Draw no harm with Yeats County into last eight
Sligo's Niall Murphy kicked 0-8 in a duel with opposing corner forward, Antrim's Ryan McQuillan. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A draw was enough for Sligo to ensure they topped the group on the back of two strong performances against Wexford and Tipperary.
A free by Antrim goalkeeper Michael Byrne two minutes into injury time wasn’t enough to stop Sligo from topping the group despite coming from four points down to draw level with the Yeats men.
Antrim opened the scoring with a point from Colm McLarnon finding the target after just two minutes of play. Sligo soon found the scoring boots as they replied with three points without reply with Sean Carrabine, Alan McLoughlin and Patrick O’Connor all on the mark.
Patrick McBride reduced the score to single point after nine minutes before Niall Murphy restored Sligo’s advantage with brace. Ryan McQuillian cut the deficit to single point after 13 minutes but Sligo would take control of proceedings after 22 minutes of play as they took a four point lead with hard working Cian Lally and Murphy among the scorers for the Yeats men.
Antrim’s Ruairi McCann replied with a point for his side before Carrabine and Murphy edged Sligo into a five-point lead after 25 minutes of play. Andy McEntee’s side would dominate the remainder and Antrim would lead at the break by single point with Marc Jordan, Niall Burns and Ryan McQuillan on target as they lead 0-13 to 0-12 at the interval.
Sligo put the struggles of the last period of the first half behind them as they got the first score of the second half to bring the sides for a fourth time.
McBride restored the lead for the Saffrons but Sligo’s Niall Murphy had the sides level again with a free for his seventh of the match which was soon followed by point from Nathan Mullen.
McQuillan was in great form for his side and was causing the Sligo defence a lot of damage and he added his fifth point to make it all square again it what was becoming a brilliant battle between the respective corner forwards.
It looked like Sligo had done enough to come away with victory when they added four points without to lead 0-20 to 0-16 after 63 minutes with substitute Mark Walsh among the scores for Tony McEntee’s side.
Antrim, however, didn’t give up and they were back to single point following a brace from Conor Hand and another score from McQuillan. Byrne had the final say to leave the sides level for the seventh and final to bring the curtain down on an excellent game of football. Sligo go straight into the Quarter-Finals while Antrim face London in a Preliminary Quarter-Final next weekend.
