Sligo Rovers maintained their promotion drive yesterday, when two goals in four minutes at the start of the second half gave them victory over St. Francis.

There was no warning in a dour first half that Sligo were about to cut loose but that's what they did, making the breakthrough within four minutes of the restart. Peter Rodgers and Eamonn Sheridan linked to make an opening for Carl Van der Velden and the former Shels man neatly chipped the advancing Gary Rogers.

Before the Saints had time to regroup, Sligo had struck again - Steve Birks getting the vital touch.

A Paul Irwin penalty on the hour gave the visitors some hope, after Danny O'Leary brought down Brian Rickard.

But despite a couple of scares, Sligo held on toe keep their Premier Division ambitions alive.

Sligo Rovers: O’Leary, Marshall, McLoughlin, Birks, McNamara, Charles, Rossiter, Rodgers, Sheridan, Van Der Velden, Flannery

Subs: Jordan for Rodgers 75mins, Kennedy for Rossiter 89mins

Booked: Van der Velden 46, Birks 89

Goals: Van der Velden 49, Birks 53

St. Francis: Rodgers, McDonagh, O’Sullivan, Noonan, Kinsella, Fitzell, Connolly, Doyle, Irwin, Johnston, Rickard

Subs: Kelly for Kinsella 16mins, Hutchison for Johnston 72mins, Devlin for Irwin 75mins

Goals: Irwin pen. 60

Referee: T Moyne (Donegal)