Sligo Rovers relegation worries deepened on Friday night at Turners Cross as they suffered a 3-0 loss to Cork City in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.
Former Rovers player Ruairi Keating scored a hat-trick as Cork, who began the night second from bottom, closed to within three points of Rovers who are one place above them in the Premier Division table.
The poignancy of Keating scoring a hat-trick in this game could not have been more striking.
Earlier this year, he lost his father in a car accident – his dad was travelling from Cork to Sligo via Mayo at the time to watch his son play against Rovers at the Showgrounds in a corresponding league match.
As for the football, Rovers did have chances in this game but failed to take them.
Cork, on the other hand, took theirs – and the points.
Their opening goal, from a Keating penalty, came against the run of play.
But Rovers were unable to find a way back into the contest.
With seven league games remaining, the bit o’red are in a precarious position and are in a real battle now to preserve their Premier Division status.
Friday night’s LOI results
Premier Division
Cork City 3 Sligo Rovers 0
Shamrock Rovers 3 Bohemians 0
Derry City 3 Dundalk 1
Shelbourne 2 St Pat’s 1
Drogheda Utd 3 UCD 0
First Division
Wexford 1 Finn Harps 1
Waterford 1 Athlone Town 2
Kerry FC 1 Bray W 3
Cobh Ramblers 1 Treaty Utd 0.
