Once again, a brave display from Longford Town was cruelly ended with an injury time goal.
Sligo Rovers kept their European hopes intact as right-back Lewis Banks scored a 91st minute winner for Sligo against the relegated Midlanders at the Showgrounds.
The Town made six changes from the side that lost four-one to St Pats at Bishopsgate with keeper Mick Kelly, Shane Elworthy, Mick McDonnell, Dylan Grimes, Matthew O’Brien and Conor Davis replacing Lee Steacy, Dean Zambra, Ben Lynch, Rob Manley, Karl Chambers and Darragh Nugent.
While Sligo Rovers named the same starting 11 that defeated Drogheda two-nil last time out.
Sligo created the best chances of the first half with a Ryan DeVries 25-yard shot from a central position on 24 minutes producing an easy save from Town stopper Kelly.
A minute later Sligo almost took the lead as Andre Wright collected the ball on the left edge of the Town box. Wright cut inside two Town defenders before firing a crisp low shot into the Town side-netting.
On 28 minutes Adam McDonnell whipped in a superb low, curling cross from the left into the Town six-yard box, but inrushing striker Johnny Kenny just missed connecting.
On the half-hour mark, McDonnell’s long-range effort produced a brilliant save from Kelly.
The Towns only real chance of the opening half came in the nine minutes before the break. Town skipper Aodh Dervin fired a 30-yard shot that bounced in front of Sligo keeper Ed McGinty but the keeper held onto the ball.
The Town started the second-half in excellent fashion and had two chances in the opening 10 minutes, with O’Brien directing a 30-yard rocket which was well saved by McGinty.
On 53 minutes, Dervin struck a superb shot that McGinty punched up into the air before catching it.
The visitors had the next opportunity on 65 minutes when Aaron Robinson’s left-wing cross picked out Dervin at the back post, but his looping header was just off target.
Sligo put the Town team under severe pressure in the closing 15 minutes and almost scored on 86 minutes when a Kenny header almost found Garry Buckley five-yards out from goal, but Town keeper Kelly bravely dived at Buckley’s feet to deny the big defender.
Injury time heart break again stung Longford as a Johnny Kenny’s right-wing cross was half cleared, but the ball came out to Banks who fired home the winning goal on the half-volley.
Sligo Rovers (4-3-1-2): McGinty, Banks, Buckley, Mahon, McCourt, Figueira, Bolger, McDonnell, De Vries, Kenny, Wright.
Substitutions: Keogh for Wright, Byrne for Figueira, Morahan for Mahon (all 66 minutes), Lorenzen for De Vries (70 minutes)
Longford Town (4-4-2): Kelly, Elworthy, McDonnell, O’Driscoll, Kirk, Davis, Dervin, Robinson, Grimes, O’Brien, Williams.
Substitutions: Nugent for O’Brien (68 minutes), Manley for Grimes (81 minutes), McNally for Davis (86 minutes)
Referee: Ben Connolly (Dublin).
