Tony’s delight at first win of the campaign
pointed free brought Sligo level – their first score since the 22nd minute – and Niall Murphy pushed Sligo in front again, 2-6 to 1-8, after a free conversion. Murphy, who was fouled for the free, looked through on goal from a Patrick O’Connor ball over the top but the referee Kieran Eanetta surprisingly didn’t issue a card to the guitly Wicklow defender.
Wicklow levelled again, shortly after Eoghan Smith was unlucky with a long-range point attempt, as Sligo’s next two scores – brilliant points from Patrick O’Connor and Cian Lally – were also cancelled out by the visitors.
Sligo were unfortunate that Pat Spillane’s goal attempt was blocked – Darragh Cummins, Nathan Mullen and Cian Lally were instrumental in the build-up – but the rub of the green went Sligo’s way when point efforts from John Paul Nolan and Kevin Quinn went wide.
That off target shot from Wicklow full-forward Kevin Quinn, who attempted to convert a free, came in between the brace of game-changing points from Sean Carrabine.
The first of these Carrabine scores, a 67th minute point, stemmed from
Nathan Mullen’s industry and when Carrabine pointed again in the second minute of stoppage time it was Paul McNamara and substitute Donal Conlon that made it happen.
Cian Lally
Aidan Devaney (0-1, 1f), Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Nathan Mullen, Patrick O’Connor (0-1), Paul Kilcoyne, Alan McLoughlin (1-1), Eoghan Smith (0-1), Cian Lally (0-1), Pat Spillane, Sean Carrabine (0-3, 1f), Niall Murphy (c) (1-2, 1-0 pen, 2f)
Subs used: Mikey Gordon, Keelan Cawley, Donal Conlon
Subs not used: Daniel Lyons (gk), Alan Reilly, Dylan Walsh, Lee Deignan, Mark Walsh, Peter Laffey, Canice Mulligan Wicklow: Shane Doyle, Tom Moran,
Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone, Joe Prendergast, Patrick O’Keane (c) (1-0), Jacques McCall, Dean Healy (0-2), Craig Maguire, Oisin McGraynor (0-1, 1f),
John Paul Nolan, Cathal Baker, Brian Nesbitt (0-1), Kevin Quinn (0-6, 3f), Gearoid Murphy (0-1) Subs used: Jack Kirwan, Gavin Fogarty, Eoin Darcy, Conor Fee
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)
AFTER the bemusement in
Ennis came the relief in Markievicz. Sligo manager Tony McEntee was clearly and understandably annoyed by his side’s failings when losing away to Clare – a one-point loss and having two players red-carded in the second-half at Cusack Park.
The frustration continued last Sunday, this time in Sligo town, but it was a different sort of annoyance as an improved Sligo, despite leading by six points at one stage in the first period still needed two late scores from Sean Carrabine to get over the line against Wicklow.
“We knew this was going to be a battle obviously– both teams [Sligo and Wicklow] are battling to stay up and a win was essential,” said McEntee afterwards.
“Our shooting opportunities aside, we were very good going forward in a lot of our play. It was a world apart from where we were against Clare.
“We were very controlled in defence – we gave away one scoreable free inside our ‘45’ for the whole of the second-half. Credit has to go to the players for that.”
He continued: “But we still have a lot of issues regarding our shooting, taking our chances, but we are getting into the right positions.
“I’m very pleased – there was more control and much more communication on the field. I thought we had a super first-half. There were three points in it at half-time but I thought we were good value for a four or five-point lead.
“We were much more positive in how we played. The wind was also a factor – for both teams – the way it was blowing across the field meant that it was much easier to shoot from one side of the pitch.”
Wicklow were better in the second-half, marginally outscoring Sligo, 1-4 to 0-6, with Sligo then having to dig deep for their first Allianz Football League win of 2024.
“They had a couple of players who were causing us problems in the first-half, particularly Kevin Quinn, and I think we got a handle on him in the second-half.
“It was encouraging to see us keep going after they [Wicklow] missed that free that would have drawn it. We’ve turned things around from the Clare game and brought control to our game.”
The Armagh man added: “I think we are back on track again.”
Meanwhile, Wicklow boss Oisin McConville bemoaned the concession of two first-half goals. He said: “It was three or four minutes of madness and we made mistakes.
“Sligo are a good outfit and you are not going to keep them scoreless for long spells.
“We also missed chances and this [defeat] was a horrible lesson for us. We had to do so much to get ourselves into the game, we expended a lot of energy in doing that and we just couldn’t kick on.
“Our attitude and application has been second to none but this is a results business. We need to start winning matches. We didn’t win against Sligo and we didn’t win the week before [against Down].”
AFL DIVISION THREE 2024
ROUND ONE RESULTS
(Played on January 28)
Clare 0-9, Sligo 1-5; Offaly 0-10, Westmeath 1-11; Wicklow 0-13, Down 0-18; Limerick 2-7, Antrim 2-14. ROUND TWO RESULTS
(Played on Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4)
Down 3-16, Limerick 0-9; Sligo 2-10, Wicklow 1-11; Antrim 2-5, Offaly 1-7; Westmeath 1-11, Clare 0-13. ROUND THREE FIXTURES
(Sunday, February 18)
Antrim v Down; Limerick v Sligo (Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale, 2pm); Offaly v Clare; Wicklow v Westmeath.