Connacht SFC
- Sligo 2-16 New York 0-6
Leinster SHC
- Antrim 1-19 Dublin 1-19
************
THE FAIRYTALE OF New York (in the 2023 Connacht championship) is over.
It’s Sligo who progress to the Connacht final against Galway or Roscommon after a comprehensive 2-16 to 0-6 win at Markievicz Park.
The Exiles, meanwhile, head for the Tailteann Cup, hoping to build on their historic win over Leitrim in the Big Apple earlier this month.
Patrick O’Connor was Sligo’s two-goal hero in a scrappy game in difficult conditions, but ultimately, it was a case of job done for Tony McEntee’s men. Star forward and captain Niall Murphy was also in scoring form, and there were other big performances across the park.
O’Connor’s fourth-minute goal gave the Yeatsmen — this year’s Division 4 champions — the perfect start. New York were caught on the kick-out, the hosts worked the ball well and O’Connor made no mistake in raising the green flag.
Adrian Varley got the visitors off the mark with 12 minutes on the clock — 1-1 to 0-1 at that stage after the in-form Sean Carrabine added a free for Sligo. Murphy hit two quick-fire points — one free, one from play — before Galway man Varley responded with a mark to make it 1-3 to 0-2 by the 20th minute.
Both sides made simple mistakes and proved wasteful before the posts, but Sligo held the upper hand throughout. Carrabine (free), O’Connor, Cian Lally and Paul McNamara kept the scoreboard ticking over, with an excellent Gavin O’Brien point breaking the sequence at the other end. It was 1-7 to 0-3 at half time.
More of the same followed in the second half, O’Connor’s palmed offering ending the game as the contest and making it 2-9 to 0-5 in the 44th minute. Pat Spillane scored his first of two excellent scores as he helped Sligo pick up where they left off on the restart; New York substitute Conall Aherne responded with a well-taken mark; and Paul Kilcoyne and Bill Maher traded scores before O’Connor’s second goal.
It was a procession from there, however, with Spillane, Carrabine, Lally and Kilcoyne on target to stretch Sligo’s lead to 2-13 to 0-5 on the hour-mark. O’Brien pulled one back for New York, who had been reduced to 13 men at that stage after Robert Wharton’s black card and Niall Madine’s red.
But Murphy (two) and Luke Towey rounded off the scoring, the clash finishing up 2-16 to 0-6 as Sligo advanced to their first Connacht final since 2015.
Elsewhere, Antrim and Dublin finished all square in their Leinster senior hurling championship opener at Corrigan Park.
Cian O’Sullivan rescued a draw for the Dubs with a 75th-minute equaliser which left the scoreline 1-19 a-piece.
Antrim made a bright start, James McNaughton’s seventh-minute goal putting them in the driving seat. It was crucial: Dublin trailed thereafter, and the hosts led 1-11 to 0-12 at half time.
Donal Burke, on song from placed balls all day, scored an important late goal for Dublin and a dramatic, tit-for-tat ending followed thereafter. Antrim got their noses in front once more, before O’Sullivan had the final say deep into injury time.
Get instant updates on the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues on The42 app. Brought to you by Allianz Insurance, proud sponsors of the Allianz Leagues for over 30 years.
