Sligo’s senior footballers prevailed in a tense finale to their first ever Tailteann Cup match when they edged out London by two points after extra time at Markievicz Park on Saturday last.

In a game that was tit for tat on the score board all the way through, the winners finally created a winning gap when sub Brian Egan found the net for their third goal in the first half of extra time.

They still needed a penalty save from goalkeeper Aidan Devaney late in extra-time to see the game out and had the game gone against them the home side would have rued the 21 wides they shot over the 90 minutes.

With scoring talisman Niall Murphy out with a muscle strain picked up in training, Alan Reilly turned out to be the scoring hero of the day, shooting 1-6 overall – all from play – including the score that brought the game to extra time with five of six minutes of added time elapsed.

London got the first score but points from Paddy O’Connor and Alan Reilly after six and ten minutes got Sligo going on the scoreboard. 

London get the first goal of the contest when James Gallagher finished good work by midfielder Stephen Dornan to swing the game back to the visitors, Sligo replied in kind almost immediately with Nathan Rooney playing in Alan Reilly to raise Sligo’s first green flag.

The game's first goal arrived 16 minutes in for Michael Maher's side, Stephen Dornan finding space and passing to the impressive James Gallagher who slotted home pushing London two in front.

It was short-lived, Nathan Rooney doing well to find Reilly who brilliantly finished to the back of the London net, putting Sligo back into a one-point lead.

It didn’t last long though and in a reflection of the match as a whole, London had three points that put them back in front before Pat Hughes rose to palm a long Paul Kilcoyne delivery to the net to push it Sligo’s way again,

Pat Spillane and O’Connor added further points for Sligo to one in return from London’s James Gallagher to leave the half time score at 2-6 to 1-7

The pattern of the lead switching over and back continued through the second half and despite London being a man down for the last 15 minutes as a result of two black successive cards they were two points up as the game entered injury but an O’Connor free and an excellent long range poiunt from Reilly as the game entered the final minute of added time sent the sides into extra time

Both sides had two points each in the early stages of the first half of extra time before Sligo opened up the biggest margin of the day with substitutes Donal Conlon and Brian Egan scoring a point and then a goal to give their side a four-point half time lead 3-14 to 2-13.

Early in the second half London pulled one back with a free and then won a penalty which would have put the sides level. Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney however blocked the kick with the rebound going over the bar.

Almost immediately Reilly got down the other end for a point and as the victory slipped away, London’s frustration piled over and they were reduced to 13 men with two sendings off in rapid succession.

They did reduce the margin to two, but it was to be Sligo’s day on a final score line of 3-15 to 2-16

Sligo: Aidan Devaney (0-1 '45); Nathan Mullen, Evan Lyons, Paul McNamara; Mark Walsh, Darragh Cummins, Paul Kilcoyne; Pat Spillane (0-1), Seán Carrabine (0-1 f); Keelan Cawley (C), Paddy O'Connor (0-4 1f), Mikey Gordon; Alan Reilly (1-6), Pat Hughes (1-1), Nathan Rooney.

Subs: Luke Towey for Spillane (47), Donal Conlon (0-1) for Rooney (56), Peter Laffey for Walsh (inj 57), Niall Murphy for Hughes (69), Brian Egan (1-0) for Murphy (inj 70+4), Kenny Gavigan for Gordon (71), Conán Marren for Laffey (80), Barry Gorman for Carrabine (88)

London; Noel Maher (0-1 '45); Cahir Healy, Matt Moynihan, Nathan McElwaine; Ronan Sloan, Eoin Walsh, Eoin Flanagan; James Hynes (0-1), Stephen Dornan; Conal Gallagher (0-1), Henry Walsh, Liam Gallagher; James Gallagher (1-3), Ferghal McMahon (0-4 4f), Matthew Walsh (1-1)

Subs: Liam Gavaghan (0-1 f) for H Walsh (55), Christopher Duggan for McMahon (58), Oladimedji Olajubu for McElwaine (61), Christopher Farley (0-1 f) for Gallagher (74), Seán Hickey (0-2) for Olajubu (80), Gallagher for Dornan (82), H Walsh (0-1) for L Gallagher (89).

REFEREE; Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)