Coolera/Strandhill produced the
performance of the season so far with an eleven-point victory over Tourlestrane
to claim the Fureys Coaches Sligo football league Div 1 title in Markievicz
Park on Saturday evening,
The victory bridged a 64 year gap to the
club’s last victory in the competition and ended a run that has seen Tourlestrane
lift the last six league and championship titles in Sligo club football.
The victory was built on Coolera’s strength
around the middle of the park where Peter Laffey dominated but the game will be
remembered most for captain Niall Murphy’s scoring return of 1-10.
His 42nd minute goal opened
out a decisive margin in the game, but he gave the Tourlestrane full back line
a torrid time from start to finish with 1-6 of his total coming from play.
Playing with the breeze, the winners
showed their intent from the start with five unanswered points in the first 14
minutes – two each from Murphy and Conor Burke and a point from Aaron O’Boyle.
Liam Gaughan had Tourlestrane’s first
score after 15 minutes and it was tit for tat for the remainder of the half as Guaghan
again and Brian Egan, twice – one a free, pointed for the reigning champions
while Ross Doherty and Murphy twice – one a free – did so for Coolera-Strandhill.
Both sides had goal chances with Tourlestrane
keeper Adam Broe twice denying Leo Doherty while at the other end it took the
crossbar to deny Brian Egan as the sides reached halftime with Coolera-Strandhill
four points up, 0-8 to 0-4.
Tourlestrane had to play the opening
stages of the second half with 14 men as James Leonard was black carded just before
the break, but the play continued in a similar fashion to the latter stages of
the first half with Conan Marren and Egan, from a free, keeping tabs with three
Murphy points for Coolera-Strandhill, one a free and one after a mark.
Although they had never been behind,
Murphy’s goal 12 minutes into the second half gave his side the breathing space
their efforts deserved as he finished decisively to the top corner of the net
to open out an eight point advantage, 1-11 to 0-6, that they were never likely
to lose on the evidence of the day.
Gaughan and Murphy exchanged pointed
frees and Kenny Gavigan had a point for Tourlestrane to leave it 1-12 to 0-8
with ten minutes to play.
With the defending champions chasing
the goals that were needed to have any chance of recovering the deficit, it was
the victors who finished the stronger with two further points from man of the
match Murphy and one each for Ross Doherty and substitute Ciaran Flynn to
complete a 1-16 to 0-8 victory.
Coolera-Strandhill; Gerard Murphy; Luke Bree, Conor McDonagh, Jonathan
Cassidy; Seán Murphy, Ross O’Carroll, Leo Doherty; Kevin Banks, Peter Laffey;
Aaron O’Boyle (0-1), Barry O’Mahony, Ross Doherty (0-2); Mark McDaniel, Niall
Murphy (1-10, 3f 1m), Conor Burke (0-2).
Subs; Cillian McCahey, Ciaran Flynn (0-1), Donncha
Beirne, Jarlath Herbert, Ben Cawley.
Tourlestrane; Adam Broe; JP Lang,
Ronan Walsh, Barry Walsh; Oisín Kennedy, Kevin O’Hara, James Leonard; Conan
Marren (0-1), Féidhlim O’Donnell; Kenny Gavigan (0-1), Rian Kennedy, Cathal
Henry; Liam Gaughan (0-3 1f), Niall Egan, Brian Egan (0-3 2f).
Substitutes used; Gary Gaughan, Colin
Neary.
REFEREE; Michael Duffy.