FBD League

Round 3

Sligo     2-9

Leitrim 1-10

@Markievicz Park

By Gavin Cawley

Sligo finished their FBD league campaign off win over local rivals Leitrim in a match that could easily of gone either way in the end. Like in recent times Sligo have depended on Adrian Marren to produce the goods for the Yeat’s and this was no different on Sunday afternoon as the Curry club man scored 1-4 on the day and his goal was to be the difference between the sides over the 60 minutes of football .

Ciaran Gilheaney the Aughawillan club Man opened the scoring for the Leitrim men and he has fond memories of Markievicz Park as he helped his beat Tubbercurry in this year’s Connacht Club championship but unfortunately for Gilheaney his match didn’t last long as he came off with injury moments later . Sligo replied with a brace from Marren the best of the two points came on the 7 minute of the match when he fired the ball over the bar after Niall Murphy had played ball into Curry man. Leitrim came back at Sligo once again as they were starting to get confident with the conditions and three points from Kevin Conlon had the visitors back in front . Niall Murphy had the sides level at four points apiece but as Conlon landed his fourth point of the match it looked like current FBD league champions would go ahead at the break but a fine score from ensure the sides were level at the break. 

Sligo started very well at the start of the second half as Pat Hughes netted for Sligo just after Mark Breheny had put Sligo ahead as Sligo went into a four point lead. But credit to the Leitrim men as they responded well with 1-2 without reply the goal coming on 41 minute from Ronan Kennedy as his tidy finished had the sides level once again another point from  Conlon had Leitrim back in front . But just as Leitrim had their purple patch in the match Sligo had theirs as they would score 1-3 without reply two points from Breheny and goal from Marren which turned out to winning of the match. Leitrim fought hard in the final five minutes to respond through points from Conlon and wing back Barry Prior but wasn’t enough to change the result as Sligo got the better of their own rivals .

Sligo : Aidan Devaney ; Eoin Flanagan, Ross Donavan, Daniel Maye; Conor Kerins, Noel Gaughan, Shane Stenson ; Stephen Gilmartin , Pat Hughes(1-0);  Neil Ewing, Mark Breheny(0-3,1f), Charlie Harrison; Niall Murphy(0-1), Adrian Marren(1-4,1f), Padraic Clarke

Subs Used: Niall McDonagh for Charlie Harrison, Damien O’Boyle for Stephen Gilmartin, Kenneth Sweeney (0-1) for Padraic Clarke, Keelan Cawley for Conor Kerins, Barry O’Mahony for Neil Ewing, Luke Bree for Shane Stenson

Leitrim :  Brendan Flynn ;  Mathew Murphy, Ronan Gallagher, Dylan Keane;  Barry Prior(0-1), Gary Reynolds,  Sean Mc Weeney; Paddy Mc Gowan, Cathal Mc Crann; Christy McGowan, Fergal Clancy,Danny Beck; Ciaran Gilheaney(0-1), Ronan Kennedy(1-0), Kevin Conlan(0-7,5fs,45)    

Subs Used: Alan Mc Loughlin(0-1) for Ciaran Gilheaney, Robbie Lowe for Danny Beck, James McGrail for Cathal McCrann, Donal Wrynn for Christy McGowan, Shane Moran for Fergal Clancy,

Referee:  Liam Devenney (Mayo)