Page 32 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION 3 ROUND 1
TACKLE: Luke Nicholson of Sligo in action against Ethan Rafferty at the Athletic Grounds. Photo:
Photo: Philip Fitzpatrick/SPORTSFILE
Darragh Cummins in action against Stephen Sheridan of Armagh during the Allianz Foot- ball League Division 3 Round 1 match between Armagh and Sligo at Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Philip Fitzpatrick/Sportsfile
Page 32 – INTO THE WEST
Sligo second best
in ArmaghAidan Forker then scored one of the points of
Armagh .............2-17
the game from down the left, the Armagh support showing their appreciation. Substitute Kyle Cawley was only seconds on the pitch when he was involved in setting up Coen for Sligo's fourth point, which was quickly followed by another from the St Mary's man.
SligoT
..................0-9
By EMMA GALLAGHER The Sligo Champion
The gap was ten points when Grimley and Marren swapped frees before Grimley pointed again followed by rafferty as Armagh certainly put the game to bed on 66 minutes when Murnin linked up with rafferty who blasted into the net.
HE Orchard County were powerful, pacey and clinical in front of the posts. They
were quick to smother out any incli- nation of a Sligo attack and this showed on the scoreboard when it
SCORERS – Armagh: R Grugan 0-6 (5f), E Rafferty (1-3), A Murnin (1-0) N Grimley 0-3 (2f), N Rowland, M Shields, S Sheridan, C Vernon, A Forker 0-1 each. Sligo: A Marren 0-6 (4f, 2 '45's), S Coen 0-3. ARMAGH: B Hughes, P Burns, A McKay, P Hughes, N Rowland, G McCabe, M Shields, S Sheridan, C Vernon, R McShane, A Forker, R Lappin, R Grugan (C), A Murnin, E Rafferty. Subs: N Grimley for Lappin (h/t), J McElroy for McCabe (53), McCabe for McElroy (56), B Crealey for McShane (59), McElroy for Forker (67). SLIGO: A Devaney, L Nicholson, E McGuinness, M Gordon, K Cawley, D Cummins, G O'Kelly-Lynch, J Clarke, P O'Connor, N Ewing, F Cawley, S Carrabine, S Coen, P Hughes, A Marren. Subs: C Breheny 6 for Clarke (32), L Caughan 5 for F Cawley (44), S Carra- bine 5 for Cummins (45), Kyle Cawley 5 for O'Connor (48).
REFEREE: B Cawley (Kildare).
took the visitors 27 and a half minutes before they registered their first score
from a Marren free at the Athletic Grounds.
Comfortably ahead by eight at the break, a strong breeze aiding their efforts, Armagh captain rory
got five of their ten first half points,
placed balls with influential midfield duo Stephen Sheridan and Charlie Vernon also pointing from play. Ethan rafferty was also causing the yeats men plenty of trouble, he scored two fine points from play in the open- ing 35 minutes as the youthful Sligo had a lot to contend with from their powerhouse expe- rienced opponents.
Captain Grugan got all three of Armagh's opening scores from frees and with Sheridan and Vernon adding two more, the Ulstermen were into a five-point lead 15 minutes on the clock.
The hardworking Mark Shields grabbed possession from a Sligo player and passed to rafferty, who sent over a fabulous point from play on 19 minutes as they led by six.
A foul on Cummins saw Sligo off the mark with 27 and a half minutes played, referee Brendan Cawley bringing it forward for dissent and it was easy for Marren to convert.
Another Marren free for a foul on Coen brought it back to six points on 33 minutes but the Armagh advantage grew again with an excellent rafferty point followed by the last score of the first half, a Grugan free, as the Orchard County led 0-10 to 0-2 at the break.
Sligo needed a goal to bring life into their challenge but instead it was the Ulstermen who pounced early after the resumption. A perfect pass from niall rowland saw Andrew Murnin palm into the net three minutes in.
the first three coming from
Substitute niall Grimley was making his presence felt, converting a well-struck free on 42 minutes as their lead kept increasing.