Déise’s first points dents Sligo’s hopes

WATERFORD’S first win in four games – a gutsy two-point defeat of Sligo at Markievicz Park on Saturday afternoon – hinged on second-half goals from Seanie O’Donovan and Dylan Guiry.

Full-forward Darragh Corcoran delivered the match-winning scores – a brace of neat points in second-half stoppage time at the blustery Sligo venue.

Goalscorer Guiry was the winners’ standout performer – he made O’Donovan’s 50th-minute goal, a finish that brought Waterford to within a point of Sligo, and his own green flag put Waterford ahead for the first time, 2-9 to 0-14, with six minutes of normal time left.

Sligo, whose promotion hopes are on the ropes after back-to-back defeats, looked as if they would hold on for a draw when top scorer Liam Gaughan’s sixth point of the day levelled matters, 0-16 to 2-10, in the 69th minute. But Waterford kicked the last two.

SCORERS – Waterford: J Curry 0-4 (4f); D Guiry, S O’Donovan 1-0 each; D Corcoran 0-3; J Gleeson (2f) 0-2; S Curry, C Murray, R Flynn 0-1 each. Sligo:

L Gaughan 0-6 (4f); B Gorman 0-3 (2m); S Carrabine, D Cummins, P O’Connor (f), C Lally, R Murphy (m), C Breheny, P Hughes 0-1 each.

SLIGO – A Devaney 7; JF Carr 6, E McGuinness 6, M Gordon 5; G O’Kelly-Lynch 6, P McNamara 6, S Carrabine 7; P O’Connor 6, P Kilcoyne 5; N Ewing

5, L Gaughan 7, K Cawley 6; R Murphy 6, B Gorman 6, C Lally 6. Subs: D Cummins 6 for Ewing (23), P Hughes 5 for Lally (44), C Breheny 5 for Cawley (47), E McHugh 5 for Gordon (54), D Quinn 5 for Kilcoyne

WATERFORD – P Hunt 6; B Looby 6, D O’Cathasaigh 6, M Kiely 6; R Flynn 7, S O’Donovan 6, D Ryan 6; D Fitzgerald 6, J Curry 8; C Murray 6, D Guiry 9, J Gleeson 6; B Lynch 5, D Corocran 7, S Curry 6. Subs: N McSweeney 5 for Gleeson (52), J Beresford 5 for Fitzgerald (57), A O’Sullivan for Lynch (69).

REF – K Faloon (Armagh).