NHL: Sligo 2-17 v Leitrim 1-15

Back 24/02/2020 @ 08:12 | mainnews | NHL: Sligo 2-17 v Leitrim 1-15

Sligo remained unbeaten in the hurling league and now top the group with Warwickshire who have played a game more. They made this a bit harder and uncomfortable than their first half play suggested when holding off a resurgent Leitrim team who depended on Karl McDermott for their scores. If he was at the end of the two goal chance near the end of the game the result may have been different.

Sligo got off to a blistering start with points from Finnian Cawley and Ruairí Brennan and a Joe McHugh goal from a tight angle in the first 3 minutes. By the 20th minute, McHugh, Kevin O'Kennedy, Gerard O'Kelly Lynch had added points from play and in the 24th minute Keith Raymond drifted into the full forward line, won a free driven along the sideline, turned his man and drove towards goal shooting high into the Leitrim netto lead 2-6 v 0-4. However Leitrim got back into the game with a McDermott penalty driven low into the Town goal that at the halftime break the scores stood at 2-11 v 1-8

McHugh and McDermott traded pointed frees after the break and there was a period of no score from Sligo in an eleven minute spell with. Between the 17th and 29th minute McDermott scored 5 points from play and frees to leave 3 behind the sides. Ben Murray should have scored a goal for Leitrim when in one on one with Mark Burke but drove it wide whilst Moreton  came in from the stand side and a combination of hooks and blocks saw his effort cleared. In added time a straight red card was shown to Leitrim for a wild pull on Gavin Connolly who had a fair welt across his shins. This lead to a lengthy delay, which meant insted of 3 minutes of additional time there was 7,and in this time O'Kelly Lynch and Raymond struck insurance scores and there was time for substitute Dónal Hanley to see red also. 

Sligo travel to Cavan next Sunday.


Sligo : Mark Burke, James Weir, Niall Feehily, Gavin Connolly, Kevin Banks, Rory McHugh, Finnian Cawley (0-2), Gerard O'Kelly Lynch (0-4), Kevin O'Kennedy(0-1), Paul O'Grady, Keith Raymond (1-5, 0-2f), Cathal Jordan Joe McHugh(1-4, 2f), Tony O'Kelly Lynch, Ruairí Brennan (0-1). Subs Liam Reidy for Jordan(ht), Kevin Gilmartin for O'Kennedy (42m), Kieran Prior for Brennan (48min), Arthur Wall for Joe McHugh(70min), Dónal Hanley for Connolly (75min)