Victory goes down a Treat’ as Sligo march into Tailteann semis

Tailteann Cup Quarter-Final 

Sligo 2-20 

Limerick 0-9 

Gavin Cawley at Markievicz Park 

Sligo will take on Down next weekend for the right to contest this season’s Tailteann Cup final and while they will be underdogs, they can enter the match full of confidence following a resounding 17-points demolition of Limerick last Saturday afternoon.

Tony McEntee’s side outclassed the Treaty County in what was the second meeting between the teams this year, with Sligo also coming out on top in the league meeting.

Limerick had gotten the better of Tipperary in the preliminary quarter-final and the Munster visitors started well here, opening the scoring through team captain’s Iain Corbett classy point from distance. But Sligo soon settled, despite playing against the breeze, and by the 10th minute were two in front with all three of their opening points coming from the impressive Sean Carrabine.

Sligo continued to dominate throughout the pitch and extended the lead to seven points after 18 minutes with Caince Mulligan and Cian Lally among the scorers for the home side.

Limerick, who were struggling to come to terms with the pace and strength that the Yeats County were showing, did eventually respond with a pointed free from Peter Nash and one from play by Tommy Childs, to leave the scoreboard reading 0-8 to 0-3 after 26 minutes. The Black and White, however, finished out the half strongly, with Lally and Carrabine among those on target as the gap opened up to eight points, 0-13 to 0-5, by the half-time whistle.

Limerick, just like in the first-half, got the first score of the second as well, this time through Josh Ryan who pointed after Peter Nash’s shot was blocked and diverted for a ’45. Sligo, however, ensured they wouldn’t allow the Treaty men any whiff of a comeback by landing their first of two second-half goals, through Lee Deignan in the 46th minute, after a superb ball in by Alan McLoughlin.

Sligo were now in complete control and they had added five more points by the 57th minute, through Niall Murphy, Sean Carrabine and Alan McLoughlin.

Limerick did reply with two consolation points but Sligo weren’t finished yet, and they struck for their second major of the afternoon when substitute Mark Walsh powerfully ran by his man before finding Patrick O’Connor who flicked the ball to the net.

Scorers – Sligo: Sean Carrabine 0-7 (3f, 1m), Lee Deignan 1-1, Patrick O’Connor 1-0, Cian Lally and Niall Murphy (1f, 1 ’45) 0-3 each, Alan McLoughlin and Darragh Cummins 0-2 each, Nathan Mullen and Canice Mulligan 0-1 each.

Limerick: Josh Ryan 0-2 (1f, 1 ’45), Peter Nash 0-2f, Rob Childs, Sean O’Dea, Cillian Fahy, Tommy Childs and Iain Corbett 0-1 each.

Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Nathan Mullen, Evan Lyons, Paul McNamara; Paul Kilcoyne, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins; Patrick O’Connor, Canice Mulligan; Cian Lally, Alan McLoughlin, Lee Deignan; Mikey Gordon, Niall Murphy, Sean Carrabine. Subs: Jack Lavin (for Cox ht), Mark Walsh (for Gordon 53), Donal Conlon (for Lally 55), Eoghan Smith (for Cummins 59), Pat Spillane (for McLoughlin 64).

Limerick: Josh Ryan; Cormac Woulfe, Sean O’Dea, Paul Maher; Barry Coleman, Cillian Fahy, Tony McCarthy; Tommy Childs, Iain Corbett; Emmet Rigter, James Naughton, Cathal Downes; Danny Neville, Rob Childs, Peter Nash. Subs: Jim Liston (for McCarthy ht), Bryan Nix (for Naughton 46), Shane Costelloe (for Downes 48), Brian Ahern (for R Childs 61), Andrew Meade (for Rigter 67).

REF: Barry Cassidy (Derry)