  

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble, Gaul (Corcoran 69), Clarke, Gannon, Rogers, Quigley, O’Brien, McMahon, White (Dolan 69), Fitzgerald (Melis 80), Hand.

SLIGO ROVERS: Clarke, Peers, Davoren (Powell 77), Keane, Foran, Ndo, Greene, Ryan, Ventre (Kirby 84), Russell, Blinkhorn (Cretaro 71).

REFEREE: P Sutton (Clare)