Hurlers suffer in the rain as Mayo prove stronger in AHL final
Allianz Hurling League Division 3A Final Sligo Mayo
would have learned from that loss, with Stephen Sheil’s charges boosted by a semi-final defeat of Cavan.
The concession of three goals undermined Sligo’s hopes – although the men in black did score three goals of their own – and a second-half knee injury to midfielder Fionn Moylan also disrupted Sligo’s flow. Moylan scored a huge point and also set up Thomas Cawley for Sligo’s first goal prior to his unfortunate, unforced exit.
While Sligo had brought the margin down to three points in the 10th minute of additional time, with substitute Conor Griffin’s close-range goal a pivotal part of this late surge, Mayo were ahead on the scoreboard and always one or two steps ahead on the pitch. Sligo also suffered because of half a dozen wides and at least four point attempts that were dropped short into the reach of Mayo goalkeeper Bobby Douglas.
Conditions were dreadful for the players as Sligo settled better and by the 10th minute they were 0-4 to 0-3 in front. Two of Sligo’s early scores came from free-taker Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch, who finished with 0-8 (although no scores from play),
Finnian Cawley found the target after a neat interchange with Fionn Connolly, with Rory McHugh, who started at midfield, also scoring. This was the only time that Sligo would be ahead.
Shortly after Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s second point of the day Mayo goaled through Eoin Delaney, who got a pass from John Heraty. By the 18th minute Sligo were seven points adrift, 2-5 to 0-4, because the home side, energised by that Delaney goal and also fuelled by Cormac Phillips’ ability to win possession and use it well, tacked on a further 1-2.
Mayo’s second goal was a shot lashed home by Shane Boland after he picked up a pass from Cormac
Phillips. Between the 19th minute and the 30th minute Sligo finally put together some cohesive patterns. Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch converted two frees and there were fine points from play by Fionn Moylan, Michael Munnelly and Thomas Cawley, who benefited from Rory McHugh’s quickly-taken free.
Mayo’s only response during Sligo’s impressive spell was a point by Eoin Delaney but the hosts, who had seen their lead cut to three points, 2-6 to 0-9, responded without four points on the bounce. Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s fifth pointed free of the wet afternoon was Sligo’s final score of the first-half as Sligo, who were struggling to gain a foothold, went in at the break six points down, 2-10 to 0-10.
Sligo can console themselves with the fact that they outscored Mayo,