Win for Ladies
SLIGO 2- 14 LEITRIM 3- 8
Sligo ladies opened the defence of their TG4 Connacht Intermediate championship when they made the trip to take on neighbours Leitrim in Drumshanbo on Sunday. It was the home side who registered the first score of the game Aine Tighe pointing on her return from long- term injury. After that Sligo were awarded a penalty when Stephanie O’Reilly was pulled down in the box. Denise McGrath dispatched the spot kick to the top right hand corner to give Sligo a two point lead. From the kick out Sligo worked the ball back to McGrath and again she finished to the bottom corner of the net, Sinead Naughton then pointed for Sligo to extend the lead to six points. Leitrim were on the back foot but managed to get two more points from Aine Tighe before again Sligo took back control of the game with two points each from Ciara Gorman, Denise McGrath and Emma Keavney and one from Stephanie O’Reilly to leave the score at halftime Sligo 2- 07 Leitrim 0- 03.
Aine Tighe opened the scoring for Leitrim when she pointed from 35 yards, Gorman and Emma Guckian exchange points for both sides, Sligo then hit three in a row through Ciara Gorman, Sarah Reynolds and Stephanie O’Reilly before Grainne O’Loughlin was controversially sinbined to give Leitrim the vantage. Within a minute they had a goal and a point before Sligo conceded a penalty which was dispatched. Michelle Hession notched two more points for Leitrim as they were closing the gap and reduced it to just two points. Sligo held out and Elaine O’Reilly pointed with the last kick of the game to give Sligo a three- point win.
Next up for Sligois Roscommon, they will play them on the 17th of June with all three counties fighting for their place in the Connacht final on the 2nd of July in McHale Park Castlebar. Speaking after the game Paddy Henry said Sligo still have a lot of work to do if they want to win the Intermediate title and that Leitrim were unlucky not to get the win in the end.