Sligo SFC Final: Shamrock Gaels win replay

Sligo SFC Final Replay

Shamrock Gaels 2-11 Coolera-Strandhill 0-8

By Liam Maloney at Quigabar

Shamrock Gaels are Sligo Senior Football Championship winners for the first time in 33 years after a powerful second-half performance dethroned Coolera-Strandhill at west Sligo’s Quigabar.

The agenda remained the same for both finalists - Coolera-Strandhill, last year’s Connacht champions, were seeking a third successive county title; Shamrock Gaels, last county finalists in 1994, were aiming to end a silverware drought in this competition that stretched back to 1992.

With the crossfield wind making an impact, the low-scoring first-half was not a surprise - it finished 0-2 apiece - as Coolera-Strandhill missed a glorious chance for an ideal start when Niall Murphy sent wide from a penalty kick in the sixth minute.

Murphy, who was his side’s only scorer on the day, later landed two points for the holders, with these scores answered by Shane Deignan, who provided a first-half brace for Shamrock Gaels.

Along with Niall Murphy’s penalty miss another potential turning point in the opening period was Ciaran Kenny’s last-gasp tackle to stop Keelan Cawley when Coolera-Strandhill’s experienced forward was through on goal.

Shamrock Gaels took charge within minutes of the restart as points from Karl McKenna, Shane Deignan and Patrick Kenny put three points between the teams, 0-5 to 0-2.

Ciaran Kenny, one of three Kenny siblings in Shamrock Gaels’ line-up and also a brother of Glasgow Celtic’s Johnny Kenny, was in for a chance that he shot wide - soccer-style.

Things took a turn when Coolera-Strandhill’s Leo Doherty received a straight red in the 41st minute following an off the ball incident that saw a yellow card issued to Shamrock Gaels player Conor Sheridan.

Shamrock Gaels continued to press this advantage and as matters moved into the last five minutes they were six points clear, 0-10 to 0-4.

Shane Deignan’s 59th minute goal - following a Coolera-Strandhill turnover - started the Shamrock Gaels party and he goaled again in stoppage time to complete a memorable day for the team captained by David Quinn.

Niall Murphy scored a hat-trick of two-pointer frees in the second-half for a Coolera-Strandhill side that surrendered their county and provincial titles on the one day.

To make matters worse for Coolera-Strandhill, they finished with 13 players due to a black card for Barry O’Mahony in time added on.

Scorers for Shamrock Gaels: Shane Deignan 2-3; David Quinn 0-3 (2f), Niall Kenny, Karl McKenna, Ciaran Kenny, Patrick Kenny, Sean Carroll 0-1 each.

Scorers for Coolera-Strandhill: Niall Murphy 0-8 (3tpf).

Shamrock Gaels: Daniel Lyons; Oisin Conlon, Evan Lyons, Daniel King; Karl McKenna, Ciaran Kenny, Patrick Kenny; Conor Sheridan, Dillon McDermott; Niall Kenny, Lee Deignan, George Barlow; Shane Deignan, David Quinn, James Foley.

Subs: Sean Carroll for J Foley (44).

Coolera-Strandhill: Keelan Harte; Jonathan Cassidy, Conor McDonagh, Sean Murphy; Oran Harte, Peter Laffey, Cathal Gilligan; Kevin Banks, Mark McDaniel; Leo Doherty, Barry O’Mahony, Ross Doherty; Keelan Cawley, Niall Murphy, Conor Burke.

Subs: Cormac Murphy for K Cawley (43), Cillian O’Neill for S Murphy (46), Hugh Rooney for J Cassidy (57).

Referee: Barry Judge.