Sligo Rovers produced what many would say was their best performance of the season on Saturday night, as they held 3-in-a-row champions Dundalk to a 1-1 draw at the Showgrounds.
Niklas Vemmelund headed the visitors in front after ten minutes, only for home debutant Benny Igiehon to score his first bitored goal fifteen minutes later.
We caught up with Sligo manager Gerard Lyttle after the game.
“Yeah happy with the point to be honest. Our boys attitude was superb, they’re working ever so hard.”
You said previously that your team would be difficult to beat, and you were proved right! “Yes they have that about them now. Any team that plays us will know they have to be at their best to break us down.”
“We have a desire now not to lose games and hopefully now the same desire to win games. We have put demands on ourselves on the training pitch which follows on in match day.”
Recent signing, striker Benny Igiehon, scored on his home debut and got the supporters excited for more. Lyttle said, “Great to see Benny get of the mark with his goal. He’s been excellent since coming in. All his hard work was rewarded with that last night.”
Sligo youth product Mikey Place was signed by Derry City this week, this despite featuring for Lyttle’s squad on numerous occasions since taking over. We asked him how and why that came about.
“Yeah Mikey is a great lad who I have a lot of time for. It’s going to be unfair on him when new players arrive and where we are in league that he needs to play and develop quicker. I couldn’t guarantee that he played much in the run in. No better man than Kenny to do that.”
“We have a great youth structure in place with top class coaches in Brian (Dorrian), Raff (Cretaro), Naill, Danny (O’Leary) and Colin (Jinks) with great young players to mirror them. I’m big into youth but the frustrating thing at the minute, it’s not ideal to give them their chance but through time they will get that.”
He went on, “Last night we had 5 18 year-olds on the bench with young Jack (Keaney) coming on to replace Rhys McCabe.
On next weeks 6-pointer at home to St Patricks Athletic Lyttle said that the crowd, who’ve been superb, have a massive part to play also, “Massive game next week against Pats who have hit some form. We look forward to playing them here at our home ground which at present, I think we are unbeaten in 11 games here. With the supporters getting behind us like last night again it gives our players such a lift. Big thank you to them for again showing why they crucial for in every game.”
Photo Credit: Sligo Rovers FC