Masters maintain unbeaten run in series
ROUND 4 All-Ireland Championship SLIGO 0-12 Mayo 1-08
SLIGO Masters maintained their unbeaten run in the All-Ireland series with a thrilling 0-12 to 1-08 win over 2016 and ’17 All-Ireland champions, Mayo. This game had everything from great scores to high fielding to hard-hitting. While the home side were good value for the win, some suspect shooting saw them fail to capitalise on long periods of dominance. A resurgent Mayo very nearly caught them in the home straight, but Sligo held out for a valuable win in Ballymote.
It started ominously for Sligo when a quick free over the top catching the Sligo rear-guard napping and Joe Heneghan punished with a well-taken goal for the game’s opening score. Sligo went on to dominate the remainder of the half, but had trouble breaking down the packed Mayo defence. A glut of wides suggested it wasn’t going to be Sligo’s day, but they kept at it with Paul Taylor and Dessie Sloyan registering their first two points.
Mayo went two clear from a free, before a great score from full-forward Fergal Kelly from the right. Mayo scored from nearly every attack, hitting 1-03 in the first half, with points from Dermot Browne and Sean Davey keeping Sligo in touch. At half-time, despite Sligo owning the ball for much of the 30 minutes, Mayo led 1-3 to 0-05. Sligo had spurned two glorious goal chances in that period too.
Sligo took up where they left off, in control of possession. A beauty from Dessie Sloyan tied matters up. Mayo were struggling to get their hands on the ball with Sligo totally dominant in midfield, and points from Paul Taylor, Dermot Browne, Michael Moyles, and Dessie Sloyan saw them surge 0-10 to 1-03 up. It should have been more but for some wayward kicking.
In the last ten minutes Mayo fought back well and started to get some momentum. Driving at the Sligo back-line, points from Kevin Filan, Fergal Kelly and Eugene O’Toole got them back in touching distance but points from Paul Taylor and Dessie Sloyan saw Sligo home.
A great block on the goal-line by Francis Candon stopped what would have been a winning Mayo goal at the death.
Ronan Keane and Gerry Monaghan’s charges now look likely to secure an All-Ireland semi-final berth, needing to win one of their two remaining matches against Westmeath and Galway to ensure that.
This side has shown remarkable heart in their last two games to pull out one-point wins against both Roscommon and Mayo.
An Interesting aside was the participation of three former Sligo Rovers’ stalwarts, Sligo Masters’ Johnny Kenny and Jim Sheridan, and John Jordan for Mayo. One of the highlights of the game was a neat piece of trickery from Kenny as he controlled a ball to the right wing with his foot before back-heeling it behind the close-marking Mayo corner back, turning and collecting it.
SLIGO Squad (rolling subs): Goalkeepers: Colin Gordon, Fintan Kennedy. Defenders: Declan Cawley, Damien Kelly, Mark Boland, Morgan McCormack, David Durkin (C), Mark Cosgrove, Blair Foley, Francis Candon, Thomas Rolston, David Killoran. Midfield: Con O’Meara, Michael Moyles, Nigel Clancy, Paul Durcan. Forwards: Sean Davey, Paul Taylor, Eamonn Cawley, Dessie Sloyan, Fergal Kelly, Johnny Kenny, Dermot Browne, Neil Smyth, Martin Nealon, Gary Mullen.