Double trebles as Sligo turn on style
FAI Senior Cup first round
David Cawley and Kris Twardek scored a hat-trick apiece as Sligo Rovers racked up the most emphatic FAI Cup win of the night.
Winners of the trophy three times between 2010 and 2013, Sligo hadn’t won a tie since 2016, but had it easy at Leinster Senior League second-string side Glebe.
Liam Buckley’s side tested Alan O’Connor after just seven minutes. The Glebe keeper had to stoop to bat away Regan Donelon’s drive.
Glebe’s sole chance fell to Noel Barrett whose volley on 10 minutes forced Ed McGinty to save at the other end.
One-way traffic ensued. Cawley’s breakthrough goal arrived when he sprung Glebe’s frail offside trap and found the top corner with a rising shot from 10 yards.
Keith Murray prevented a second by clearing Twardek’s scuffed effort off his goal-line, but the hosts were unhinged nine minutes before the break. O’Connor couldn’t repeat his earlier heroics by keeping out Donelan’s rasping shot into the bottom corner.
Despite their lead, Sligo were too pedestrian in the first half, something they rectified with two goals within seven minutes of restart. Cawley grabbed his second on 49, rifling a shot into the top corner before Dante Leverock nodded home from close range.
Twardek notched a hat-trick in the final 25 minutes, including a last-minute penalty. He had to share the match-ball with Cawley, who chipped in his third on 76 as the stretched Glebe defence went missing.
It proved a proper hiding for Glebe, who are currently out of season. The only preparation for the Balbriggan club’s biggest day since facing Shamrock Rovers in the same competition back in 1995 was a friendly against Glenavon.
A O’Connor; J Rankin, J Dunbar, K Murray, A Bissett; P Harron (M Murray 52), D Lynch, C Pollis, R Weldon; N Barrett; S Lynch (I Divine 57).
E McGinty; J Dunleavy (D Kane 63), D Leverock, J Mahon, L Banks; K McFadden; D Cawley, D Fordyce, R Donelon (R Murray 66); R Parkes (B Morley 74), K Twardek.
D Dunne (Dublin).
