Longford deployed every player behind the ball leaving us struggling to deal with the game
MATHEMATICALLY promotion is still possible for Sligo footballers but it would take an unlikely set of results to get us there. In order for us to have any real chance considering the remaining fixtures with the highest placed teams playing each other,
Antrim would need to go to the Gaelic Grounds in Armagh and get a result next Saturday night.
That’s probably wishful thinking and unfortunately our fate is now looking more downwards. The bottom line for us, a win against Offaly keeps us safe, however a loss would bring us into the middle of the relegation scenario.
Now back to last Sunday where we lost by three points, which all but ended our promotion bid. I have to say I left Longford feeling quite dejected with the quality of our performance.
The only positive for me was that we played to the final whistle and similarly to Antrim if we had scored our frees, the result could have been different. Once again a sending off had a big say with Charlie receiving a second yellow on the stroke of half time, and considering the way we were playing it left us with a mountain to climb.
Stephen Coen’s’ two goals kept us in a game where we were outplayed in the first half, with once again the opposition deploying every player behind the ball, which we struggle with.
It’s probably a compliment that teams are playing this way against us as they are aware of our scoring potential, but teams have figured out that we don’t like this and struggle to break it down.
I felt Longford tactically did well last Sunday, slowing us down, either giving away frees when we tried to break or play on the line physically.
This enabled them to get set up at the back, with more times than not every player behind the ball. We struggled to break the advantage line to create an overlap and didn’t do things smartly.
When Longford turned us over they did it quickly, but I felt we let them do this too easily, with them ghosting past us regularly with no one putting a finger on them.
There is no doubt we can expect exactly the same next week in this must win game at Markievicz against Offaly.
The good news from a Niall Carew point of view is that he will know what to expect and work on tactics this week to counteract it.
With Pat Hughes getting back to fitness it may give him a different option to mix things up in this depart- ment, however we need to do things more clinically quicker, as was done in the lead up to Coen’s first goal last Sunday.
We now must look at all the good things that achieved us the five points thus far, implementing them more consistently and start eliminating the play that lost us five points.
Over the past couple of years we have dealt with this situation well when under pressure needing a result and I expect a well improved performance at home next Sunday which will be required, as by all accounts Offaly responded well from the tanking they received from Armagh the game previous and demonstrated that they aren’t ready to throw in the towel yet after testing Tipperary last weekend.
Former Sligo manager Pat Flanagan is by all accounts under serious pressure from within his own county and anything but a result in favour of his side will mean relegation back down to Division Four for them.
You can be assured with his inside knowledge of the Sligo setup he will feel there is points for the taking.
I expect though that we will seal their fate on Sunday and you never know Antrim may do the unexpected that would keep our promotion door ajar heading into the final round of games.
Tomorrow night in Kiltoom our under 21 team take on Roscommon in the Connacht semi- final,
This is a promising team with a number of prominent senior players forming the back bone of the side.
After a good showing in the Northwest Cup, Sligo have aspirations this year and even though this wouldn’t be a fancied Roscommon team they are always still hard defeated at this venue.
Hopefully a place in the Connacht final will give everyone a boost leading into this important Offaly fixture next Sunday.