Connacht SFC: Mulligan inspires Sligo

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Sligo 0-15 Leitrim 0-6

By Liam Maloney at Avant Money Páirc Seán MacDiarmada

Sligo booked a provincial semi-final berth against Galway later this month thanks to an efficient nine-point defeat of Leitrim at a blustery Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Team captain Niall Murphy led the way for Sligo with five points, but it was the composed display of Canice Mulligan that caught the eye as last year’s Sligo U-20 captain impressed on his championship debut in this grade.

The winners led 0-9 to 0-1 at half-time and controlled matters to the extent that they hit 15 wides in all, with 11 of these coming in the first-half.

Leitrim came into the game on the back of an appearance in Croke Park, albeit an Allianz Football League Division Four final defeat by a 14-point margin to Laois.

The home side were without up and coming stars Barry McNulty and Jack Foley as they had starred the previous Wednesday for Leitrim U-20s in their shock defeat of Mayo.

Sligo, who had a solid campaign in Division Three, were without the injured Luke Towey and Pat Spillane, with Canice Mulligan, who captained the Sligo team that won last year’s Connacht U-20 title, making his championship debut at this level.

Eoghan Smith, a Connacht U-20 winner with Sligo two years ago, was also getting his first championship start.

This was the first meeting of the counties in the Connacht Senior Football Championship since 2011 – that was a three-point win for Leitrim at Markievicz Park.

Favourites Sligo, who were backed by a huge breeze in the first-half, were almost stunned by the hosts in the ninth minute.

Leitrim midfielder Pearce Dolan powered through and had an effort at goal but it was turned over the crossbar by Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney.

But this was Leitrim’s only score of the opening period and their only time to be in front although the wind was a factor.

It took Sligo until the 16^th minute to get level when Darragh Cummins clipped over a nice point and from then on Tony McEntee’s men took charge.

Niall Murphy would finish the half with four points to his credit, with Nathan Mullen, Patrick O’Connor and Canice Mulligan, who was excellent, also getting on the scoresheet.

Sligo’s final point of the first-half was a fisted effort from Paul Kilcoyne, who opted for the point when a goal seemed on after Sligo regained possession from an underhit Leitrim kickout.

The only blot on Sligo’s copybook was a tally of 11 wides in the opening period as they took an eight-point lead, 0-9 to 0-1, into the break.

The pattern didn’t change in the second-half. Leitrim, although wind-assisted, were still playing second fiddle.

Sligo, who carried possession well into the breeze, only marginally outscored their opponents in the second period, 0-6 to 0-5, but they twice went close to goals as Nathan Mullen blasted over as did Mikey Gordon.

One of Leitrim’s best scores overall was a point from distance by substitute Evan Sweeney, with Darragh Rooney also pointing twice.

Leitrim’s difficult afternoon ended with further misery as Shane Quinn was dismissed in the 67^th minute when he received a second booking.

Scorers for Sligo: Niall Murphy 0-5 (3fs), Canice Mulligan 0-2, Nathan Mullen 0-2, Darragh Cummins 0-2, Alan McLoughlin 0-1, Paul Kilcoyne 0-1, Patrick O’Connor 0-1, Mikey Gordon 0-1

Scorers for Leitrim: Darragh Rooney 0-2, Ryan O’Rourke 0-1, Donal Wrynn 0-1, Pearce Dolan 0-1, Evan Sweeney 0-1

Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Nathan Mullen; Paul Kilcoyne, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins; Patrick O’Connor, Canice Mulligan; Cian Lally, Alan McLoughlin, Sean Carrabine; Eoghan Smith, Niall Murphy, David Quinn

Subs: Mikey Gordon for David Quinn (HT), Mark Walsh for Eoghan Smith (55), Keelan Cawley for Alan McLoughlin (68), Lee Deignan for Cian Lally (68).

Leitrim: Nevin O’Donnell; Conor Reynolds, Mark Diffley, Aidan Flynn; Donal Wrynn, Shane Quinn, James Rooney; Jack Gilheany, Pearce Dolan; Tom Prior, Ryan O’Rourke, Paul Keaney; Riordan O’Rourke, Darragh Rooney, Jack Flynn

Subs: Evan Sweeney for Tom Prior (47), Radek Oberwan for Riordan O’Rourke (47), Adam Reynolds for Conor Reynolds (50), Kieran Clancy for James Rooney (59), Stephen McLoughlin for Paul Keaney (63).

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).