There was to be no repeat of last year’s heroics as a fearless Kerry were knocked out of the Club Orange Men’s FAI Cup by a Sligo Rovers side who reached the last eight for the second year running.
Cian Kavanagh hit the opener at the Showgrounds, while Alex Nolan converted a penalty before the break.
The scoreline was harsh on Kerry, who were well on top for the majority of the second period and will wonder how they didn’t score at least, as a reel of superb Sam Sargeant stops kept the visitors scoreless before Carl McHugh and debutant Kaiyne Woolery settled the tie with late goals.
The Showgrounds has been a venue of much change in recent weeks, with Darren Purse and Warren Feeney taking charge of the first team following the departure of former manager John Russell and his assistant Ryan Casey to Shelbourne. Club captain Will Fitzgerald was bought by Shamrock Rovers, while Purse has brought in four new players to help Rovers pull off a great escape from relegation.
The club have also this week put forward a proposal to supporters which will change the way the club operates and allows for what they call ‘strategic investment’ in an effort to modernise how things are done at Sligo.
One of those new additions, former Wrexham captain Luke Young was one of four Rovers changes from their blunt display at the Brandywell last week. Fellow new boy Woolery made the bench.
Left full-back Sean Stewart, winger Nolan and striker Jamie McGonigle were the other alterations in personnel.
On a superb run of four wins from their last five league games, Kingdom boss Colin Healy stuck with the same starting team which led Cork City at Turner’s Cross last week, only to be beaten by three late strikes.
Last year’s dramatic cup quarter-final between these sides is remembered more fondly in one camp than the other. Three ahead after an hour courtesy of an Owen Elding hat-trick, Rovers somehow managed to be knocked out by Kerry, who hit four before the end of extra-time.
The visitors lost winger Daniel Okwute, a goal-scorer that night, to what seemed to be a pulled muscle after seven minutes in this one, shortly after McGonigle landed an attempted chip onto the roof of Matthew Connor’s net.
The Munster men did have plenty of the ball in this game, particularly in the early minutes. However, it was the hosts who did more with the ball and they went ahead on 14 minutes when McHugh’s through ball was collected by Nolan, who from the end line, squared for Kavanagh to tap home for his sixth of the season.
Both Young and McHugh had chances for Rovers, but Kerry were finding holes through the Sligo middle.
Cian Bargary beat Young in a foot-race but the finish from the angle didn’t match the intention. While Kerry captain Sean McGrath twisted his way through the Rovers challenges before firing narrowly wide of Sargeant’s goal as Purse’s men were served further warning.
Rovers maintained their composure in this tie however and doubled their advantage on 34 minutes when Nolan dispatched his spot-kick after Niall Brookwell tangled with Kavanagh as the former tried to shepherd the ball over his own end line.
Kavanagh missed the chance to maybe settle this one early on when he missed an open goal after work from McHugh and the stand-out Jack Shorrock who squared for the former Derry striker.
Sargeant had to pull off a trio of decent saves to deny McGrath, Murphy and Bargary as the First Division play-off hopefuls continued to ask questions.
This second period started as the first ended as the Premier Division outfit looked jittery.
Both McGrath and Ryan Perez fluffed opportunities after the re-start, while Bargary missed the ball while unmarked four yards from goal as the Sligo goal continued to live a hugely charmed life.
Sargeant again had to perform miracles to keep Kerry out as the away side dominated. A huge double save from close range frustrated Murphy and Ewan Lee from a Sean O’Connell set-piece as Sligo kept riding their luck.
Mercifully for Sligo, skipper McHugh released that pressure valve when he took the ball on his chest before unleashing a wonderful, arrowed volley into the corner of the Kerry net from 20 yards, with ten left.
While Woolery’s goal in added time was the height of nonchalance as the former Tranmore calmly guided Luke Pearse’s late assist past the diving Connor.
Elsewhere, there were comfortable wins for Drogheda United and Dundalk in the day’s other games.
A fast start was enough for Drogs to see off College Corinthians before the break. A brace from Keegan Ancelin, with a Mark Doyle goal in between helped the visitors to a 3-0 victory.
It was a second-half flurry from their Louth rivals however as they beat Castlebar Celtic 8-0. Cian and Luke Mulligan both scored a brace while Bobby Burns, Leonardo Gaxha, Aaron Keogh and Daniel Mullen also found the back of the net in a routine victory.