Magnificent
Sligo seal memorable win
Sligo 0-11
Mayo 0-10
By Cathal
Mullaney
After
years of close calls, unfortunate losses and indifferent results, Sligo’s
barren spell at under-18 level is over.
A
gutsy and skilful display from the home side at Quigabar sealed a memorable
one-point win over Mayo, and thus handed Aidan Rooney’s side a first Connacht
Minor League title since 1984.
This
historic victory was sealed in the dying moments when, two minutes into
injury-time, substitute Alan McLoughlin fired over from 30 metres – Sligo’s
fifth point on the bounce – and sent a sizable home support wild. The wait was
finally over. Sligo were Connacht Minor League champions.
On
a breezy evening at the home of the Enniscrone/Kilglass club, the foundation
for Sligo’s success was laid in a gutsy opening period. Facing into the teeth
of the breeze, a superb work-rate and relentless tackling paid dividends for
the home side, meaning they only trailed by five points at the interval, 0-7 to
0-2.
The
collective will by Sligo in the opening half to work back and turn possession
over was indicative of the hard-working streak this side possesses. Limiting a
dangerous Mayo attack to seven points was a terrific return, and with two
excellent scores from Liam Gaughan and Kyle Cawley, Sligo had a platform to
build on going into the second period.
Although
they started rather slowly in the second half, remarkably, eight of Sligo’s
nine second half points came from an industrious backline.
Finnian
Cawley, once again the talisman, scored with four excellent long-range efforts,
while captain Eddie McGuinness also contributed a marvellous point.
Brian
Mahon and Nathan Mullen (2) also drove forward to register scores, and the way
in which Sligo won was thrilling.
Trailing
by four points, 0-6 to 0-10, with eight minutes remaining, Sligo clicked into
gear. Other teams might have crumbled, but a wind-assisted Sligo battled and
reeled off five unanswered points to claim the title.
Cawley
scored twice within the final eight minutes, while Eddie McGuinness and Nathan
Mullen also fired over.
With
the game in injury-time, the final opportunity fell to substitute Alan
McLoughlin who managed to slice the posts with a fine effort to send the home
support into delirium.
Sligo
are Connacht Minor League champions. And this is only the beginning.
Sligo:
E Kilgannon; B Mahon (0-1), E McGuinness(0-1), M O’Dowd; N Mullen(0-2), F
Cawley (0-4), S Power; P Kilcoyne, K Banks; L Gaughan(0-1, 1f), R Kennedy, S
Carrabine; K Cawley (0-1), N Rooney, M Gordon. Subs used: D Cummins for
Carrabine (16), P O’Connor for Rooney (39), A McLoughlin (0-1) for Banks (54),
J McHugh for Kennedy (59). Subs not used: C McGovern, A Kearns, O Gilmartin, D
Leonard, D O’Hara, D Murphy, R Lang, C Walsh, S Tighe.