Sligo struggle as home defeat to Laois means promotion hunt starts on disappointing note
Allianz Football League Division Four – Round One Sligo 0-11 Laois 2-11
Sligo’s reach. Still, this being Division Four, a team can be six points up/six points down and still not be certain of winning/losing.
So it was for the lethargic Sligo who, having been five points down at halftime, 1-8 to 0-5, managed to be within two points of their finely-tuned, bulky opponents, 1-9 to 0-10, following a wowzer point from Sean Carrabine in the 61st minute.
For at least six minutes the gap was negotiable which meant that Sligo could have salvaged something but they never tested Laois goalkeeper Scott Osborne. Laois, who failed to score for 28 minutes (a scoreless spell that lasted from their ninth score until their 10th) removed all doubt when substitute Lee Walker found the net in the 67th minute.
With the crossfield breeze favouring Laois at the start, Sligo saw a lot of the ball and it was obvious that Laois, with an uncomprising
BAD DAY: Sligo selector Paul Durcan and Sligo player Luke Towey (number five) at the full-time whistle last Sunday following the home loss to Laois. blanket defence, would ask wait for Sligo to try to break them down.
Niall Murphy’s eighth minute point – from Pat Spillane’s pass – cancelled out Laois’ opening score when Eoin Lowry pointed following a Sligo turnover.
The hosts handed an Allianz Football League debut to goalkeeper Daniel Lyons, with four new panel members – Jack Teape, Jack Lavin, Marc Connolly-McGowan and Oisin Flynn – among the 11 substitutes Sligo, who regularly coughed up possession in that first-half, were also guilty of losing the midfield exchanges and they kicked four wides as well as dropping two point attempts into the Laois goalkeeper’s reach.
The Billy Sheehan-managed Laois had a greater hunger and this appetite was summed up in a snapshot midway through the opening period when Conor Griffin was surrounded by three Laois players and forced into a turnover.
Laois, who counter-attacked with menace, were well worth their 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 16 minutes.
David Quinn, unlucky with a booming point attempt that came off the upright, then set up Patrick O’Connor for a stylish point – making it 0-4 to 0-2 – but a 26th minute goal by Eoin Lowry, from Niall Corbet’s pass, gave Laois a five-point lead, 1-4 to 0-2.
Sligo were floundering and there were only glimpses of positive play – for example David Cummins’ industry to create a chance for David Quinn, whose point was well-taken.
Patrick O’Connor and Cian Lally, who tried to use his basketball nous to shake off Laois defenders, each pointed with aplomb but Sligo were deservedly losing without showing signs of life.
There was a semblance of a recovery for 26 minutes of the second-half when Sligo twice
EFFORT: Sligo forward Donal Conlon, who came on for the start of the second-half last Sunday, puts pressure on Laois goalkeeper Scott Osborne.
closed the gap to two points, 1-8 to 0-9 and 1-9 to 0-10.
Then again, after such a poor firsthalf Sligo couldn’t play any worse and Paul McNamara’s introduction improved matters.
Three points without reply – Darragh Cummins, Sean Carrabine and Niall Murphy were each on target – gave Sligo hope.
It helped that Laois were going through a scoring lull and just as important was a big save from Daniel Lyons, whose stop denied Laois full-forward Evan O’Carroll a certain goal in the 50th minute.
With Aidan Devaney potentially ruled out for the season, this game could be first of many for Shamrock Gaels’ Lyons, with fellow netminder Jack Teape also waiting in the wings.
Sligo still needed to be better and they definitely needed a goal – the closest they came was a half-chance for substitute Donal Conlon after work from
Luke Towey and David Quinn got the ball into the Laois goalmouth. But the ensuing scramble yielded nothing. Evan O’Carroll’s good point from a ground kick in the 57th minute – the winners’ first score since the excellent Paul Kingston pointed a free after 32 minutes – settled Laois but they weren’t fully out of the woods.
Sean Carrabine’s brilliant point was a sign that Sligo could yet deliver a smash-and-grab win but too many of their attacks ended in cul-de-sacs. Possession was carried into the central traffic when Sligo need to go wide and attempt long-range points.
Alan Reilly returned from injury – as a late second-half replacement – and Sligo will certainly need his attacking zest in the coming weeks.
A lot of things went wrong for Sligo, not enough players went above the five-out-of-10 rating and the full-time result was as bleak as the grey, rainy sky that shrouded the second period. Meanwhile, Sligo captain Niall Murphy, restricted to just two points last Sunday, echoed the doom-laden