Positive show from hurlers
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch marks his return to the Sligo senior hurling team by bagging 1-9 in a thrilling loss to Roscommon
SLIGO’S senior hurlers appeared on the brink of their first win under new boss Stephen Sheil in Bank Holiday Monday’s Connacht GAA Senior Hurling League preliminary round fixture against Roscommon.
But the unfortunate concession of two goals in stoppage time – Sean Canning and Mickey Joe Egan each goaled – toppled Sligo and they ended up losing by three points, 3-23 to 2-23, indoors at the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome in Bekan.
Similar sloppiness outdoors will be similarly punished in Division 3A of the Allianz Hurling League, with Sligo getting their season under way on Saturday, February 3, when hosting Cavan.
Despite this disappointing outcome on New Year’s Day, which meant that Sligo didn’t progress to the competition’s semi-final last night (Wednesday) against Mayo, there were several positive aspects for Carlow man Sheil.
Brilliant hurler Gerard O’KellyLynch, who spent 2023 with the Sligo senior Gaelic footballers, was back in the fold, so too his brother Tony, who opted out of the panel last year, and they tallied 1-16 between them. Fullforward Geard notched 1-9, with his goal coming at the end of the first-half, and Tony, who started at centre-forward, contributed 0-7.
Three of their siblings, Liam, Fergal and Robert, also featured in this game – a unique first for Sligo GAA to have five brothers in a county team at senior level (or, indeed, at any level). Fergal and Liam O’Kelly-Lynch got starts at corner-forward and wingback respectively, while Robert, who is expected to concentrate on his Sligo U-20 Gaelic football commitments in the coming months, came off the bench at the start of the second-half.
Former Kilkenny minor
Eddie O’Donoghue also made a welcome return following injury, Michael Munnelly was back and there were senior debuts for five up and coming talents – the aforementioned Robert O’Kelly-Lynch (Naomh Eoin), Donnchadh O’Brien (Naomh Eoin), Oisin Hennessy (Coolera-Strandhill), Adam Rolston (Easkey) and Jack Feeney (Coolera-Strandhill).
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s scoring threat will be needed this year especially if last year’s leading shooter, Easkey’s Andrew Kilcullen, becomes unavailable if he goes travelling abroad.
Sligo, who held a two-point interval lead, 1-14 to 1-12, featured a new goalkeeper – Michael O’Callaghan from Calry-St Joseph’s. The influential Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch set up Sligo’s second goal which was scored by wing-forward Donnchadh O’Brien.
Although he watched his team surrender a four-point lead and then lose by three points, Sligo manager
Stephen Sheil was upbeat afterwards.
After all, a host of familiar names were missing – the likes of the Kicullens (Andrew and Niall), Niall Feehily, Joe McHugh, Fionn Connolly, Kevin O’Kennedy and Eoghan Rua McGowan.
“It was a good performance from the lads on the first day of January – they put in an effort. They put in a serious effort and that’s what we were looking for and that’s what we asked of them,” Sheil stated.
“There were a couple of sucker punches for us at the end but that’s hurling for you. The U-20 players who’ve come into the panel are putting in a big effort in training and they’ll be pushing for starting places.”
Sheil said that he hopes to have a near full-strength panel in the coming weeks. He also praised Gerard
O’Kelly-Lynch, who scored 10 of Sligo’s 25 scores. “He [Gerard] is an excellent hurler and a serious player, whether it is in hurling or football.
“We had five O’Kelly-Lynch brothers involved – I know that must be some sort of a record for Sligo. This was a learning day, our first competitive game – we have work to do but it was a good stepping stone.”
It was also a first outing of the year for Roscommon, who are in Division 2B of the Allianz Hurling League, a level above Sligo, and the Rossies had a new manager at the helm, Kevin Sammon. The winners’ firepower came from top scorer Paddy Fallon, who scored 1-10, and Mickey Joe Egan, the supplier of 1-8.
Best for Sligo: Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch Sligo: Michael O’Callaghan, Cian Flynn,
Conor Griffin, Oisin Hennessy, Donal Keaveney, Rory McHugh (0-1), Liam O’KellyLynch, Michael Munnelly (0-2), Brian Shannon, Donnchadh O’Brien (1-1), Tony O’Kelly-Lynch (0-7), Darragh Flynn (0-1), Thomas Cawley (0-2), Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (1-9, 7f, 1 ‘65’), Fergal O’Kelly-Lynch
Subs used: Robert O’Kelly-Lynch, Eddie O’Donoghue, Adam Rolston, Jack Feeney Sub not used: Marc Gray
Roscommon: Enda Lawless, Mark Ward, James Dillon, Thomas Fleming, Michael Hussey, Jimmy Hoey, Jack Dowling (0-1), Mickey Joe Egan (c) (1-8), Darragh Finn (0-1), Liam Og Murray, Adam Donnelly, Paddy Fallon (1-10, 6f), Cathal Geraghty (01), Robbie Fallon (0-1, 1 sideline), Cormac Mulry
Subs used: Darragh Mullen, Sean Canning (1-1), Chulainn Dowd, Cathal Crehan, James Hardiman, Jack Naughton
Referee: Conor Quinlan (Galway)
10 The number of scores (1-9) from Sligo forward Gerard O’KellyLynch against Roscommon.