Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United played out a classic cup final encounter at the Aviva stadium today, with the Bit o’ red coming out 3-2 winners, with the final three goals coming in the game’s dying moments.

Drogheda went ahead after 13 minutes through a Paul O’Conor goal.

The Drogs held on to that lead until the 78^th minute when Danny North, on as a substitute, buried the equaliser from six yards out following a corner.

It was North who then put Sligo ahead from a well worked set piece in the 85^th minute. Joseph N’Do motioned as if he was replacing the ball for a free-kick, roughly 20 yards from goal, before quickly playing a perfectly weighted chip over the Drogheda wall. The ball dropped into the path of North and before the stunned Drogheda defence could get to grips with the situation it was 2-1.

Drogheda players protested the goal furiously, arguing over the lack of a whistle from the referee. Drogheda’s Derek Prendergast was sent off for his protesting.

There was to be plenty more to unfold in stoppage time. In the 92^nd minute Ryan Brennan got on to a long ball forward and slotted the ball past the advancing Gary Rogers to level the game again.

Before hearts had a moment to rest Sligo were back in front. Just one minute after Brennan’s goal Danny North controlled a cross from Kieran Djilali perfectly on his chest and dropped it into the vicinity of Anthony Elding. The English striker swivelled and sent the ball into the top corner of the Drogheda net.

Sligo had to withstand 8 minutes of added time in total but hung on to claim their third league title in the last four years.