Long wait for championship glory continues for Enniscrone-Kilglass
Gavin Duffy of Enniscrone-Kilglass makes for a gap in the Coolaney-Mullinabreena defence during last Sunday's Sligo IFC final in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry. Pictures: Lauren Fitzgerald
Coolaney-Mullinabreena will be back playing senior football in 2026 after they saw off the challenge of Enniscrone-Kilglass to claim a third Sligo intermediate football championship last Sunday afternoon in Tubbercurry.
Their last three games against each other had all ended in draws – and another one was not out of the question – but Enniscrone-Kilglass, appearing in their first county final since 1991, ran out of steam in the second-half as their opponents from South Sligo, after finishing the first-half strong, kept Enda Gilvarry’s men at arm’s length throughout the second 30 minutes to return to the senior grade having been relegated in 2022.
It was Enniscrone-Kilglass who made the better start to this game by scoring the opening two points inside five minutes of play, both coming from frees by Gavin Duffy. But Coolaney-Mullinabreena were back level by the 11th minute through Conor Johnson and Eoin Barrett Enniscrone-Kilglass retook the lead two minutes later as the lively Luke Tuffy played in Ciaran O’Dowd who jinked one way then another before firing into the roof of the net, which was followed by a third Gavin Duffy free.
Niall Connolly halved the deficit with a two-pointer, and another two-pointer arrived, this time from a free by goalkeeper Eoin McDonagh, to bring the gap back to one, after Adam Kearns had popped the ball between the posts for Enniscrone-Kilglass.
After Enda Kivlehan and Gavin Duffy traded points, Coolaney-Mullinabreena took the lead for the first time when an Eoin Barrett point attempt was knocked back across the edge of the square and Criostóir Davey palmed it into the net to put them 1-7 to 1-5 ahead on 26 minutes.
A two-point free by Gavin Duffy levelled matters for a third time but Enniscrone-Kilglass would be outscored 0-4 to 0-1 as two efforts from Ciaran Gorman and one each from Eoin Barrett and Criostóir Davey put Coolaney-Mullinabreena 1-11 to 1-8 ahead at half-time.
Two big opportunities for Enniscrone-Kilglass to draw level fell their way on the restart. Gavin Duffy’s two-point attempt came back off the crossbar as Coolaney-Mullinabreena cleared the ball away in the ensuring scramble before Joseph Martin rattled the bar seconds later from another long-range missile. The ball fell to Eoin Finnerty but his chance on goal was well wide.
Enniscrone-Kilglass would score only four points in the second-half as they lacked the guile and belief to reel Coolaney-Mullinabreena in. In response, the Blue and White just kept the board ticking through Ciaran Gorman, Niall Connolly, David Barrett, Barry Gorman and Nathan Barrett to see out the second-half with relative comfort and win a first intermediate title since 2011.
Coolaney-Mullinabreena will play either Mayo champions Kilmeena or the Galway champions in the Connacht club intermediate football semi-final on the weekend of November 15/16.
Scorers – Coolaney-Mullinabreena: Niall Connolly 0-1-2, Criostóir Davey 1-0-1, Ciaran Gorman 0-0-3 (1f), Eoin McDonagh 0-1-0 (1tpf), Barry Gorman (2f) and Eoin Barrett 0-0-2, Conor Johnson David Barrett, Enda Kivlehan and Nathan Mullen 0-0-1 each.
Enniscrone-Kilglass: Gavin Duffy 0-1-5 (1tpf, 3f), Ciaran O’Dowd 1-0-2, Adam Kearns, Luke Tuffy and Robert Jacob 0-0-1 each.
Coolaney-Mullinabreena: Eoin McDonagh; Eoghan Scanlon, Gavin Feely, Brian Marren; David Barrett, Conor Johnson, Kevin O’Kennedy; Barry Gorman, Declan McCormack; Eoin Barrett, Gavin Gorman, Niall Connolly; Ciaran Gorman, Criostóir Davey, Enda Kivlehan. Subs: Nathan Mullen (for Kivlehan 47), Ray Connolly (for Connolly 49), Sean Gorman (for C Gorman 60+3), Kian Golden and Kevin O’Brien (for Marren and Davey 60+4).
Enniscrone-Kilglass: Ethan Carden; Eoin Finnerty, Josh Ellis, Mark O’Dowd; Adam Kearns, Eoghan Hurke, Tommy Quinn; Donal Mullaney, Cathal Mullaney; Oisín Finnerty, Ciaran O’Dowd, Luke Tuffy; Brian Duffy, Gavin Duffy, Eoin Tuffy. Subs: Joseph Martin (for O Finnerty ht), Nathan Hannon (for Kearns 42), Robert Jacob and Cian Mulrooney (for B Duffy and Burke 47), Ryan O’Donnell (for D Mullaney 57).
REF: John Gilmartin (Curry)
