Sligo’s senior footballers recorded their
third win in this year’s Allianz National Football League Division 4 with a comfortable
seven-point victory over London in Ruislip on Sunday last.
In truth, Sligo were never in danger after
a rapid opening that saw them post an opening 1-2 in the opening seven minutes before
London got on the scoreboard.
They controlled possession for long
periods and the Yeats County, for the second week in a row, will be frustrated
that they didn’t get more on the scoreboard.
The
game opened with Sligo, playing with the breeze, working openings for David
Quinn to slot two excellent long-range points from play.
With the visitors dominating possession
and territory, they created a one-on-one situation for attacker Sean Carrabine
who was taken down in the penalty area with a high tackle from the London goalkeeper
which resulted in penalty that was expertly converted by Patrick O'Connor.
London eventually got on the scoreboard
after 11 minutes with a point from play by Aidan McLoughlin quickly followed by a free
from Christopher Farley who would emerge as his side’s top scored on the day with
three points – all from frees.
Niall Murphy and Alan Reilly added points
to assert Sligo’s dominance and while Farley added another free for London, the
visitors finished the first-half strongly and two further points from Murphy
saw them going into the break leading 1-06 to 0-03.
Sligo’s second half was played into a deceptively
strong wind and although they again dominated possession Sligo found it harder to
get withing scoring range.
Luke Towey extended with a fine point
after a run from deep on seven minutes but we had to wait until the 20th
minute for the next score, from a free by substitute Kevin McCarthy.
Sligo however quickly reasserted their
dominance when David Quinn finished his third of the day from a free and then
Murphy added his fourth to leave the visitors eight clear as the game wound
down.
London played the last five minutes of
normal time and the time added on with 14 men after McCarthy was shown a black
card for a pull down and the game fizzled to its conclusion with a Sligo point three
minutes into five added minutes time for the hard working Pat Spillane and two
late late points from another Farley free and a poiunt from distance by midfielder
Daniel Clarke witrh the last kick of the game.
Sligo: Daniel Lyons; Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons; Luke
Towey (0-1), Jack Lavin, Paul McNamara; Paul Kilcoyne, Cian Lally; David Quinn
(0-3, 1f), Sean Carrabine, Gerard O'Kelly-Lynch; Alan Reilly (0-1), Patrick
O’Connor (1-0, pen), Niall Murphy (0-4,2f)
Subs: Pat Spillane (0-1) for Carrabine 17(inj), Finnian Cawley for O’Kelly
Lynch HT, Donal Conlon for O’Connor 63, Keelan Cawley for Lavin 63, Mark Walsh
for Towey 66
London: Andrew
Walsh; Eoin Flanagan, Michael Clarke, Nathan McElwaine; Ronan Sloan, Eoin
Walsh, Aidan McLoughlin (0-1); Daniel Clarke (0-1), Stephen Dornan; Matthew
Walsh, Christopher Farley(0-3,3fs), Niall O’Leary; Joseph McGill, James
Gallagher, Conal Gallagher
Subs: Kevin McCarthy (0-1 f) for McGill 44, Henry Walsh for Dornan 53,
Ryan Tohill for Conal Gallagher 58, Fiontan Eastwood for McElwaine 63, Fionn
Gallagher for James Gallagher 64
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford)