Old boys haunt Sligo as Galway end winless run
Three former Sligo Rovers players returned to haunt the Bit O'Red as a well-drilled Galway United ran riot at the Showgrounds to pick up their first win in six games.
Jimmy Keohane, Kris Twardek and Francely Lomboto, each of whom once operated at Sligo, were amongst the Tribesmen's scorers as Galway moved ahead of Drogheda and into seventh.
Alex Nolan netted a placid Sligo's only goal of the game from the penalty spot when he replied to Wasiri Williams' opener but the result leaves Rovers without victory in four games.
On the back of a decent run, one which saw them lose just one in the last five, Rovers made just the single change from their stalemate with Shels in Dublin.
Cameroonian full-back Jeannot Esua returned in place of Shane Blaney for Esua's first appearance since he was subbed off with a knock against Dundalk last month. Winger Ryan O'Kane made the matchday squad for the first time in nine games as he continues his recovery from a serious arm injury.
Chasing that first win in six, John Caulfield made two changes from Galway's defeat to Shamrock Rovers last week.
Twardek, who spent a season and a half at Sligo, was dropped along with Al-Amin Kazeem. Duo Killian Brouder and Frantz Pierrot took their places as the visitors chased a second win at the Showgrounds in two years following what was a three-decade gap without one.
Kris Twardek came off the bench to score for Galway
The Corribsiders did deliver an early warning when an unmarked Pierrot nodded David Hurley's header wide of Sam Sargeant's goal 90 seconds in.
Sligo's rearguard failed to learn from their mistake when the imposing Williams made the most of further slack defensive work as he got on the end of Keohane's corner to give United an early lead.
John Russell claimed his side were the victims of a questionable refereeing decision at Tolka last week. His own side were favoured by what looked on first viewing like a somewhat soft penalty on 18 minutes when Keohane made contact with Cian Kavanagh inside the area.
Nolan, an early change for the injured Archie Meekison, netted the resulting spot-kick for his second goal of the year.
Keohane was at the centre of proceedings again just short of the half hour when Galway re-took the lead.
The former Sligo midfielder curled a wonderful free-kick from the edge of the area, around the wall and into the bottom corner.
Rovers went close to levelling the game for a second time after 36 minutes, but Williams managed to scramble the ball off the line after Evan Watts had kept out a thumping volley from James McManus.
Nolan turned up a decent chance early in the second period when he dragged a first-time effort wide from seven yards out.
This was the only opportunity they would muster before Galway struck twice in the space of 90 seconds through substitutes Twardek and Lomboto.
Canadian Twardek stabbed the ball beyond Sargeant after good work from Lomboto after 73 minutes while Lomboto, who scored four times for Sligo last year, showed composure to hit Galway's fourth in their next attack.
Rovers did have late opportunities. Sean McHale struck Watts' crossbar, Shane Blaney sent a free-kick into the side-netting while Watts pulled off an impressive stop to deny O'Kane.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Jeannot Esua (Shane Blaney, 85), Gareth McElroy, Ollie Denham, Sean McHale; Will Fitzgerald; James McManus (Ciaron Harkin, 85), Carl McHugh (Mai Traore, 65), Archie Meekison (Alex Nolan, 13); Daire Patton (Ryan O'Kane, 64); Cian Kavanagh.
Galway United: Evan Watts; Killian Brouder, Conor McCormack (Kris Twardek, 63), Wasiri Williams; Connor Baratt (Axel Piesold, ht), Ed McCarthy; Aaron Bolger, Jimmy Keohane; David Hurley (James Morahan, 90); Stephen Walsh (Francely Lomboto, 63), Frantz Pierrot (Lee Devitt, 56).
Referee: Aaron O'Dowd.
