Mannion’s magic men
SLIGO HURLERS SECURE THE AHL D3A TITLE:
AHL Division 3A Round Four Tyrone
Sligo
T0-14 1-18
HE DEFINITION of champions is that when stuff has to get done, they get doing.
Sligo’s Senior hurlers are this year’s Allianz Hurling League Division 3A champions – with a game to spare – following last Saturday’s 1-18 to 0-14 away defeat of Tyrone.
Sligo full-forward Gerard O’KellyLynch gave yet another demonstration of his scoring prowess – this time he bagged 1-11, his goal after 53 minutes proving to be the game’s decisive score.
Guaranteed silverware by winning at O’Neill’s Healy Park in Omagh, for much of the first-half Sligo played as if they had just taken up hurling that morning – a far cry from a group that has taken the sport to new heights on a national stage.
Very fortunate that this sluggish opening period wasn’t punished – profligate Tyrone hit 10 first-half misses and registered 18 wides in all – Sligo at least had free-taker Gerard O’KellyLynch to lean on for scores.
The full-forward clipped over five points from frees and this haul, along with Finnian Cawley’s point from play, meant that Sligo were able to match Tyrone’s tally.
The interval scoreline, 0-6 each, reflects the dogged nature of a firsthalf that was all about graft.
But there was guile as well as graft from James Weir, Rory McHugh, Tony O’Kelly-Lynch and Niall Feehily during that first-half as Tyrone, without sparkling either, still had to be contained.
Finnian Cawley’s good point in the opening minute – after Rory McHugh and Tony O’Kelly-Lynch combined – was Sligo’s sole point from play in a first-half when they gave away possession, dropped the sliothar, failed to catch it cleanly and forgot the smart hurling that has delivered three national titles in the previous three years.
Twice in the first-half Sligo fell behind by two points – hardly a crisis – but, nevertheless, Tyrone were showing their teeth and corner-forward Conor Grogan shot goalwards but it was an effort straight at Sligo netminder Stephen Fleming, who would later make more telling saves.
With the management quick to shake things up for the start of the second-half – both Mark Hanniffy and Michael Munnelly were brought on – Sligo woke up and went three points clear, 0-9 to 0-6.
Just like that they appeared to have stopped sleepwalking, a turnaround that began with a Joe McHugh 53 seconds after referee Kevin Brady restarted matters.
Tyrone went back in front, 0-12 to 0-10, by shooting half a dozen points in probably their best spell.
During this six-minute deluge from the hosts there was only one Sligo point in response – a fabulous point from Kevin Banks, who worked wonders when switched to midfield for the second period.
Tyrone’s advantage would have been more but for poor finishing from Conor Grogan and brilliant goalkeeper by Stephen Fleming.
Fleming produced a fine stop to deny Cian Ferguson in the 40th minute. Three minutes later he again thwarted Ferguson, parrying the shot, only for
Conor Grogan to inextricably miss the gaping goal from the rebound.
With substitute Michael Munnelly getting involved and Joe McHugh starting to deliver from his centre-forward berth, Sligo improved – both as individuals and a team.
Points from Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch and Joe McHugh brought Sligo level – Michael Munnelly transferred the sliothar to McHugh for the second of his three second-half points, but the
move started with a superb block from Kevin Banks.
Sligo were smoothly moving up through the gears at this stage and they soon led 0-16 to 0-12. Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch was mercilessly converting frees, while Kevin Banks and Joe McHugh each pointed adroitly from play. The McHugh siblings, Rory and Joe, provided the toil for Banks’ score.
Tyrone were dizzy now, having seen their earlier work undone all over the pitch, but they twice almost got through for a goal.
Stephen Fleming did his job, blocking two shots from Cain Ferguson, who must have wished it was he – and not Conor Grogan – who had that second bite at the cherry earlier.
Damian Casey’s ‘65’ for Tyrone was almost immediately cancelled out by Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s pointed free to leave Sligo still in control, 0-17 to 0-13. Then came the game’s watershed moment. A Tyrone attack was revving up and getting close to a turbo charge until Rory McHugh intevened. He smothered the goal threat and Sligo counter-attacked. Fionn Moylan, a second-half substitute, saw his goal effort kept out but the ball came to Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch who almost burst the net from close-range.
The only point of proceedings from CJ McGourty, a big name in Antrim GAA once upon a time, proved
Tyrone’s 14th and final point.
In time added on Sligo added their 18th point – this was Gerard O’KellyLynch’s 11th pointed free – to complete their 19-score tally. This was O’Kelly-Lynch’s 31st point from three games and his 36th score of this year’s AHL.
Sligo bravely absorbed Tyrone’s late, late pressure – with the losers only managing to strike their ninth wide of the second-half – and there was also a red card for Tyrone’s Tiernan Morgan.
Best for Sligo: Rory McHugh
Sligo: Stephen Fleming, James Weir,
Niall Feehily, Niall Kilcullen, Kevin Banks (0-3), Rory McHugh, Gavin Connolly, Kevin O’Kennedy, Tony O’Kelly-Lynch, Conor Hanniffy, Joe McHugh (0-3), Finnian Cawley (0-1), Thomas Cawley, Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (1-11, 11f), Andrew Kilcullen
Subs used: Mark Hanniffy, Michael Munnelly, Kieran Prior, Fionn Moylan
Subs not used: Matt Davey (gk), Darragh Cawley, Liam O’Kelly-Lynch, Daniel Rolston, Eoin Comerford, Ethan Scully, Arthur Wall Tyrone: Conor McElhatton, SP McKernan, Anthony Crossan, Conor McNally, Dean Rafferty, Lorcan Devlin, Sean Donaghy, Bryan McGurk, Chris Kearns, Tiernan Morgan (0-3), Damian Casey (0-7, 3f, 3
‘65’), Mickey Little, Cain Ferguson (0-1), CJ McGourty (0-1), Conor Grogan (0-2)
Sub used: Rory Weir
Referee: Kevin Brady (Louth)