Roscommon 5-14 Sligo 2-13
Sligo's Celtic Challenge campaign came to a disappointing end on Monday night in Athleague where they went down to Roscommon in the quarter final of the Jerome O'Leary Cup.
Three Roscommon goals in the opening quarter, including one from a long range free left th eYeats County with a mountain to climb with only one point in reply from a Patrick Walsh free taken by Patrick Walsh. By the time Walsh added his second point, the home side had 4-4 on the scoreboard.
Sligo finally got the scoreboard moving in the second quarter with three consecutive scores - a goal from Rory Connellan after good work by Walsh and Michael Mc Donagh, both of whom also added a point each.
Sligo finished out the half strongly with further points from Walsh and Connellan to go into the break 4-8 to 1-6 down, although they had also lost McDonagh with a hand injury.
Roscommon opened the scoring in the second half with a point and quickly added their fifth goal to kill off any fleeting hope for Sligo.
To their credit, the Sligo lads kept playing and actually outscored the victors by 1-7 to 0-5 over the remainder of the game.
There were five consecutive points from Vereker,Thomas Sheridan, Walsh, Conor Lang and Shane Mc Donagh. Sligo's Oisín Moylan was forced off as he picked up an injury to his knee and the visitors emptied their bench as they piled on the pressure in search of a second goal. With midfield and the half backline coming more into the game that work was finally rewarded when substitute Oisín Whelan found the net for the last score of the game.
It was too little, too late for the men in black who saw their Celtic Challenge campaign end at the quarter final stage
Sligo: Thomas Hargadon; Adam Roberts, Jack McDaniel, Oisín Moylan; Fiachra Haughey, Neil Kelly, Ryan O'Donnell; Michael Costigan, Conor Lang (0-1); Patrick Walsh (0-8(6f), Michael Mc Donagh (0-1), Cormac Vereker (0-1); Rory Connellan (1-1), Luke Tuffy, James Lynch,
Subs: Mark Keane, Shane O'Loughlin, Shane Mc Donagh (0-1), Thomas Sheridan (0-1), Oisín Whelan (1-0),
Thomas Kinnane, Harry Cawley, Cathal Hughes, Brian Woods , James Conway, TJ Foody, Mike Gallagher, Edwin Rolston, Adam Kearns, Luke Gilgan, Aaron Flynn .