Sligo lose to Meath
DOGGED SLIGO PUT ON A DETERMINED SHOW AGAINST HOSTS MEATH BUT THE DIVISION 2 SIDE PROGRESS TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE QUALIFIERS AS SLIGO BOW OUT
SLIGO were sent out of this year’s All-Ireland Championship after their opponents Meath finished stronger in Páirc Tailteann, Navan, on Saturday evening. The game, in front of a large crowd of 7,212, saw flutters of decent play from both sides with the hosts securing their first win in the Qualifiers since 2011.
Niall Carew’s men tried desperately to claw back Meath’s slight advantage in the dying stages but it wasn’t to be with the Royals edging out two point winners.
It looked certain the game was going to extra-time when substitute David Kelly saw his shot heading for the Meath goal, but James Toher saved off the line and Kelly’s resultant rebound sailed over.
The sensational Charie Harrison having to leave due to injury and the black card for Brendan Egan both in the second half were turning points for the Yeats men, who despite being underdogs showed Meath they were more than capable for this physical fight.
Sligo had defeated Antrim prior to this encounter in their first round of this year’s Qualifiers, while Meath were sent into them by a nine-point defeat to Kildare in the Leinster Championship.
The sides were level on five occasions in the first half with the game’s only goal, arriving through Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch on 30 minutes, proving the difference at the break.
The ball hadn’t even been thrown in by referee Noel Mooney and he had produced a yellow card to Meath’s Brian Power for flailing Mark Breheny to the ground.
It was Curry’s Adrian Marren who scored all of the visitors’ opening four points, three from frees and one from a 45.
James McEntee got the host’s debut score, with a free from Donal Lenihan and a fine point from play from midfielder Ronan Jones as they led by thee points to one before Marren struck three unanswered points to sway the scoreboard in Sligo’s favour with 17 minutes played.
On 19 minutes, Pat Hughes was lurking near the Meath goal, the Geevagh man, despite the Meath defence’s attention, did well to try and score before his shot was blocked by Paddy O’Rourke in the Meath goal, Hughes then pointing the rebound.
The sides were level for the fourth time in this half after Meath’s Bryan Menton and Shane McEntee set up captain Graham Reilly who pointed from play to leave it five points each on 22 minutes.
There was a lot of fouling from both in this half and Meath’s Lenihan edged the hosts in front once again on 24 minutes from a close-range free.
Meath’s Cillian O’Sullivan looked lively and he was threatening near the Sligo goal, with Aidan Devaney called upon to collect for Sligo.
It was level again on 26 minutes when Niall Murphy pointed from play, then John Kelly was involved in the build-up play along with Paddy O’Connor who sought out O’Kelly-Lynch who netted to put Sligo 1-6 to six ahead at the interval. Both sides swapped wides after the re- sumption, with the influential Reilly getting his second three minutes into the second half, Toher and Seán Tobin involved. Sligo’s Adrian McIntyre was working hard for the visitors intercepting Meath attacks as Sligo tried to find their first score of
this half. Their lead was reduced to one point on 41 minutes when Cillian O’Sullivan pointed from play, 1-6 to eight, while Sligo needed a point.
This came through the hard-working O’Kelly-Lynch on 43 minutes, good work from Murphy in the build-up. Meath responded down the field with another attack, this time it was Sligo’s Keelan Cawley who made an important intercept.
On 46 minutes, Harrison, who was having an out-standing game for the Yeats men, had to leave through injury, as Noel Gaughan entered the fray.
Lenihan sent a blistering shot over as one separated them, the Meath crowd cheering loudly.
Kyle Cawley, showing his pace, was introduced for Sligo on 47 minutes as Meath were capitalising on a number of fouling errors from the visitors.
A Sligo mistake at gifting possession to Meath saw Tobin point the equaliser on 53 minutes as the Meath support cheered their approval.
Hughes had a chance for Sligo but it dropped short into O’Rourke’s hands. Then on 55 minutes, Egan who was injured after impacting with Reilly, was shown a black card as momentum was building for Meath. McIntyre caught a Lenihan attempt on the line as captain Neil Ewing, on a decisive run, pointed from play to put the Yeats men a point in front with 12 minutes to go.
Then, another turning point came with less ten minutes remaining, the introduction of Michael Newman for the Royals and he would prove a thorn for Sligo. He immediately pointed a foul on Ruaírí ó Coileáin to level the game with six minutes left on the clock. The Kilmainham man scored again two minutes later as the hosts led once again.
Sligo were trying hard to relinquish the advantage but two from Tobin had three between them as the death knell loomed for Sligo. Then Kelly’s chance was saved off the line as Meath took the victory by the skin of their teeth.
LOOK IT WAS THERE FOR US. WE PUT INA BIG PERFORMANCE LIKE I KNEW WE WOULD AND YOU KNOW WE HAD OUR PERIOD OF DOMINANCE INTHE SECONDHALF AND WE JUST DIDN’T TAKE THE CHANCES.