Sligo 2-10
Wicklow 0-14
TONY MCENTEE PUT sentiment to one side at Croke Park as he guided adopted Sligo to the Division 4 Allianz football league title, setting them up nicely for next weekend’s Connacht SFC opener.
Already promoted to Division 3, the Yeats County men added the title outright with a dogged display in difficult conditions.
Niall Murphy’s 1-4 haul was crucial while Paul Kilcoyne’s goal during a powerful third quarter also helped propel Sligo to success.
It was an ironic win for Armagh man McEntee with Wicklow managed by his Crossmaglen colleague Oisin McConville whom he won All-Ireland medals with for club and county.
Wicklow hinted that they might cap promotion by claiming the silverware themselves as they led by three points early in the second-half but Sligo turned the screw after that with Murphy, Sean Carrabine and Luke Towey all excellent overall.
Sligo will now turn their attention to next Saturday’s trip to London in the Connacht SFC, while Wicklow will get their Leinster SFC campaign up and running the following day against Carlow in Aughrim.
Wicklow were by far the brighter starters here, putting four points on the board before the favourites had even opened their account through free-taker Murphy in the 16th minute.
Kevin Quinn, one of three late additions to the published Wicklow team, Mark Kenny and JP Hurley were all on the mark early on.
Murphy didn’t register Sligo’s first point from open play until the 24th minute but back to back Wicklow scores from Quinn amounted to a strong response, leaving the Leinster outfit 0-7 to 0-2 clear.
Quinn’s fourth point in the 26th minute came from a free after being pulled down himself by Sligo’s Eddie McGuinness who was shown a black card for the foul.
It was the second point that Sligo conceded from a short kick-out that went awry.
They collected themselves impressively though and Murphy suddenly burst into life with 1-1 approaching the half-hour mark to turn it into a real contest again.
Firstly, he pointed from an advanced mark after a terrific fetch.
Then Murphy positioned himself cleverly on the edge of the square to capitalise when a terrific burst out of defence by Nathan Mullen ended with Luke Towey playing the ball across for a simple palmed finish to the net.
Suddenly there was just a point in it though Wicklow stretched the gap again with a Mark Jackson point from a ’45 to lead 0-8 to 1-3 at the break.
They got the margin out to three after the restart when Eoin Darcy clipped one over from a free.
But Wicklow didn’t score again until the 52nd minute as Sligo completely took over with a brilliant third quarter to move into pole position themselves.
Cian Lally blasted over in the 40th minute when a goal was there for the taking but Kilcoyne wasn’t as wasteful three minutes later when he rattled the Wicklow net.
It was a slick move involving Carrabine, who’d just pinched a point, and Lally that ended with Kilcoyne blasting home from close range.
Towey kicked another point before Pat Spillane, being watched by his famous father from the Hogan Stand, got in on the action himself.
It amounted to a 1-4 blitzkrieg in the space of just eight minutes which went a long way towards winning it for Sligo.
Points from Carrabine, Nathan Mullen and the excellent Murphy during the final kept them ahead.
Sligo scorers: Niall Murphy 1-4 (0-1f, 0-1m), Paul Kilcoyne 1-0, Sean Carrabine 0-2 (0-1f), Luke Towey 0-1, Pat Spillane 0-1, Cian Lally 0-1, Nathan Mullen 0-1.
Wicklow scorers: Kevin Quinn 0-5 (0-2f, 1m), Mark Jackson 0-3 (0-1f, 0-2 45), Eoin Darcy 0-2 (0-2f), Mark Kenny 0-1, JP Hurley 0-1, Dean Healy 0-1, Cian O’Sullivan 0-1 (0-1f).
Sligo
1. Daniel Lyons (Gaeil na Seamroige)
4. Evan Lyons (Gaeil na Seamroige), 3. Eddie McGuinness (Tobar an Choire), 2. Nathan Mullen (Cuil Aine/Mullach na Breine)
7. Paul McNamara (Naomh Eoin), 6. Brian Cox (Calraigh Naomh Iosef), 5. Luke Towey (Gaeil Naomh Molaise)
8. Paul Kilcoyne (Naomh Muire), 9. Cian Lally (Droim Cliabh/Ros Ceite)
13. Pat Spillane (Naomh Jude), 11. Sean Carrabine (Caisleain ui Conchubhair), 19. David Quinn (Gaeil na Seamroige)
15. Niall Murphy (Cuil Irra/Leathros – Captain), 14. Patrick O’Connor (Naomh Fearnain), 10. Keelan Cawley (Cuil Irra/Leathros)
Subs
- 21. Mikey Gordon (Iascaigh) for Quinn 39
- 24. Alan Reilly (Curraigh) for O’Connor 57
- 20. Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (Naomh Muire) for Cawley 63
- 23. Mark Walsh (Gaeil na hAbhainn Moire) for Spillane 65
Wicklow
1. Mark Jackson (Baltinglass)
3. Eoin Murtagh (Dunlavin), 2. Malachy Stone (Barndarrig), 4. Jacques McCall (Barndarrig)
7. Cillian McDonald (Tinahely), 6. Patrick O’Keane (St Patrick’s), 20. Tom Maher (AGB)
11. JP Hurley (AGB), 9. Padraig O’Toole (Kiltegan – Captain)
10. Andy Maher (AGB), 14. Mark Kenny (Ballymanus), 22. Darragh Fitzgerald (AGB)
8. Dean Healy (St Patrick’s), 19. Kevin Quinn (Blessington), 15. Eoin Darcy (Tinahely)
Subs
- 5. Karl Furlong (Baltinglass) for McCall 52
- 28. Zach Cullen (Avondale) for A Maher 53
- 13. Cian O’Sullivan (Dunlavin) for Fitzgerald 57
- 24. Fintan O’Shea (Eire Og Greystones) for T Maher 60
- 21. Johnny Keogh (Baltinglass) for Kenny 70
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).
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