Two wins from three is a Treat’ for Sligo
Sligo's Sean Carrabine is tackled by Emmet Rigter of Limerick during last Sunday's NFL Division 3 clash in Rathkeale. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
A goal on 28 minutes from Paul McNamara proved decisive as Sligo picked up their second successive league win, beating home side Limerick on Sunday afternoon.
Sligo played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and two superb long-range points from Patrick O’Connor settled them early on. The Treaty men did respond with a pointed free from marksman corner-forward Peter Nash but by the fourteenth minute Sligo had gone three points in front thanks to a free from Carrabine and a long-range effort from Pat Spillane.
Colm McSweeney kept Limerick in touch but the home side were very wasteful throughout the first-half, hitting a total six wides before the interval.
Carrabine showed his class once again on 19 minutes as he danced past the Limerick defence before pointing and while Tommy Childs did kick a response for the Munster men, Spillane soon struck his second point of the game.
Jimmy Lee’s men gained some momentum as they pointed twice in the space of two minutes to reduce the lead to a single point but the key score came when Sligo netted the only goal of the match seven minutes before the interval. Eoghan Smith played the ball into Niall Murphy and it fell kindly to McNamara who finished expertly off his left foot and into the corner of the net.
Sligo added another point before the break, that coming from corner-forward Murphy, to leave five between the sides at the break, 1-7 to 0-5.
The Yeats County controlled the opening minutes of the second-half and added another point through Murphy to lead by six but two quickfire points in reply by Peter Nash reduced the gap to four points after eight minutes of play.
By the 58th minute, Sligo had restored their six-point lead thanks to an excellently struck ’45 kicked over by Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney, with the scoreboard now reading 1-10 to 0-7.
The hardworking Alan McLoughlin added a point as Sligo went seven clear and were easily in control. Both sides added another free apiece and despite two late consolation points from substitute Eoin Hurley, it was Sligo who eased to victory.
