Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup ATU Sligo lose to Connacht rivals Con O’Meara’s charges fail to score in the second-half as they make Sigerson Cup exit
Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup – Round 2B ATU Sligo 0-6 University of Galway 0-14
THERE was a time when ATU Sligo – then IT Sligo – were Sigerson Cup specalists, winning three titles in four years (2002-05). Nowadays getting to the quarter-finals would be a big deal.
This year the second round was their lot as last Wednesday’s 0-14 to 0-6 home defeat to their Connacht rivals, University of Galway, ended ATU Sligo’s interest in the Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup for yet another campaign.
In many ways the eight-point defeat in wintry conditions at Ballinode was as frustrating as their round one loss away to St Mary’s University College.
ATU Sligo suffered a one-point loss in Belfast and could have done more against St Mary’s – at home, against University of Galway, ATU Sligo only really played for the first-half.
Level at half-time against this season’s HE GAA Senior Football League Division One champions, 0-6 to 0-6, ATU Sligo failed to score in the second-half.
It was during the second period that University of Galway showed the class that brought them Ryan Cup honours last November and eight unanswered points sent them into the next round.
ATU Sligo started with nine Sligo men – Ciaran O’Reilly, Mark Walsh,
The number of points that ATU Sligo scored in their two Sigerson Cup fixtures this year.
Dylan Walsh, Joseph Keaney, Dylan McDermott, Ross Doherty, Jack Lavin, Daire O’Boyle and Jack Davitt. One of these nine, Owenmore Gaels’ Mark Walsh, was the hosts’ most influential player.
University of Galway featured Canice Mulligan (St Patrick’s) and Evan Lyons (Shamrock Gaels) in their defence and it was the Galway outfit’s attacking talent, including Mayo duo Tommy Conroy and Ryan O’Donoghue, plus Galway’s Cillian Ó Curraoin, that made the difference.
ATU Sligo opened the scoring with a point from their captain Aaron Kellaghan, who is an Offaly senior player.
During a tit-for-tat first-half, ATU Sligo kept in touch via pointed frees from Jack Lavin and Mark Walsh’s point from play – arguably the outstanding score of the opening period – made it 0-5 apiece after 15 minutes.
Although the next quarter was a scrappy phase, with just one point each, ATU Sligo would have been hopeful as they were on level terms going into the interval. Their firsthalf points came from Jack Lavin (2), Jack Davitt, Mark Walsh, Aaron Kellaghan and Daire O’Boyle. But the second-half belonged to the visitors who made up for their shock first round loss to TU Dublin.
Meanwhile, the two teams that defeated ATU Sligo recently – St Mary’s University College and University of Galway – met in the third round on Tuesday night. University of Galway won by a point, 0-11 to 1-7, to progress to the quarter-finals.
Joseph Keaney, Dylan McDermott, Evan Ivers, Aaron Kellaghan
(0-1), Ross Doherty, Jack Lavin (0-2, 2f), Daire O’Boyle (0-1, 1f), Jack Davitt (0-1)
Subs used: Dylan Thornton, Jack Ferguson, Cormac Reilly, Matt Gillespie, Josh Ellis
Liam Brady, Conor Dunleavy, Evan Lyons,
Colin Murray (0-1), Rory Egan, Canice Mulligan, Daniel Flaherty (0-1), James McLoughlin, Paul
Kelly (0-2), Liam Ó Conghaile
(0-2), Tommy Conroy (0-1),
Cian Monaghan (0-2), Cathal Sweeney, Ryan O’Donoghue (02, 2f), Cillian Ó Curraoin (0-3,
2f, 1 ‘45’)
Subs used: Ryan Monaghan, Diarmuid Kilcommons,
Mark McInerney, Dylan
Brady
Referee: Paul Lydon
(Mayo)
BREAKING BALL: ATU Sligo forwards Daire O’Boyle and Jack Davitt (number 15) look to win possession at the expense of University of Galway defender Evan Lyons during last Wednesday’s Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup game at ATU Sligo’s pitch in Ballinode. All three are Sligo natives – O’Boyle plays for Calry-St Joseph’s, with Davitt from St Molaise Gaels and Lyons a member of Shamrock Gaels.