In the end it required cool heads when all around there were in a frenzy but Sligo’s senior footballers grabbed two late points to take a one-point out of Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon last Sunday and thus book a return to Division 3 of the Allianz Football League next year.

It hadn’t looked that way for long periods of the game as after an initial Leitrim flurry that had them three points to no score ahead after just four minutes, Sligo took over and gradually built out a lead that was four points at the half time interval and twice that 20 minutes into the second half.

Leitrim weren’t reading that script however and in a frantic 12 minutes spell they went from eight down to one ahead with the momentum of the game and a raucous crowd behind them.  It was a time for Sligo to show their mettle and they did so in the four minutes of injury time with Finnian Cawley pointing from 35 meters after gobbling up a poor Leitrim clearance and then Nathan Mullen and Sean Carrabine working an opening for the latter to fist over and seal the victory.

If the last four minutes were all about Sligo, it was exactly the opposite at the beginning of the game as Donal Wrynne, from a mark, Keith Beirne and Darragh Rooney pointed to give their side the ideal start. They then had a great goal chance, but Beirne pulled his shot wide of the upright.

Sean Carrabine got Sligo off the mark on the score board in the eight minute as they settled into their task in the middle of the field where Paul Kilcoyne and Cian Lally were getting the better of possession. In the full forward line Paddy O’Connor was dominating the Leitrim defence adding two points with one from Cian Lally as Sligo edged in front on fifteen minutes.

Darragh Sweeney equalised for Leitrim on 18 minutes, but Sligo then hit another four points without reply – from Pat Spillane, Niall Murphy (from a free). O’Connor and Paul Kilcoyne to be four clear 0-8 to 0-4 as the game entered stoppage time. O’Connor and Darragh Rooney exchanged points in stoppage time to leave the margin at 4 at HT 0-9 to 0-5

Beirne got the first score of the second half but it was a short term reprise as Sligo re-established their dominance with a Finnan Cawley point and then a goal and a point from Pat Spillane to stretch the margin out to eight with fifteen minutes to go.

Leitrim were battling hard however, and minutes after coming on teenager Barry McNulty bundled the ball to the net and started a Leitrim comeback.as they threw caution to the wind. They followed that score up with a second goal for Aidan Flynn from a goalmouth scramble and then added points from Donal Wrynn and Tom Prior to turn a four-point deficit into a one -point lead, 2-11 to 1-13.

It was to be Sligo’s day however as they regained the lead with points from Finnian Cawley and Sean Carrabine.

Leitrim: Nevin O’Donnell, Paddy Maguire, Mark Diffley, Conor Reynolds, Shane Quinn, Domhnaill Flynn, Adam Reynolds, Pearce Dolan, Donal Wrynn (0-02, 1 ‘mark’), Darragh Rooney (0-03), Evan Sweeney (0-01), Paul Keaney, Aidan Flynn (1-00), Keith Beirne (0-03, 2f), Mark Plunkett

Subs: Conor Farrell for Adam Reynolds (21), Jack Heslin for Domhnaill Flynn (36), Tom Prior (0-1) for Darragh Rooney (46), Barry McNulty (1-01, 0-01 ‘mark’) for Evan Sweeney (50), James Rooney for Mark Plunkett (60)

Sligo: Daniel Lyons, Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Luke Towey (0-1), Brian Cox, Paul McNamara, Paul Kilcoyne (0-1), Cian Lally (0-1), Finnian Cawley (0-2), Sean Carrabine (0-3, 1f, 1 ‘45’), Keelan Cawley, Pat Spillane (1-2), Patrick O’Connor (0-4, 1f), Niall Murphy (0-1, 1f)

Subs: David Quinn for Keelan Cawley (50), Mikey Gordon for Pat Spillane (57), Mark Walsh for Brian Cox (57), Alan Reilly for Patrick O’Connor (62), Luke Nicholson for Evan Lyons (70+1)

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)