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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sligo men in Mourning
DOWN 3-20 SLIGO 0-10
FOR HISTORICAL reasons alone, defeat could not have been unexpected, but the scale of Sligo’s collapse stunned supporters of both sides last Saturday evening.
The astonishing record of only Dublin, in 2001, successfully recovering from a provincial final defeat to win next time out remains unbroken, following Sligo’s 19 points loss to Down. Arriving so soon after their surprise defeat to Roscommon in the Connacht decider, it capped an forgettable six days for Kevin Walsh’s team who were fighting a losing battle even before half-time at Breffni Park.
The westerners trailed 1-8 to 0-3 on the half hour and when outscored by a further 1-4 to 0-3 in the 10 minutes either side of the break, it made for a final half hour of excruciating viewing for the large Sligo support.
Their team’s exit from the AllIreland race had been confirmed long before the finish.
Altering the team that started against Ros’, Walsh selected a new midfield pairing of Eugene Mullen and Sean Davey, opted for Stephen Coen in place of Colm McGee at corner-forward and handed a championship debut to Tourlestrane defender Brian Kennedy. It was all to no avail.
So good were Down, they had substitutes who between them kicked just a point less than what Sligo managed in total; the goal and five points contribution of Ronan Murtagh was quite spectacular considering he sat on the bench for the first 45 minutes.
Sligo offered only feint indications they might be up for the fight in a first half memorable for the outstanding display of their own Eamon O’Hara, but also for that of Down’s Martin Clarke. The dead-ball specialist was among the early scorers as other points from John Clarke, Daniel Hughes and Kevin McKernan helped the Mourne men into a 0-4 to no-score lead. That remained the gap between the teams after 27 minutes, as Sligo points by Adrian Marren, a free, Stephen Coen and David Kelly went negated by a Mark Poland point and by Martin Clarke’s two converted frees.
At that stage Sligo had seen Johnny Davey carried off and Eamon O’Hara, who had been of major influence around the middle, was now hampered by a hand injury. It was downhill from thereon.
Martin Clarke’s first point from play was added to when older brother John palmed a Brendan Coulter delivery to the Sligo net and although Kevin Walsh’s team rallied with points by Marren and Mark Breheny, both frees, and a second by the lively David Kelly, Down were still comfortably ahead at the interval, 1-10 to 0-6, thanks to late white flags raised by Paul McComiskey and Mark Poland, his free awarded for a heavy challenge on McComiskey that earned Ross Donovan – Sligo’s best defender – a booking.
If the first half was about Martin Clarke, the third quarter was dominated by Down midfielder Ambrose Rogers. Earlier denied a goal by Phillip Greene, the Sligo ‘keeper again thwarted the rampaging Rogers just five minutes after the restart but Rogers this time followed in to knock the rebound to the back of the net. Rogers and Kevin McKernan had already scored second half points and so Down led 2-12 to 0-6 before Adrian Marren swung over his third free of the game for Sligo, on 44 minutes.
Damage limitation was now the name of the game for the Black and White. Alan Costello, who lit up the Connacht final with five stunning points, had been closed out by the fiery Declan Rooney and was called ashore. Colm McGee, introduced for Breheny, scored two of his side’s final three points.
However, Down were in no mood to pull up and it was one of their subs who made the biggest impact. Ronan Murtagh, who relieved the ever-dangerous Brendan Coulter of his duties 10 minutes after half-time, rattled over five consecutive points from play to leave the Ulster men 2-17 to 0-8 ahead with, alas for suffering Sligo, still 10 minutes left to play.
Murtagh added a 65th minute goal for good measure, after an initial chipped effort connected with the angle of post and crossbar, and further late points by Conor Garvey, Daniel Hughes and Peter Fitzpatrick only rubbed salt into already gaping Sligo wounds.
SCORERS – Down: Ronan Murtagh 1-5, John Clarke and Ambrose Rogers 1-1 each, Martin Clarke 0-4 (2f, 1 ‘45’), Daniel Hughes 0-3, Mark Poland 0-2f, Kevin McKernan, Peter Fitzpatrick, Paul McComiskey and Conor Garvey 0-1 each. Sligo: Adrian Marren 0-3f, Stephen Coen (1f), David Kelly and Colm McGee 0-2 each, Mark Breheny 0-1f.
DOWN: Brendan McVeigh; Declan Rooney, Dan Gordon, Damien Rafferty; Daniel McCartan, Kevin McKernan, Conor Garvey; Ambrose Rogers, Callum King; Daniel Hughes, Mark Poland, Paul McComiskey; Brendan Coulter, John Clarke, Martin Clarke. Subs: Ronan Murtagh (for Coulter 45), Damien O’Hagan (for Rafferty 56), Peter Fitzpatrick (for King 57), Ronan Sexton and John Brown (for McComiskey and M Clarke 60).
SLIGO: Phillip Greene; Charlie Harrison, Noel McGuire, Ross Donovan; Keelan Cawley, Brian Kennedy, Johnny Davey; Eugene Mullen, Sean Davey; Alan Costello, Mark Breheny, Eamon O’Hara; Stephen Coen, Adrian Marren, David Kelly. Subs: Paul McGovern (for J Davey 15-inj), Stephen Gilmartin (for S Davey 39), Kenneth Sweeney (for Costello 43), Colm McGee (for Breheny 46), Francis Quinn (for O’Hara 54).
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).
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