McLoughlin on song in winning start for Yeats County
Sligo captain Niall Murphy with referee Seamus Mulhare and Wexford captain Liam Coleman prior to throw-in last Saturday. Picture: Sligo GAA
Sligo got their Tailteann Cup campaign off to a flyer when they came from behind to run out six-point winners at a sun-kissed Markievicz Park last Saturday afternoon, thanks in part to an excellent performance – and 1-5 contribution – by Alan McLoughlin.
It was Wexford who opened the scoring after five minutes, with Kevin O’Grady pointing for the visitors but Sligo soon settled as they kicked two points in reply through Sean Carrabine and Alan McLoughlin.
The hosts looked to take control of the match on 12 minutes when Mikey Gordon raced by the Wexford defence, after Patrick O’Connor played the ball through, to find the net, and they added another point through Paul McNamara to leave themselves five points clear.
Wexford, however, came back strongly as they scored 1-2 without reply, the goal coming through Dylan Furlong after a kick out from Sligo’s Aidan Devaney was intercepted by Eoghan Nolan who in turned passed the ball onto Mark Rossiter with the final pass landing to Furlong.
The sides would be level four more times before Wexford took the lead just before the break with a free from Sean Nolan to leave the scoreboard reading 1-8 to 1-7 in favour of the Yellowbellies.
Just like the first half, Wexford got the opening point, this time through Rossiter, but now playing with the aid of the breeze in the second-half, Sligo replied with an excellent goal on 38 minutes. In a piece of clever play, Cian Lally played the ball into Niall Murphy, who called a mark. Instead of taking the point, he saw Alan McLoughlin in space and the North Sligo man finished to the net.
Nolan reduced the gap with a fine point from play before Sligo’s hardworking Cian Lally added a point for his side. The teams cancelled each other out on two occasions but Sligo would take a three point lead into the final 20 minutes when Sean Carrabine pointed a free after he was fouled.
Carrabine added another from a ‘45’ on 53 minutes and while a Rossiter point kept his side in touch, three on the spin, including a brace from Carrabine and a point from McLoughlin, left the hosts six points clear after 62 minutes of play.
Wexford were given a boost with a second goal arriving from Glen Malone, the pass coming from Graeme Cullen, and while Niall Murphy put four between the sides again, Sligo were let off the hook when Malone came close to scoring his second goal only for his effort to bounce back off the post. The ball eventually came to Ben Brosnan whose point left just three points between the sides but Sligo finished strong with three without reply to come away with a comprehensive victory in the end.
Sligo will aim for back to back wins when they travel to play a struggling Tipperary side at Thurles next Saturday, May 18. Throw-in is at 2pm.
Scorers – Sligo: Alan McLoughlin 1-5, Sean Carrabine 0-6 (4f, 1 ‘45’); Mikey Gordon 1-0, Patrick O’Connor and Darragh Cummins 0-2 each, Niall Murphy, Cian Lally, Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara and Brian Cox 0-1 each.
Wexford: Glen Malone 1-2, Sean Nolan 0-5 (3f), Dylan Furlong 1-0, Mark Rossiter 0-3, Kevin O’Grady 0-2, Ben Brosnan, Paraic Hughes and Eoghan Nolan 0-1 each.
Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Nathan Mullen; Paul Kilcoyne, Canice Mulligan; Cian Lally, Alan McLoughlin, Sean Carrabine, Mikey Gordon; Patrick O’Connor, Niall Murphy. Subs: Mark Walsh (for Lally 57), Peter Laffey (for Kilcoyne 63), Keelan Cawley (for Gordon 67), Lee Deignan (for O’Connor 70+1).
Wexford: Rory Tubritt; Eoin Porter, Gavin Sheehan, Darragh Lyons; Dylan Furlong, Paraic Hughes, Glen Malone; Liam Coleman, Niall Hughes; Kevin O’Grady, Eoghan Nolan, Mark Rossiter; Liam O’Connor, Sean Nolan, Cathal Walsh. Subs: Richie Waters (for Walsh 48), Conor Kinsella (for Lyons 48), Graham Staples (for O’Connor 57), Ben Brosnan (for Nolan 62); Jack Higgins (for O’Grady 62).
REF: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)
