Second half goals are key as Sligo survive on final day
at Markievicz Park
SLIGO DERRY
SECOND half goals from the boots of Liam Gaughan, Kevin McDonnell and Patrick O’Connor went a long way in ensuring Sligo retained their Division 3 status on Sunday, as they beat Derry 3-11 to 2-12 at Markievicz Park.
Cathal Corey’s side started the stronger in this one and kept ahead of their opponents until the 25th minute when midfielder Conor McAtamney found the net to put the Oak Leaf County the lead for the first time.
Sligo knew a win would be enough to see them safe and with Offaly taking on Westmeath at the same time, proceedings in Mullingar could never be ignored.
Derry lead by one point at the break and both sides kept the scoreboard ticking over until Sligo recaptured the lead on 47 minutes through Gaughan.
A high scoring second half continued and with Offaly well ahead against a weakened Westmeath, both sides knew goals were key if they were to avoid the jaws of Division 4.
Things didn’t look good for the Yeatsmen when substitute Shane McGuigan netted Derry’s second on 56 to put Damian McErlain’s charges into a one point lead. But Sligo held their nerve to reply through the surging McDonnell before O’Connor drove to the net less than three minutes later. This meant that regardless of the score in Westmeath, Sligo were safe. While Derry will join the likes of Leitrim and London in next year’s Division 4.
Sligo were wasteful at times and registered ten wides throughout the 70 minutes. The first of these coming from Adrian Marren after goalkeeper Aidan Devaney pulled off a decent stop to deny Derry’s Mark Lynch an early green flag.
Marren and co settled and the Curry man had his first of three scores on seven minutes during a score-shy opening to the game.
Derry could have landed an early blow on the next attack. Emmet Bradley put too much power behind his shot from close range, the ball arrowing over the crossbar when it looked like the Gleann clubman was aiming for the net. Sligo were ahead by one when Devaney was called into action again. The Calry man waited for Enda Lynn to move first before diving at the last second to keep out the low drive. With Sligo leading 0-3 to 0-2 with ten minutes of the first half to go, Derry snatched the lead for the first time. Niall Toner playing a sumptuous ball over the top for McAtamney who fired past Devaney to leave two between the teams.
Sligo continued to pass up chances and didn’t score again until the stroke of half-time. O’Connor picking up his only point of the day before Niall Murphy dropped his head as if he’d given up on his pop at the posts. However, the ball swerved to the left and between the sticks, much to the delight of the home support. Two points down at the break and with Offaly ahead, Corey’s half-time team talk shook Sligo into a second half in which they hit a total of three goals and six points.
Gaughan and Lynch shared white flags for either side before Devaney’s free kick brought Sligo to within one step of their opponents.
With Derry within their reach, Sligo hit two wides in quick succession much to the frustration of a nervous home crowd. But Murphy showed his grit to finally level the game on 45 with a superb point.
Things got better for the black and white soon after. A neat one two between Gaughan and Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch ended with the former emerging from the shadow of his marker before powering past Ben McKinless in the Derry nets. Sligo back ahead by three.
It was the Ulster side’s turn to rally next and three points in the space of four minutes restored parity with every score valuable.
With the score at 1-9 a piece and less than 15 minutes left on referee Patrick Maguire’s wrist, Derry struck another blow. Jack Doherty found McGuigan before the forward rushed through a series of Sligo bodies and tapped past Devaney.
McAtamney added another point to give Derry a lead of four on 57.
But Sligo again showed courage to bring it to a one point contest when sub Sean Carribine picked out McDonnell whose solo run brought him past the last man before the Castleconnor player slotted beyond McKinless to send Sligo on their way to their second win of the year.
Bradley did reply from a free but Sligo were in no mood to offer their opponents any hope. Carribine with the assist once more as O’Connor fired into the top of the net, seconds before Marren extended the lead to four with a free.
With the end in sight, it was now Derry’s turn to rue missed chances. James Kielt with quick-fire double wides. McGuigan did send over his second and Derry’s final score in the last minute of regular time to cut Sligo’s lead to its minimum once more. But the Connacht men held on and after Carribine fisted over his only score of the game, Derry knew only a goal would do.
Hearts were in mouths in the fifth minute of added time when Derry won a free 15 metres from goal. Terence O’Brien attempted to shift the Sligo defence by electing to square his free to Kielt. But the substitute could only skew his attempt wide of the post, much to the delight of the 14 Sligo players who had crowded the square.
Sligo: Aidan Devaney (0-1); Ross Donovan, Luke Nicholson (Keelan Cawley 35), Charlie Harrison; Cian Breheny, Kevin McDonnell (1-0), Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch; Adrian McIntyre, Niall Murphy (0-2); Neil Ewing, Patrick O’Connor (1-1), Liam Gaughan (1-3); Kyle Cawley, Pat Hughes (Sean Carribine 49) (0-1), Adrian Marren (0-3).
Derry: Ben McKinless; Michael Bateson (0-1) (Liam McGoldrick 66), Kevin Johnston, Conor McCluskey; Karl McKaigue, Carlus McWilliams, Peter Hagan (Terence O’Brien 67); Conor McAtamney (1-1), Emmet Bradley (0-4); Enda Lynn (Jack Doherty 45), Benny Heron (Shane McGuigan 15) (1-2), Padraig Cassidy; Padraig MacGrogan, Mark Lynch (0-3), Niall Toner (0-1) (James Kielt 66).
Referee: Patrick Maguire (Longford).