ThePressBox How Sligo teams nearly lost two fixtures that they won Sligo’s ligo’s hurlers and footballers won but fans were left anxious throughout at Markievicz Park
BY LIAM MALONEY
IN THE same week that I discovered – much to my delight – that there’s a one hour loop of the iconic Halloween theme tune on YouTube, for repeat listens into deadline hours, Sligo GAA’s adult county teams almost served up contrasting versions of horror shows.
Last Sunday’s victory for the Gaelic footballers over Wicklow, a two-point win at a blustery Markievicz Park, was almost too close for comfort.
The day previous, Saturday, Sligo’s hurlers saw a 15-point interval lead over a battling Cavan, 4-13 to 0-10, whittled down to four points by the game’s end.
‘Sligo, bloody hell!’ (I’m paraphrasing the words of the great Sir Alex Ferguson).
To the Allianz Football League fixture first. Just two games into their return to Division Three (a tier they last featured in five years ago), it’s a little early to be talking about must-win games. But is it?
After the one-point defeat away to Clare on the Sunday before last, Sligo boss Tony McEntee maintained that this sickening outcome had seriously (but not irrevocably) damaged Sligo’s promotion chances.
It felt like it, though, especially after sitting through Sligo’s sluggish, over-and-back passing patterns and the two second-half dimissals, Luke Towey’s straight red and Paul Kilcoyne having to go off after two yellows.
Ironically, even with 13 men, Sligo almost pulled a draw from the wreckage only for Sean Carrabine’s unfortunate slip when he pulled the trigger on a ground kick (from a fair disstance out, mind you) to potentially level the score.
In the aftermath it was pondered if goalkeeper Aidan Devaney, who saved a Clare spot-kick to keep Sligo in contention, ought to have taken that stoppage time free instead of Sean Carrabine.
It was easy to muse that Sean Carrabine, this team’s Adrian Marren, was still off the boil after months out with a knee injury sustained at club level with west Sligo’s Castleconnor.
The forward scored 1-1 in Cusack Park, his soccer-esque goal finish meaning that he is straight into the Kilglass-Enniscrone United ranks when he hangs up his inter-county boots.
Clare swarmed around him, just as they did whenever team captain Niall Murphy got on the ball, and Sligo’s overall patchy display didn’t help.
As Sligo’s talisman last year and the team’s top scorer, 3-52 (55 scores, 61 points) in 15 appearances, Carrabine had nothing to prove, even after missing that free which could have turned a horrible Ennis afternoon into a palatable one.
Still, he was like a player possessed in the second-half of last Sunday’s game. His work-rate was exceptional, with him regularly back in his own half helping teammates regain the ball, and those brace of points from play that won the game were typically sharp scores.
He finished with 0-3 which, based on last year’s figures, is just one point off his average of 0-4 per fixture.
With Carrabine popping up with winning scores and the entire team playing so much better than seven days earlier, Sligo have a real chance of not just surviving at this level but pushing for those two promotion spots.
There was so much to like about parts of Sligo’s display last Sunday but they are going to have to become even more creative when attempting to break down the defensive lines in front of them, with Wicklow attempting (unsuccessfully) to mimic Clare’s blanket.
Down are likely to be promoted so that leaves Antrim, Westmeath and then (hopefully) Sligo chasing that seHcoanvdinggoldheonmbeerathd.vantage for the gsiavme eaangda, iinnstoArdnetrritmo sctoauyldinprtohveetdheicridtier, Sligo will have to beat the likes of Offaly and Limerick.
Because Sligo defeated Wicklow twice last year it would have been unusual had they not completed a hattrick of wins over the Garden county last Sunday.
But, Sligo being Sligo, they had to bring it down to the wire. Would we have it any other way, though?
Incidentally, this was Sligo’s first victory in a Division Three fixture since a 3-11 to 2-12 defeat of Derry at Markievicz Park on March 25, 2018.
Six years on, Derry are being guided by legendary manager Micky Harte and they’re currently joint-top of Division One, unbeaten after two games.
NOW then, the hurlers. Oh, the hurlers. Their way of almost letting it slip was to be 4-13 to 0-10 up at half-time in their Allianz Hurling League against Cavan (a Division 3A game) and then win by four points, 4-19 to 2-18.
Attacking brilliance that brought four first-half goals was almost undone.
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch, back in the hurling scene and again showing his prowess for this glorious sport, will rightly get the plaudits for shooting 1-6, but Sligo’s unsung hero was Conor Griffin.
When Sligo’s top scorer had to go off after 41 minutes, after picking up a knock, it was worrying how Sligo were unable to cope without him.
Having a fit and firing Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch available is crucial for Sligo because he is essentially taking over from last year’s leading scorer, Andrew Kilcullen, who is heading to Australia shortly.
Andrew’s absence means that Killeenduff (my townland) will only have his very capable brother, Niall, as its only county hurler. (The skilful McHughs, Joe and Rory, are from the next townland over, Ballymeeney).
As Andrew swaps a hurley for a boomerang, leaves his Easkey neighbours for a possible guest appearance on Neighbours and practices his ‘G’day, mate’, The PressBox wishes him a safe journey Down Under.
Don’t enjoy it too much, Andrew, there are still a lot more goals and points for you to get back home.