Sligo get their first points on the board

Allianz Football League Division 3 – Round 2 

Sligo 2-10 

Wicklow 1-11 

Gavin Cawley at Markievicz Park

Sligo recovered from an opening-round defeat against Clare to edge out Wicklow and pick up their first win of this season’s National Football League.

This was the third meeting between the sides in the past twelve months, with Sligo coming on top on all three occasions. Two goals in the space of a three-minute period in the first quarter was the winning of the game for the Yeats County.

Sligo had opened the scoring through a free from Niall Murphy and a point from Eoghan Smith before Wicklow replied with three points on the spin, a brace coming from the impressive Kevin Quinn.

A long-range effort from Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney had the sides level for the second time in the match before the Black and White netted the first of their two goals in the 12th minute, with Alan McLoughlin catching a kickout and after a quick one-two with Pat Spillane, he finished the ball to the net.

Spillane was involved again on 15 minutes as he was fouled for a penalty which was dispatched expertly by Niall Murphy into the top comer of the net, to put Tony McEntee’s team 2-3 to 0-3 in front.

But Sligo would only score one more point before the end of the half while Wicklow came roaring back at the hosts, outscoring Sligo 0-4 to 0-1 during this period with Quinn, in particular, causing problems for the home side’s defence. That left three points between the sides at the break, Sligo’s 2-4 to Wicklow’s 0-7.

Oisin McConville’s visitors made the perfect restart with a goal from centre-back Patrick O’Keane on 37 minutes which was followed by a free from Quinn, to see them take the lead.

Carrabine got Sligo back level again before an excellent point from Patrick O’Connor had Sligo back in front with 20 minutes left to play.

The sides cancelled each other out from hereon, with a brace from Dean Healy looking like it might help get Wicklow a draw, but Carrabine had other ideas as he pointed twice in the last five minutes to ensure Sligo’s first victory of the new campaign.

This was far convincing from Sligo but the win is the main thing for McEntee’s men, who next travel to Rathkeale to play a struggling Limerick on Sunday, February 18.

Scorers – Sligo: Niall Murphy 1-2 (0-2f), Alan McLoughlin 1-1, Sean Carrabine 0-3 (1f), Aidan Devaney (f), Patrick O’Connor, Eoghan Smith and Cian Lally 0-1 each.

Wicklow: Kevin Quinn 0-6 (3f), Patrick O’Keane 1-0, Dean Healy 0-2, Oisin McGraynor (f), Brian Nesbitt and Gearoid Murphy 0-1 each.

Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Nathan Mullen; Patrick O’Connor, Paul Kilcoyne; Alan McLoughlin, Eoghan Smith, Cian Lally (0-1); Pat Spillane, Sean Carrabine, Niall Murphy. Subs: Mikey Gordon (for Smith 50); Keelan Cawley (for McLoughlin 67); Donal Conlon (for Spillane 67).

Wicklow: Shane Doyle; Tom Moran, Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone; Joe Prendergast, Patrick O’Keane, Jacques McCall; Dean Healy, Craig Maguire; Oisin McGraynor, John Paul Nolan, Cathal Baker; Brian Nesbitt, Kevin Quinn, Gearoid Murphy. Subs: Jack Kirwan and Gavin Fogarty (for Nesbitt and McCall ht); Eoin Darcy (for McGraynor 60); Conor Fee (for Nolan 65).

REF: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)