Hurlers win again but it NEXT UP FOR SLIGO’S SENIOR HURLERS
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch blasts 3-9 in a big victory over Longford but it’s a strange game at Markievicz Park
AHL Division 3A Round Three Sligo
Longford
T5-23 2-19
HIS was a strange performance by Sligo’s Senior hurlers, albeit a winning one.
Last Saturday’s 13-point victory over Longford, 5-23 to 2-19, a result at a sunblasted Markievicz Park that keeps Padraig Mannion’s charges on track for promotion, ticked several boxes. Bag at least 25 scores? Tick. Unleash the scoring power of Gerard O’KellyLynch? Tick. GOKL blasted 3-9 here (one of his three goals coming from a converted penalty, with eight of his nine points the result of seven frees and a ‘65’).
Have the goalkeeer save another penalty? Tick. This time it was new custodian Matt Davey who denied a three-pointer (a week before it was his Naomh Eoin clubmate Stephen Fleming).
Overcome a team that is playing two levels below them in GAA Hurling’s All-Ireland Senior Championship system? Tick. Longford are in this year’s Lory Meagher Cup (fifth tier) and Sligo are Christy Ring Cup participants (third tier).
Go top of the Division 3A table with two games left to play? Tick.
Get a result despite making six changes to the starting XV and using seven substitutes in the second-half ? Tick.
With so many positives, then, why fret? Despite being the better side, on the scoreboard and in general play, Sligo were lethargic at times – especially for the first 15 minutes of the second-half.
Sligo, who were 2-14 to 0-7 up at half-time, their goals coming from Thomas Cawley’s inventive flick and Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s blaster, allowed themselves to be outscored during a sluggish period.
The visitors, who relied on full-forward and captain Joe O’Brien for 11 points (seven of these coming from frees), landed 2-4. The first of these goals came within a minute of the restart and their other goal was a rasping, unstoppable finish.
Sligo answered with 1-5 – Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch converted a penalty – to almost erase Longford’s scoring burst.
There could have been another Sligo green flag score but Andrew Kilcullen saw his goal attempt blocked – he tried to divert Fionn Moylan’s delivery goalwards.
But the point here is that much better teams than Longford and Tyrone for example, will inflict mortal wounds if Sligo are similarly wobbly when the counties meet in the season defining round four at Omagh’s Healy
SLIGO’S next assignment in the Allianz Hurling League is a trip to Omagh’s Healy Park on Saturday week, June 12, where they’ll face hosts Tyrone.
3A The Ulster county have played two games so far in this year’s Division
1-25 to schedule and are unbeaten. They defeated Monaghan by eight points, the spoils 2-13, at Healy Park on May 16. They followed this up with a share of away to Longford (it finished 2-22 each).
Rackard Sligo’s most recent competitive clash with Tyrone was in the Nicky
Cup two years ago.
Keith Sligo beat Tyrone in a group game at Scarden, winning 3-19 to 1-14. players Raymond scored nine of Sligo’s points that day, with eight of the 20 starting or used in that fixture on duty last weekend against Longford (either as substitutes).
GOOD GAME: Sligo wing-back Gavin Connolly, fared well against Longford.
Park on Saturday week, June 12. Kevin Banks, moved to midfield, scored Sligo’s 20th point before the water break to leave 12 points between the teams, 3-20 to 2-11.
Over the next 22 minutes Sligo, without being in hurricane mode, tacked on a further 2-3, with Longford shooting eight points in reply. Sligo’s fourth and fifth goals, scored by Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch and Joe McHugh, were worth the live streaming fee alone.
The only downside to another fabulous goal from O’Kelly-Lynch, who also bagged several awesome long-range frees, was that he picked up an injury as he completed his hat-trick.
Joe McHugh, meanwhile, wriggled his way through several challenges in that unassuming way of his, before clipping a shot past Longford goalkeeper Conor Gallagher.
The losers, who had full-back Enda Naughton on the naughty step (sorry, sin bin) for 10 minutes of the second-half because of his cynical foul that halted Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch in the penalty incident, created three goal chances in the last 10 minutes. They also had (unheeded) claims for a second penalty.
A combination of corner-back Darragh Cawley and goalkeeper Matt Davey kept out one of these Longford chances, with Davey getting a touch on an effort from Joe O’Brien – which deflected the yellow sliothar over rather than under the crossbar.
This wrapped up a fine afternoon’s work for an outfield player (and an excellent rugby player with Sligo RFC) who played his first game as a custodian. His highlight, of course, was his batting over of Joe O’Brien’s penalty attempt in the 22nd minute.
When referee Shane Guinan awarded Longford a penalty he also issued a yellow card to Sligo wing-back Mark Hannify, who was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
During this period of being down a player, Sligo remained in control. They actually doubled their lead, from 1-6 to 2-12, and Longford only scored once (a point) in response.
Sligo mixed up their starting 15, with the management using options that are available again after injury. Seven of the nine replacements were given pitch time in the second period.
In an occasionally bitty display, which lacked the full on potency of the previous Saturday’s home show against Armagh (a superior team to Longford), there were still several good Sligo displays.
Full-forward Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch was a scoring phenomenon (yet