NFL D4 Sligo 0-16 v Waterford 2-12

Back 22/02/2020 @ 21:55 | mainnews | NFL D4 Sligo 0-16 v Waterford 2-12

It was major disappointment again in Markievicz Park today, 6 days after Aughrim. A late change on Friday night meant we also had another reminder of that visit as the same referee was appointed for the fixture.

The pitch was in excellent condition with a strong cross field breeze , at times veering into the dressing rooms corner. As the ball was thrown in and Sligo playing into the dressing room end, a downpour of hail and sleet started and continued for 15 minutes. Barry Gorman started in the place of Nathan Mullen who missed out due to the bereavement of his grandmother for whom a minutes silence took place beforehand. Barry had the first point of the game and this was followed by a Jason Curry free with Red Óg Murphy responding in the 14th minute. Liam Gaughan extended the lead from a free and the roving Stephen Curry replied from play. In the space of the next two minutes Gerard O'Kelly Lynch was back carded and 2 minutes later was followed to the bin by the Waterford full forward Corcoran who would turn out to be the game winner. Sligo hit a good spell though Red Óg was unlucky with a goal effort, he pointed a mark, followed by a Seán Carrabine and Paul Kilcoyne points from play to lead 5 v 3 after 23 minutes. 

Cian Lally and a Barry Gorman mark extended the lead but two Stephen Gleeson points for the visitors but as the half came to an end Liam Gaughan from play and Paddy O'Connor free saw Sligo lead 0-9 v 0-6. 

The second half saw continued good attacks, however in the first nine minutes of the half the team struck 4 wides on the trot. Liam Gaughan scored a free followed by another Gorman score to extend the lead out to 4 points when driving run out of defence by Dylan Guiry ended with a pass to the onrushing Seanie O'Donovan from centre back to drive to the net. Sligo responded well though with points from a Gaughan free and a Pat Hughes pile driver that had left the keeper rooted to the spot. Two Waterford frees reduced the deficit but a Cian Breheny effort in the 25th minutes moved the lead out to two. 

In the 28th minute Guiry made another strong run and put the ball low into the Sligo net. The Sligo response was again as it should be with an equaliser within a minute from Darragh Cummins. Curry scored a free to put Waterford in front in the 33rd minute responded to by another Gaughan free. Sligo had a chance at the start of injury time of 4 minutes to go up by one but pulled the effort wide. Waterford who had an extra man for the last 16 minutes after John Francis Carr got two yellows made the extra man count with two points from Corcoran to win by 2. 

Next weekend Sligo travel to Wexford 

Sligo - A Devaney, JF Carr, E McGuinness, M Gordon; B.Gorman (0-3, 2mark), P McNamara, S Carrabine (0-1); P O’Connor (0-1, 1f), P Kilcoyne(0-1) G O’Kelly Lynch, N Ewing, K.Cawley,  L Gaughan (0-5, 4f), C Lally (0-1), Red Óg Murphy (0-1, 1mark). Subs: D.Cumins (0-1) for Ewing, P Hughes (0-1) for Lally, E.McHugh for Gordon, C.Breheny (0-1) for Cawley, D Quinn for Kilcoyne