Sligo fall short in Mullingar
SLIGO suffered a third defeat in four Division 3 games at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar last Sunday, when the hosts rallied late on to carve out a six-point victory.
Westmeath manager Colin Kelly said after the full-time whistle that from here-on in, the four divisions of the NFL are divided into two camps – those angling for promotion, and those looking to avoid relegation. Sligo appear to be in the latter category, though it’s not all doom and gloom.
The win over Wexford means that Cathal Corey’s troops have their noses ahead of the pointless Slaneysiders and Offaly, and they go into next Sunday’s home tie against Longford on the back of a decent display in Mullingar.
The first half was particularly encouraging, with very little between the sides beyond the three-point margin at the break (0-10 to 0-7). Even after the excellent Adrian Marren – who raised four white flags in the opening half – went off injured just before half time,
Sligo looked well capable of upsetting the odds.
When Pat Hughes, who entered the fray in place of Marren, kicked a 55th minute score, the visitors trailed by a solitary point (0-13 to 0-12).
Alas, the search for a killer goal ended fruitless, and Westmeath closed out the game firmly on top.
The signs were ominous when Westmeath raced into a 0-3 to nil lead, before Marren broke Sligo’s duck with a seventh minute point under pressure.
Scores from Niall Murphy, Liam Gaughan (a free) and Marren followed.
But by the 24th minute, the hosts were firmly on top. With Denis Corroon pulling the strings in midfield,
John Heslin imperious from frees, and both Luke Loughlin and Ger Egan supplying scores, Westmeath enjoyed a 0-9 to 0-4 lead.
Briefly however, the Maroons’ kickout strategy let them down and Sligo, pressing high, took full advantage. Marren picked off another two from play before his injury, while ‘keeper Aidan Devaney converted a free to cut Westmeath’s advantage to two.
In the second half, a lacklustre, attritional period saw Sligo edge slowly back into the game. Gaughan, Murphy (frees) and Patrick O’Connor all found their range before Hughes’s kick left the minimum between the sides.
Sligo had a couple of goal chances – notably, when Gaughan pounced on a Frank Boyle error in the opening minute of the half, only to have his shot smothered by Westmeath custodian Eoin Carberry. However, a minute after Hughes’s point came the key moment. Westmeath’s Heslin fed a sideline ball to pacy wing-back James Dolan, and he delivered a magnificent long-range effort that dealt Sligo a real psychological hammer blow.
Sligo regressed from then on, with Westmeath’s Heslin and Martin notching up the important scores in the dénouement – between them, seven points to the Westerners’ two (a ‘45’ from Aidan Devaney, and a free from sub Stephen Coen).
SCORERS: Westmeath: J Heslin 0-8 (7f), G Egan 0-4, K Martin 0-3, L Loughlin 0-2, C McCormack, T McDaniel and J Dolan 0-1 each. Sligo: A Marren 0-4, L Gaughan 0-3f, A Devaney (1f, 1 ‘45’) and N Murphy (1f) 0-2 each, P Hughes, P O’Connor and S Coen (f) 0-1 each.
WESTMEATH: Eoin Carberry; Mark McCallon, Frank Boyle, Killian Daly; Noel Mulligan, Alan Stone, James Dolan; Denis Corroon, John Heslin; Ger Egan, John Egan, Kieran Martin; Luke Loughlin, Callum McCormack, Tommy McDaniel. Subs: Finbar Coyne for McCormack (inj., 6), Sam Duncan for Coyne (50), Alex Gardiner for McDaniel (53), Jamie Gonoud for Corroon (57), David Lynch for J Egan (63), R Wallace for Daly (inj., 68).
SLIGO: Aidan Devaney; Ross Donovan, Luke Nicholson, Eddie McGuinness, Darragh Cummins, Adrian McIntyre, Neill Ewing; Patrick O’Connor, Kevin McDonnell; Cian Breheny, Liam Gaughan, Sean Carribine; Kyle Cawley, Niall Murphy, Adrian Marren. Subs: Pat Hughes for Marren (inj., 35), Charlie Harrison for Breheny (39), Keelan Cawley for McGuinness (39), Stephen Coen for Cummins (49), Paul Kilcoyne for Carribine (63).
REFEREE: Patrick Maguire (Longford).