Sligo entered the 2018 season with so much hope and anticipation after doing well in the 2017 campaign after being taken over by Gerard Lyttle.
The 2017 season saw as many as three sides relegated from the top flight and the Bit'o'Red managed to escape the drop after steadily improving under Lyttle and looked particularly solid at home, having lost only two home games all season.
Lyttle was expected to deliver further improvements in his first full season in charge, but the Rovers badly failed to live up to expectations, with something inexplicable happening to them at home, as they struggled to win in front of their own fans throughout the campaign. They finished the season with only four home wins from eighteen, with two of these wins coming late in the season, in what were essentially glorified friendlies.
On the bright side, the Rovers performed rather well on their travels, and finished the season with the joint-third best away record on the season.
However, with television coverage of Ireland Premier League not being all that great, the fans' perception of their sides heavily hinges on their home form, so it was rather unsurprising that the club opted to part ways with Lyttle with ten days of the season left.
Sligo hardly have the resources to expect to do much better than they did and finish inside the top half but they will at least be looking to give their fans something to cheer for next time around.
