Sligo’s
senior hurlers brought down the curtain on their intercounty season with a solid
performance in their final Christy Ring Cup game against unbeaten Kildare in
Newbridge on Saturday
With
Kildare already qualified for the Christy Ring Cup and Sligo’s status in the
competition guaranteed for next year, both sides were relaxed and played an
open competitive game.
Sligo
started the brightest with two early Andy Kilcullen points putting them too up
in the first three minutes. The home side were quick to respond with points
from Ross Kelly and Jack Sheridan equalising and when wing forward Mark Delaney
got their first goal on eight minutes it gave them a lead they would never relinquish
They
added points from four Brian Byrne frees along with points from Delaney, Conan
Boran and Shane Ryan.
Gerard
O'Kelly-Lynch and Kilcullen kept Sligo in the game on the scoreboard with six
points between them before the half time break to go in seven points down 1-12
to 0-8.
In
the second half Kildare picked up where they left off with points from Conor
Kielty and Delaney but Sligo hit back when Conor Hannify found Thomas Cawley inside
the full back line where he finished to the net to bring the gap back to five
points.
After
an exchange of points between Kilcullen and Kielty, Kildare pulled away again
with points from Brian Byrne and three in a row from Sheridan,
Sligo’s
hopes took another blow when corner back Kevin O’Kennedy was blackcarded for denying
a goalscoring opportunity but Kildare missed the resultant penalty which seemed
to inspire Sligo who refused to give up
Andy
Kilcullen grabbed a goal after a mix up in the Kildare defence and two quick points
from Kilcullen and Finnian Cawley left four between the sides with seven
minutes to play.
The
numbers made a difference however over the final minutes and the fifteen men added
1-4 to close out a good nine point victory.
Kildare:
Paddy McKenna; Niall O Muineachain, Tom Finnerty, Cathal Derivan; Jack Travers,
Ross Kelly (0-1), Kevin Whelan; Conan Boran (0-1), Paul Dolan; Conor Kielty (0-2),
Brian Byrne (0-7 5f 1'65), Mark Delaney (1-4); Pat Leahy, Jack Sheridan (0-4 1S/L),
Shane Ryan (1-2)
Subs:
Drew Costello (0-1) for Kelly 47, Cian Bracken for Leahy 47, Frank Bass (0-1)
for Byrne 55, James Dolan for Boran 55, John Roche for Sheridan 57.
Sligo:
Matt Davey; Niall Kilcullen, Niall Feehily, Kevin O'Kennedy; Gavin Connolly,
Rory McHugh, Fionn Connolly; Finnian Cawley (0-1), Tony O'Kelly Lynch; Kevin Gilmartin,
Gerard O' Kelly-Lynch (0-2), Conor Hannify; Joe McHugh, Andy Kilcullen 1-11 (9f),
Thomas Cawley (1-0)
Subs:
Liam O' Kelly-Lynch for Gilmartin B/S 30, Eoghan Rua McGowan for Niall
Kilcullen H/T, Ronan Redmond for Fionn Connolly 69, Donal Forkin for Gavin
Connolly 69.
REFEREE:
Robbie Fitzsimons (Offaly).