Page 37 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

Late Murphy point seals a draw
Offaly ................0-8 SSligo ..................0-8
By KEVIN EGAN The Sligo Champion
the lead through two frees. But niall Murphy began to influence the game and an Adrian Marren free cut the gap to the minimum.
LiGO'S fate remains in their own hands after a late niall Murphy free kick salvaged a point against Offaly at
When the final, decisive act of the game arrived, it was entirely in keeping with the poor standard fare. Offaly had a good possession in the Sligo half when Peter Cunningham shot for goal from 50 metres out, missing the target and ceding posses- sion.
O'Connor Park in Tullamore.
Offaly edged their noses in front with a
Sligo worked the ball down and Cian Breheny won a contentious free by charging into Conor Mcnamee and hitting the deck. And after a lengthy injury stoppage, Murphy tapped over the subsequent free.
couple of close range scores from Bernard Allen and nigel dunne. Charlie Harrison came forward to kick Sligo's first score after 10 minutes but nearly a third of the game had expired when Liam Gaughan added the team's second.
OFFALY: P Dunican; D Hogan, P McConway, S Nally; D Dempsey, N Darby, J Lalor; P Cunning- ham, M Brazil; C McNamee, A Sullivan (0-1), C Donohue; B Allen (0-3, 1f), C Carroll, N Dunne (0-4, 2f). Subs: J Hayes for Donohue (58), C Johnson for Dunne (Black card 60), D Brady for McConway (62m), S Tierney for Sullivan (70).
SLIGO: A Devaney; R Donovan, L Nicholson, C Harrison (0-1); Keelan Cawley, A McIntyre, G O’Kelly-Lynch; K McDonnell, N Murphy (0- 1f); N Ewing (0-1), P O’Connor (0-1), L Gaughan (0-1); S Coen, P Hughes, A Marren (0-1f). Subs: C Breheny (0-1) for Hughes (HT), Kyle Cawley for Cawley (HT), S Carrib- ine (0-1) for Nicholson (51), D Cummins for Marren (Black card 67), P Hughes for O’Con- nor (72).
Sligo received a further boost shortly after- wards in the 26th minute when Offaly forward Conor Carroll added a black and then a red card to his earlier yellow for a trip. But soon Stephen Coen got a straight red card for an off the ball punch on Offaly's declan Hogan.
A 0-4 to 0-2 half-time lead for Offaly became 0-6 to 0-3 by the 46th minute and it looked as if Sligo would need a goal. instead, they upped the tempo. Points from Patrick O'Connor, neil Ewing and Seán Carrabine drew Sligo level.
Offaly came back down the field to regain REFEREE: James Molloy (Galway). crucial game for Sligo
Things didn't look good for the yeatsmen when substitute Shane McGuigan netted derry's second on 56 to put damian McErlain's charges into a one-point lead. But Sligo held their nerve to reply through Mcdonnell before O'Connor drove to the net less than three minutes later.
who tapped past devaney. McAtamney added another point to give derry a lead of four on 57.
Adrian Marren had his first of three scores on seven minutes. With Sligo leading 0-3 to 0-2 with ten minutes of the first half to go, derry snatched the lead for the first time. McAtamney fired past Aidan devaney to leave two between the teams.
But Mcdonnell slotted beyond McKin- less to send Sligo on their way to their second win of the year.
SLIGO: Aidan Devaney (0-1); Ross Donovan, Luke Nicholson (Keelan Cawley 35), Charlie Harrison; Cian Breheny, Kevin McDonnell (1-0), Gerard O'Kelly-Lynch; Adrian McIntyre, Niall Murphy (0-2); Neil Ewing, Patrick O'Connor (1- 1), Liam Gaughan (1-3); Kyle Cawley, Pat Hughes (Sean Carribine 49) (0-1), Adrian Marren (0-3).
O'Connor picked up his only point of the day before niall Murphy’s shot swerved between the sticks. Gaughan and Mark Lynch shared white flags after half-time before devaney's free brought Sligo within.
DERRY: Ben McKinless; Michael Bateson (0-
1) (Liam McGoldrick 66), Kevin Johnston,
Conor McCluskey; Karl McKaigue, Carlus McWilliams, Peter Hagan (Terence O'Brien
67); Conor McAtamney (1-1), Emmet Bradley
(0-4); Enda Lynn (Jack Doherty 45), Benny
Heron (Shane McGuigan 15) (1-2), Padraig
Cassidy; Padraig MacGrogan, Mark Lynch (0-3), Niall Toner (0-1) (James Kielt 66).
REFEREE: Patrick Maguire (Longford).
Murphy levelled the game with a superb point. And things got better when Gaughan powered his shot past Ben McKinless.
With the score at 1-9 a piece and less than 15 minutes left Jack doherty found McGuigan
ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION 3 ROUND 6
Sligo’s Kevin McDonnell in action against Offaly in their NFL Division 3 clash at O’Connor Park in Tullam- ore. Photo: Matt Browne/SPORTSFILE
DIVISION 3 ROUND 7
CRUCIAL: Sligo forward Liam Gaughan was amongst the goals as his side saw off Derry at Markievicz Park. Photo: Matt Browne/ SPORTSFILE
INTO THE WEST – Page 37