Soccer

Fabrice Hartmann’s double against UCD pushes Sligo Rovers up to fifth

Premier Division top scorer Max Mata also on target as UCD suffer eighth defeat of the season

Sligo’s Fabrice Hartmann celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at The Showgrounds. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Sligo’s Fabrice Hartmann celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at The Showgrounds. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Sat Apr 22 2023 - 21:59

Sligo Rovers 3 UCD 1

Fabrice Hartmann turned on the style as Sligo Rovers moved up to fifth in the Premier Division with a convincing defeat of UCD at the Showgrounds.

Hartmann scored twice and the league’s top scorer Max Mata added a third, as John Russell’s side inflicted an eighth defeat this season on the visitors.

Mata was on the mark again on the first real attack of the game, powering home an unstoppable header from Kailin Barlow’s pinpoint corner.

Ten minutes later and the Bit O’Red were two goals to the good, as the skilful Hartmann fired to the net.

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It was a goal of beauty for the home side, with a diagonal ball from centre back Nando Pijnaker controlled by Hartmann into the path of Barlow.

A superb reverse pass from the youngster found the German winger again, and he skipped past a challenge inside the area before finishing left-footed.

With former Bohemians defender James Finnerty making his debut for Sligo alongside New Zealand international Pijnaker, hopes were high that they might keep an elusive first clean sheet of the season.

Those hopes were dashed when Mark Dignam fired home just before half-time. But the clincher arrived on 76 minutes as Hartmann rampaged through and his deflected shot looped into the net.

SLIGO ROVERS: McNicholas, Brannefalk (Browning, 83), Finnerty, Pijnaker, Hutchinson, Hartmann (Liivak, 78), Bolger, Morahan, Barlow (Cawley, 83), Fitzgerald, Mata (Radosavljevic, 87).

UCD: Moore, Osam (Norris, 14), Wells, Keaney, Dempsey (Clarke, 80), Barr, Dignam, Nolan, Keane (O’Connor, 80), Behan, Doyle (Kinsella-Bishop, 63).

Referee: P McLaughlin.