Page 35 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION 3 ROUND 4
DEFEAT: Sligo forward Neil Ewing in action against Westmeath at Cusack Park in Mullingar.
Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/SPORTSFILE
INTO THE WEST – Page 35
Westmeath finish stronger
Westmeath ......0-20 SSligo .................0-14
By PAUL HUGHES The Sligo Champion
before Marren broke Sligo's duck with a seventh minute point under pressure.
Scores from niall Murphy, Liam Gaughan (a free) and Marren followed. But by the 24th minute, the hosts were firmly on top. With denis Corroon pulling the strings in midfield, John Heslin imperious from frees, and both Luke Loughlin and Ger Egan supplying scores, Westmeath enjoyed a 0-9 to 0-4 lead.
LiGO suffered a third defeat in four division 3 games at Cusack Park, Mullingar, when Westmeath rallied late
Briefly however, the Maroons' kickout strategy let them down and Sligo, pressing high, took full advantage. Marren picked off another two from play before his injury, while 'keeper Aidan devaney converted a free to cut Westmeath's advantage to
two.
on to carve out a six-point victory.
The win over Wexford means that Cathal
Corey's troops had their noses ahead of the pointless Slaneysiders and Offaly, and they went into their tie against Longford on the back of a decent display in Mullingar.
in the second half, a lacklus-
tre, attritional period saw Sligo
edge slowly back into the game.
Gaughan, Murphy (frees) and
Patrick O'Connor all found
their range before Hughes's
kick left the minimum between
the sides. Sligo had a couple of goal chances - notably, when Gaughan pounced on a Frank Boyle error in the opening minute of the half, only to have his shot smothered
by Westmeath custodian Eoin Carberry.
The first half was particularly encouraging, with very little between the sides beyond the three-point margin at the break, 0-10 to 0-7. Even after the excellent Adrian Marren went off injured just before half time, Sligo looked well capable of upsetting the odds.
When Pat Hughes, who entered the fray in place of Marren, kicked a 55th minute score, the visitors trailed by a solitary point, 0-13 to 0-12.
However, a minute after Hughes's point came the key moment. West- meath's Heslin fed a sideline ball to pacey wing-back James dolan, and he delivered a magnificent long- range effort that dealt Sligo a real psychological hammer blow.
Alas, the search for a killer goal ended fruitless, and Westmeath closed out the game firmly on top. The signs were ominous when Westmeath raced into a 0-3 to nil lead,
Sligo regressed from then
on, with Westmeath's Heslin
and Martin notching up
the important scores in
the dénouement -
between them, seven points to the Western- ers' two, a 45 from Aidan devaney, and a free from sub Stephen Coen.
SCORERS – Westmeath: J Heslin 0-8 (7fs), G Egan 0-4, K Martin 0-3, L Loughlin 0-2, C McCormack, T McDaniel and J Dolan 0-1 each.
Sligo: A Marren 0-4, L Gaughan (3fs) 0-3, A Devaney (1f, 1 ‘45’) and N Murphy (1f) 0-2 each, P Hughes, P O’Connor and S Coen (f) 0-1 each.
WESTMEATH: E Carberry; M McCallon, F Boyle, K Daly; N Mulligan, A Stone, J Dolan; D Corroon, J Heslin; G Egan, T McDaniel, K Martin; L Loughlin, C McCormack, J Egan. Subs: F Coyne for McCormack (inj., 6), S Duncan for Coyne (50), A Gardiner for McDaniel (53), J Gonoud for Corroon (57), D Lynch for J Egan (63), R Wallace for K Daly (inj., 68).
SLIGO: A Devaney; R Donovan, L Nicholson, E McGuinness; D Cummins, A McIntyre, N Ewing; P O’Connor, K McDonnell; C Breheny, L Gaughan, S Carribine; K Cawley, N Murphy, A Marren.
Subs: P Hughes for Marren (inj., 35), C Harrison for Breheny (39), K Cawley for McGuinness (39), S Coen for Cummins (49), P Kilcoyne for Carribine (63). REFEREE: Patrick Maguire (Longford).