Sligo travelled to O’Moore Park,
Portlaoise to take on Wexford in this NFL division 4 fixture in the baking
heat. A fixture that would not have taken place if Leitrim had taken up their
fixture with Wexford provided the players and management with a final
opportunity to get a competitive game before the Connacht SFC match v Mayo in
Markievicz Park on June 26th. Unfortunately as it turned out the
second half in particular had a challenge game intensity.
John Francis Carr was a late addition
to the starting line up and joined Conor McGovern and Peter Naughton getting
their first full league start of 2021. Keelan Cawley moved up to the forward
line and Seán Carrabine made the journey in reverse. Carrabine was to get the
first score of the game when running from his own 45, outpacing two Wexford men
and putting Sligo in front in the first minute. Mark Rossiter responded for
Wexford with a free and Niall Murphy did likewise for Sligo.
Wexford went in front with three
points in 2 busy minutes 10 minutes into the game. John Turbitt who turned out
to be a real thorn in the Sligo defence all day, Kevin O’Grady and wing back
Michael Furlong all scored from play. Red Óg Murphy got one in response from
play but after the water break Ben Brosnan scored a peach of a goal when at the
end of a three man moved starting out at the Sligo subs bench, the finish a lovely
inside the right foot finish that curled around Kilgannon into the top right
corner of the net. It was to be his last act on the field of play having being
injured in the scoring of the goal. Wing back Furlong got his second of the
half joined by a Seán Nolan effort. Niall Murphy got Sligos first score for 17
minutes in additional time from play but a skyscraper of an effort by Turbitt where
the referee told the umpire to put up the white flag after he had waved wide
left a six point deficit at the break 1-7 v 0-4.
Donal Conlon had come on for
Keelan Cawley who was being assessed for a head injury before halftime and he
was joined by Sean Power with Gavin Gorman coming on at the break With Daithí Waters
and Liam Coleman dominating in the centre field and Turbitt on fire near the
Sligo goal things went from bad to worse as the half wore on. As with the first
half Carrabine and Murphy scored early in the half with Carrabine scoring a 45
also but Turbitt had scored four from play before the water break with both
feet. Barry Gorman and Liam Gaughan came on and Gorman was fouled when calling
the mark scored by Carrabine but he got his own point from another mark a few
minutes later.
Wexford were now in total control
and only a Niall Murphy free was added in the last 22 minutes whilst the team
from the south east added 1-3 with the goal coming from midfielder Coleman who
managed to rifle it into the top corner when letting fly on the ball when he
bounced the ball. It was a very disappointing end to the league which had
started so brightly against neighbours Leitrim. The team are in action in
Markievicz Park on Saturday June 26th in the Connacht SFC against
Mayo.
Scorers:
Sligo :- Niall Murphy 0-4 (3f) Seán
Carrabine 0-3 (2f 1x45), Red Óg Murphy 0-1, Barry Gorman 0-1 (1 mark)
Wexford :- John Turbitt 0-6,
Kevin O’Grady 0-3, Ben Brosnan, Liam Coleman 1-0 each, Michael Furlong, Seán Nolan
0-2 each, Mark Rossiter 0-1 (1f), Robbie Brooks
Sligo : Eamonn Kilgannon, John
Francis Carr, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Conor McGovern, Peter Laffey, Seán
Carrabine, Darragh Cummins, Paul Kilcoyne, Keelan Cawley, Red Óg Murphy, Mikey
Gordon, Peter Naughton, Niall Murphy, Cian Lally.
Subs – Seán Power for Carr, Donal
Conlon for Cawley, Gavin Gorman for Lally, Barry Gorman for Red Óg Murphy, Liam
Gaughan for Naughton, Karl McKenna for McGovern, Kyle Cawley for Gordon