Tailteann Cup: Senior Football
Sligo 0-20 Antrim 0-20
An injury time point by Antrim goalkeeper Michael Byrne drew Antrim level but wasn’t enough to see Antrim over the line against Sligo in Sunday’s Tailteann Cup clash at Kingspan Breffni Park. It left mixed feelings among the Antrim fans but overall they have to be proud of how their team battled and the way they got back on terms after being down by four in the run-in was very heartening.
In the final seconds of the game Byrne was again involved when he pushed upfield and laid the ball off to substitute Eoin Hynds, who was just on the field, but the Glenravel man’s attempt for the winner was just wide of the mark and the chance was gone. The Saffrons are still in the competition, and deservedly so, but Sligo went through to the quarter final because of their superior score difference, while Andy McEntee’s men now face London in the preliminary quarter final next weekend in Corrigan Park
Sligo went into this game as slight favourites by virtue of a 7 point victory over the Saffrons in the league in Markievicz Park earlier in the season but it was Antrim who scored first with a point from Colm McLarnon after just two minutes. Sligo bounced back and soon found their scoring boots as they reeled off three in a row with Sean Carrabine, Alan McLoughlin and Patrick O’Connor all on target for the men in black.
They pushed on take a two point lead before Ryan McQuillian cut the gap back to a single point after 13 minutes. The Yeats men would get on top at this stages as they opened up a five point lead after 25 minutes. The Saffrons appeared to be in a bit of bother, but they fought back brilliantly before the break and hit five points without reply with Paddy McBride, Marc Jordan, Ryan McQuillan, Joseph Finnegan and McBride again their scorers as they went in at the break leading by 0-13 to 0-12.
Sligo drew level early in the second half through Niall Murphy but it was Antrim that should have been ahead as Paddy McAleer pulled his shot wide of the upright when a goal looked certain.
McBride restored the Saffrons’ advantage with his seventh of the afternoon after Kavan Keenan took the wrong option when clear through but passed to Ryan McQuillan when a score looked on.
Nathan Mullan for Sligo and Ryan McQuillan for Antrim exchanged further scores to leave it 0-15 each after 44 minutes and further exchanges between Alan McLaughlin for the Yeates men and Creggan’s Ruairi McCann left it all square again with 55 minutes on the clock.
Patrick O’Connor edged the Connaught side ahead again but Marc Jordan looked to be in for a goal for Andy McEntee’s side after breaking through the middle but his well struck shot cannoned wide of an upright.
Antrim’s self belief appeared to be slipping a little and Sligo found their stride again and when they pushed on to lead by 0-20 to 0-16 through Niall Murphy, Sean Carabine and substitute Mark Walsh, they appeared to be firmly in the driving seat, but Antrim refused to lie down and slowly but surely they began to find their feet again.
Substitute Conor Hand, who was a last minute withdrawal from the starting team, swung over a great point to start the fightback and after McQuillan had landed his sixth of the day the St John’s man got his second in three minutes to cut the gap to the minimum.
When McQuillan was fouled goalkeeper Byrne was called forward to take the free and the Rossa netminder slotted over the equaliser as the game went into four minutes of injury time. Both teams had a chance to slot the winner as the clock ticked down, but the score Antrim needed to avoid a preliminary quarter final next weekend just evaded them, though they will be happy enough to draw London in next week’s preliminary quarter final game at Corrigan Park.
Scorers – Antrim: R McQuillan (0-6 1f), P McBride (0-4 2f), R McCann (0-2), C Hand (0-2), C McLarnon, P McAleer, M Jordan, J Finnegan, N Burns, M Byrne (f) all 0-1 each. Sligo: N Murphy (C) (0-8 3f), S Carrabine (0-3), A McLoughlin (0-3), P O’Connor (0-2), D Cummins, C Lally, N Mullen, M Walsh all 0-1 each
Antrim: M Byrne, D Lynch, E Walsh, K Keenan, N Burns, J Finnegan, D McAleese, P McAleer, C Hynds, C McLarnon, P McBride, R McCann, R McQuillan, R McCann, M Jordan. Subs: D McEnhill for McBride (52), C Hand for Burns (52), J McDonnell for Keenan (63), C Johnston for McCann (71)
Sligo: A Devaney, E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara, B Cox, D Cummins, N Mullen, P Kilcoyne, C Mulligan, C Lally, A McLoughlin, S Carrabine, M Gordon, P O’Connor, N Murphy. Subs: M Walsh for Gordon (58), E Smith for Lally (61), J Lavin for McNamara (70), L Deignan for O’Connor (73).
Antrim’s Ryan McQuillan
