Hurlers wrap up campaign with a fourth victory
SLIGO’S Senior hurlers completed their promotion season in style last Saturday when beating Monaghan by two points, 0-21 to 0-19, at Inniskeen.
Despite having secured the Allianz Hurling League Division 3A title the previous weekend thanks to their 1-18 to 0-14 away defeat of Tyrone, Sligo travelled to Monaghan with the intent of maintaining their unbeaten run – one that had also seen high-scoring home wins recorded against Armagh and Longford. Manager Padraig Mannion, who was at the helm for last year’s Division 3B final triumph over Leitrim, opted to rejig his starting XV for the game in Monaghan.
Key defenders Rory McHugh and James Weir were on the bench, so too regular midfielder Tony O’Kelly-Lynch, while there were starts in attack for Fionn Moylan and Arthur Wall. Given these changes, the fact that Sligo didn’t have to win and Monaghan’s ambition not to end their Division 3A season with a home loss, it was understandable that the champions didn’t have it all their own way.
Indeed, Sligo trailed 0-5 to 0-2 by the first-half water break and they were two points down at half-time, 0-11 to 0-9.
Among the scorers for the visitors in the first-half were Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (0-4, all frees), Joe McHugh (0-2), Finnian Cawley and Kieran Prior.
Sligo brought on Kevin Banks and Conor Hannify for the second-half – Hannify, a
SLIGO’S SCORERS
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A
53 POINTS: Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (5-38, 33f, 2-0 pen, 2 ‘65’); 16 POINTS: Joe McHugh (2-10, 1f); EIGHT POINTS: Thomas Cawley (1-5); SEVEN POINTS: Conor Hannify (0-7), Kevin Banks (0-7); SIX POINTS: Tony O’Kelly-Lynch (0-6); FOUR POINTS: Finnian Cawley (0-4); THREE POINTS: Michael Munnelly (0-3); TWO POINTS: Fionn Moylan, Kieran Prior; ONE POINT:
Rory McHugh.
SLIGO’S RESULTS
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A
Played on Saturday, May 22
ROUND TWO: Sligo 2-24, Armagh 1-18
Played on Saturday, May 29
ROUND THREE: Sligo 5-23, Longford 2-19
Played on Saturday, June 12
ROUND FOUR: Tyrone 0-14, Sligo 1-18
Played on Saturday, June 19
ROUND FIVE: Monaghan 0-19, Sligo 0-21
brother of wing-back Mark, who started – impacted by shooting 0-5 in the second period. Tony O’Kelly-Lynch and James Weir were later sprung from the bench as Sligo overturned the deficit, were then pegged back, went behind again before gaining control in the closing stages.
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch finished as Sligo’s leading shooter in this year’s Allianz Hurling League – he scored 5-38 (53 points) from four games. Sligo’s next highest scorer was Joe McHugh, who tallied 2-10.
Afterwards the AHL Division 3A Cup was presented to Sligo captain Niall Feehily by Tubbercurry’s John Murphy, Connacht GAA president.
According to updated stats from Darragh Cox, part of Sligo’s management team, Sligo have won 13 of their 14 Allianz Hurling League games over the last three seasons (2019-21). The only loss was after extra-time.
Sligo’s next competitive fixture is in the third tier of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship – a Christy Ring Cup Group ‘B’ play-off against Offaly on Saturday, July 3, at Markievicz Park.
Sligo (v Monaghan): Matt Davey, Darragh Cawley, Niall Feehily (c), Niall Kilcullen, Mark Hannify, Gavin Connolly, Daniel Rolston, Kevin O’Kennedy, Kieran