Sligo is replacing hope with expectation

One of the most dramatic Sligo senior football finals of modern times took place in 2000, when Bunninadden stormed to success in the most remarkable of fashion.

A late, late goal in stoppage time afforded the South Sligo men the title for the first time in 109 years at the expense of Coolera-Strandhill, who were looking to end a 93-year wait.

The Seasiders would endure final heartbreak again two years later when they fell to Eastern Harps after a replay but they eventually ended that long, long wait to taste success when they clinched the title in 2005 courtesy of a one-point win over Curry.

Even allowing for the back-to-back successes of the last two seasons, many in the club would view that day back in September of 2005 as the high watermark for the club in modern times, but all that changed on Sunday with their scarcely believable triumph in the Connacht club final, beating Padraig Pearses by a point after extra-time.

Coolera-Strandhill’s success at provincial level is, I think it’s fair to say, unexpected by those even within the county.

There were high hopes that Tourlestrane, who won seven county titles in-a-row up until 2022 and remained unbeaten in Sligo for years, were the ones primed to end the county's dreadful run in the provincial competition since St Mary’s success in 1983. Yet Coolera-Strandhill have come good to land the title this year – and what a deserved success it is after they experienced their fair share of disappointment in recent years.

They shipped hefty final losses to Tourlestrane in 2019 and 2021 and one wondered had their time passed. On both occasions, Coolera/Strandhill failed to lay a glove on their opponents in those finals – the margin in 2019 was 14 points and in 2021 it was 11.

So when last year's success arrived, you felt that for Coolera-Strandhill it was goal achieved and box ticked; just a third ever Sligo title and satisfaction for the likes of Niall Murphy and Keelan Cawley in particular after years slogging and trying to get over the line. However, nothing of the sort transpired. Even allowing for a change in management – from Adrian McPartland and Enda Mitchell to John McPartland and Con O'Meara – Coolera-Strandhill remained competitive. Not just that, they've improved.

Their league form was largely uninspiring but eyes were fixed at an early stage on retaining a Sligo title that several clubs had their eyes on.

Retaining that title in itself was an achievement – Tourlestrane were the only other club to achieve that feat since St Pat's in 1988-89 – but few gave Coolera-Strandhill a chance at making a dent at provincial level, particularly off the back of a timid display against St Brigid's last year where they were held scoreless for 40 minutes and managed only 1-3 in all in a seven point defeat.

But their main strength this season has been their defensive solidity and that was always going to give them a chance to land a blow in Connacht.

The initial county final and the replay against St Molaise Gaels were largely dour affairs and perhaps they weren't terribly eye-catching with expansive football, but they did underline the superb organisation of Coolera-Strandhill when out of possession. In the Sligo Championship, they conceded an average of just eight points a game.

It's not hard to see why they are so good at the back – former Dublin panellist Ross O'Carroll and former Sligo panellist Sean Taylor marshal things well, while Keelan Harte has been superb in goals.

A strong foundation at the back also plays to their strengths when it comes to counter-attacking, with the likes of Murphy and Ross Doherty capable of really hurting teams at the other end while Adam Higgins, who came off the bench on Sunday, has been a revelation this season. Barry O'Mahony, too, was extremely efficient in possession, while Kevin Banks and Peter Laffey form a dynamic and powerful midfield pairing.

Defensive solidity from Coolera/Strandhill helped them shock Ballina Stephenites in the semi-final a fortnight earlier, when penalties were required to salvage a statement victory. But, along with all the tactics in the world, successful sides need character and the men from the peninsula have shown it in spades.

The remarkable resilience they possess was on full show again last weekend, when coming from five points down to reel in a team many viewed as contenders for the All-Ireland crown, having already conquered Connacht in 2021.

Cuala, the Dublin and Leinster champions, stand in the way now of Coolera-Strandhill and a place in the All-Ireland final. The two sides will meet in the last four in early January. What a prospect that is to look forward to.

Looking at this success through our black and white glasses, it's another notch in the belt when it comes to the progress of football in Sligo in recent years. It's all about building blocks and along with the minor and under-20 successes, this result will give a major shot in the arm to club football in the county.

For this, credit should go to the county board who have devised a strong club championship format which leaves virtually no room for dead rubbers. 10 teams in the senior competition and ten in the intermediate looks to be the right number and the two groups of five have generally produced competitive competitions in the last number of years.

Above all, this win will do a lot to help build a mindset in Sligo that the county cannot just compete with but beat some of the more successful counties in the west and beyond.

There was a danger that the minor success in 2021 would be a flash in the pan, but that was followed up by the under-20 triumphs in the following two years. Coolera-Strandhill's win at the weekend shows that Sligo's rise is continuing and that a rising tide will lift all boats.

Perhaps it's best to leave the final word to Niall Murphy, who told journalists after Sunday's match: “We came here today expecting to win and we're not one bit surprised. Everyone else is probably surprised but we're not.” 

Expectation has replaced hope in Sligo. Long may it continue to be the case.