Sligo senior hurlers came from behind in a rousing second
half display to qualify for the final of the Allianz hurling league Division 2B
with a one-point victory over Donegal in Letterkenny of Saturday – 1-20 to 1-19
The victory means that Sligo will play for a national trophy
in hurling for the fifth season in succession and is just one game away from, most
remarkably, being promoted for the third successive years.
Sligo started this match trading points for the first ten minutes
with point from Andy Kilcullen – one from play, one from a free – but then the hosts
moved ahead with first an slightly ahead but Donegal hit for a goal in the 11th
minutes and then added three successive points to go seven points up before Finnian
Cawley put one over for Sligo, their fourth and a first score for 11 minutes.
As things livened up heading towards the half time break,
Tomás Cawley, Rory McHugh and Ruairi Brennan had points for Sligo to kept the
scoreboard ticking over but Donegal; matched them to keep the margin at 6 points,
1-6 t to 0-7.
Sligo had introduced Tony O’Kelly Lynch and Conor Hanniffy just
before the break and their strength aided
the Sligo cause as they notched four
points through O'Kelly
Lynch, Tomás Cawley, Joe McHugh and Andy Kilcullen in the first
ten minutes of the second half to bring the margin to two.
The last 20 minutes were a game in itself. First of all, having been
clawed back to a two point margin, and having played tit for tat for ten minutes
– matching points for Sligo by Hanniffy and two from Kilcullen (one a free) –
Donegal surged again yielding two points to stretch the lead out to four with
less that ten minutes to go.
Sligo were not to be denied though and Andy Kilcullen, who would emerge
as Sligo’s top scorer on the day, followed in on a long-range efforts from Hanniffy
to find the net and bring it back to two points. Hanniffy made it a one point
game again before Kilcullen levelled it up from a free with less than five minutes
on the clock.
The sides swapped frees but Sligo were emerging the stronger and
more disciplined in the last few minutes which yielded opportunities that were stylishly
delivered by Conor Hanniffy and Joe McHugh. Donegal reduced the margin to one with
the last puck of the game but Sligo held out to secure a place in next week’s Div
2B League final against Derry.
Sligo: Jimmy Gordon; Niall Kilcullen, Mark Hanniffy,
Kevin O’Kennedy; Gavin Connolly, Rory McHugh (0-1), Fionn Connolly; Finnian Cawley(0-1),
Niall Feehily; Joe McHugh (0-2), Gerard O’Kelly Lynch, Kevin Gilmartin (0-1); Ruairi
Brennan (0-1), Andy Kilcullen (1-8), Tomás Cawley (0-2).
Subs. Conor Hanniffy (0-3) for Brennan, Tony O’Kelly
Lynch (0-1) for Gilmartin,