Page 33 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION 3 ROUND 2
LEADER: Ross Donovan was in inspired form for Sligo as they saw off Wexford at Markievicz Park.
Photo: Matt Browne/SPORTSFILE
INTO THE WEST – Page 33
Late Wexford comeback
leaves nervy finish as
Sligo cling on
Sligo .................1-16 SWexford ............1-13
By EMMA GALLAGHER The Sligo Champion
the game and Wexford scored four unan- swered points in the space of four minutes to leave only a goal between them at the break.
Only 11 seconds after the resumption, darragh Cummins pointed. The next score came from Pat Hughes with a fantastic effort from play as Sligo were working hard
driving at the Wexford defence.
LiGO got their first win in the Allianz League division 3 in what was a nervy finish as Wexford staged a late come-
Fine scores from Carrabine, O’Connor and a Coen free saw Sligo comfortably ahead by seven with 13 minutes to go. James Stafford and Barry O’Connor responded with a point each for Wexford
back in Markievicz Park.
Cathal Corey’s men clung on though with
Stephen Coen influential up front, scoring five points.
before Cathal devereux’s shot came off a Sligo defender and sailed into the net on 56 minutes to leave it tense in the closing stages as the scoreline was 1-12 to 1-9.
Points from Adrian Marren, Paddy O’Con- nor and Stephen Coen saw Sligo ahead by 0- 4 to 0-1 after 16 minutes. Marren with a well-struck free put Sligo into a four-point lead on 18 minutes and the hosts went further in front three minutes later.
The hardworking niall Murphy blasted through the Wexford defence, and he slammed the ball into the top corner with a brilliant finish, as Sligo led 1-5 to 0-1.
O’Connor and doyle traded scores before Sligo pushed on further, adding two scores through Coen and a Marren free to leave five between them on 63 minutes but Wexford weren’t heading back to the South- east just yet.
From here they let Wexford get more into
Cawley right at the finish.
With seven minutes of injury time the Sligo support were nervously checking their watches as Wexford hit three points on the bounce, Barry O’Gorman, Ben Brosnan and Stafford all on target. Sligo, who looked the strongest during the encounter, hung on with Wexford’s Michael Furlong getting his march- ing orders for a nasty challenge on Kyle
SCORERS – Sligo: Stephen Coen (0-5 2f); Niall Murphy (1-0), Adrian Marren (0-3, 3f), Patrick O’Con- nor (0-3); Sean Carrabine (0-2); Darragh Cummins, Pat Hughes, Liam Gaughan (1f) 0-1 each.
Wexford: Ben Brosnan 0-4 (1f); James Stafford 0-3; Cathal Devereux 1-0; Paul Curtis, Nick Doyle (0-2 each); Barry O’Connor, Barry O’Gorman (0-1 each). SLIGO: A Devaney, R Donovan, L Nicholson, E McGuinness, E McHugh, N Ewing, G O’Kelly-Lynch, P O’Connor, D Cummins, F Cawley, N Murphy, S Carra- bine, S Coen, P Hughes, A Marren. Subs: L Gaughan for Hughes (54), K Cawley for Coen (63), P Kilcoyne for O’Kelly-Lynch (67), J Clarke for McHugh (BC, 69), J O’Reilly for Marren (70+7).
WEXFORD: P Doyle, M Furlong, M O’Neill, J Rossiter, G Malone, J Stafford, C Carty, D Waters, S Byrne, T Rossiter, B Brosnan, D Shanley, P Curtis, N Doyle, C McCabe. Subs: C Devereux for McCabe (25), D Holmes for O’Neill (h-t), B O’Connor for Byrne (42), D Pepper for Curtis (blood sub, 46), R Frayne for Shan- ley (53), S Doyle for Rossiter (58), B O’Gorman for Curtis (65).
REFEREE: Sean Laverty (Antrim).