As a reliable form guide, games of this nature are notoriously deceptive but even allowing for the insignificance of the contest there was much to admire about the ruthless way Sligo Rovers dismantled the challenge of depleted Cliftonville in the Setanta Sports Cup at the Showgrounds on Saturday last.

With Rovers place in thesemi-final of the cross-bordertournament already assuredand Cliftonville displayinglittle interest in advancingbeyond the group phase – theyfielded with just four regulars –the game lacked any sense of acompetitive edge and mostattention was focused on theperformance of the homeside’s newcomers than on theactual result.

In that regard, theShowgrounds faithful wereentitled to be satisfied with theevening’s entertainment asright back, Paul Whelan,winger, John Dillon, andstriker, Padraig Amond, allproduced impressiveperformances on theircompetitive debuts for the club.

And Mauro Almeida, backwith Rovers after a brief spellat the club last season, alsoturned in a faultless display inthe centre of the defence,although it has to be said thethreat from Cliftonville’s frontline wasn’t over demanding.

There may be a lot of newfaces in Paul Cook’s squad for2010 but, on the evidence ofthis adventurous performance,the manager is still committedto open, flowing football,preferring a straight-forward 4-4-2 formation, with two wideplayers on the flanks and twoout and out strikers leading theline. The depth of the squad issuch that the manager hasoptions to vary his tacticsshould the occasion demand amore cautious approach butthe emphasis would appear tobe very much on ‘up and at‘em’ attacking football.

Certainly, Rovers adoptedthis strategy againstCliftonville, raiding with paceand purpose right from the offand with the excellent RichieRyan pulling the strings inmidfield and the unsparingEoin Doyle and Dillon doingtheir stuff to good effect on thewings, the Ulster side werefacing an uphill battle from avery early stage.

By half-time, Rovers weretwo goals in front, had twoother ‘goals’ ruled out, had agoalbound effort cleared offthe line and were denied by thewoodwork on anotheroccasion.

The visitors must have beenrelieved that Rovers stepped offthe gas slightly after the breakbut they continued to be inventive in their attackingplay and a delightfullyexecuted third goal near theend rounded off animpressive evening’s work.

Indeed the quality of allthree goals – the second byDoyle was a real masterpiece– underlined the fluency andcreativity within the squadand while they will face morestubborn resistance once theAirtricity League gets underway, there’s no doubt thatthere is plenty of attackingpotential in the side.

Blinkhorn, a tirelessworker, and Amond, a reallivewire with a lethal instinctfor the half-chance, linked upvery well together and ifefforts to secure a thirdstriker prove successful,Rovers willl not lack forgoalpower.

It took less than a minutefor the side to show theirattacking threat againstCliftonville as Doyle’s teasingcross from the left was headedpowerfully to the net by theinrushing Blinkhorn.Unfortunately, the refereespotted a push on aCliftonville defender andquite rightly disallowed thegoal. Minutes later, thevisitors were under pressureagain and were lucky toescape unscathed whenAlmeida’s header fromDoyle’s corner crashedagainst the underside of thecrossbar.

Only a last-ditchintervention by Mark Burnsprevented Doyle from gettingon the end of Whelan’s crossin the 12th minute and Roverscame even closer to breakingthe deadlock five minuteslater as Doyle latched on toAmond’s clever pass andlobbed the ball over theadvancing ‘keeper only towatch in disbelief as thevigilant Conal Burns got backto execute a spectacular goalline clearance.

Amond had the ball in thenet in the 24th minute,finishing off Whelan’s lowcross, but the effort was ruledout for off-side.Rovers finally made thebreakthrough in the 40thminute.. Keane, who playedquite well in an unfamiliarleft-back role, delivered aninviting cross into the areaand Danny Ventre timed hisrun to perfection to get to theball ahead of the advancing‘keeper and and dispatch aglancing header to the net.

Having held out against theodds for so long, Cliftonvillethen conceded a second goaljust five minutes later. Adevastating five-manattacking move, involvingsome delightful exchanges ofpasses, ended with Blinkhornlaying off the final ball forDoyle who slipped a low shotbeyond the reach of JackDuffin.

Doyle, Amond andBlinkhorn all went close toextending Rovers lead in theearly stages of the second halfwhile Blinkhorn also had astonewall penalty appealturned down.Apart from a stunning 25yard effort from Conal Burnswhich grazed the outside ofthe upright, Cliftonville hadlittle to offer and it came as nosurprise when Rovers struckfor a third goal in the 82ndminute. Amond was twiceinvolved in the build-upbefore rushing into the areato get on the end ofBlinkhorn’s precise cross andfinishing with a firmdownward header.

Duffin was obliged to makea smart double-save to denyAmond and Blinkhorn asRovers continued to pressforward in the closing stagesand only a linesman’s flagdenied Amond a second goalright at the end after heconnected with Doyle’s crossfrom the left.

SLIGO ROVERS: Brush,Whelan, Peers, Almeida,Keane; Dillon, Ryan, Ventre,Doyle; Blinkhorn, Amond.Subs: O’Grady and Doningerfor Ventre and Ryan (71minutes), Marshall for Dillon(76 minutes)

CLIFTONVILLE: Duffin,Fleming, Maguire, M Burns,O’Hara, Bannon, Holland,Dunlop, Jones, C Burns,Murphy. Subs: Downey forMurphy (47 mins), Rooney forMaguire (59 mins), R Burnsfor Holland (78 mins)

REFEREE: T Connolly