Allianz Football League Division Three
Antrim 1-15 Sligo 1-18
Barring a miracle Antrim will be playing their football in division 4 next season following defeat to Sligo in this ‘4 pointer’ at Corrigan Park on Sunday.
The Yeats county went into this game trailing Antrim by a point but knowing that a win would almost certainly guarantee them survival, with one game remaining it seems they have achieved what they came to Belfast for.
After a poor start to the season Sligo have found their form at the right time to claw themselves away from the drop zone and just need a draw at home to Leitrim next week.
The visitors dominated the opening half with Antrim badly of the pace and for long periods the Saffrons couldn’t get their hands on the ball while Sligo were excellent on the press and moved the ball at pace.
They looked to be coasting to victory when they led by 1-11 to 0-6 at the break but a couple of half time changes and a much more positive approach saw the home side stage a strong second half comeback.
Sligo opened the scoring as Alan Reilly finished a patient build-up and the Yeatsmen continued to control the early stages as Alan McLoughlin and Niall Murphy (free) added scores.
It took Antrim 9 minutes to get off the mark when goalkeeper Michael Byrne kicked the first of his three 45s in the opening half before Ryan McQuillan thumped over from play.
However, Sligo were dictating terms with five of the next six points including one a Niall Murphy free that came as a result of Antrim having just two players in the other half of the field.
Antrim were just not at the races as pass after pass went astray and this allowed Sligo to get on the front foot and as the half continued to tick along, the lead continued to increase with Alan McLoughlin and Reilly leading the way.
A fine score from Antrim’s Eunann Walsh who began the move in his own half hinted at better to come for the hosts, but the goal that seemed to be coming duly arrived with two minutes of the half remaining as the Antrim defence seemed to switch off, allowing Sligo all the time to work open a tap-in for Luke Towey.
Patrick O’Connor then saw a shot tipped over in added time as Sligo held a commanding 1-11 to 0-6 lead at the break and Antrim were probably relieved to get to the shelter of the dressing rooms and regroup.
Antrim made two changes for start of the second half with Ruairi McCann and Dominic McEnhill replacing Conor Stewart and Conor Johnston and it brought about an immediate improvement as they posted 1-4 without reply in the third quarter.
Half-time sub, Dominic McEnhill grabbed 1-1, his goal coming with 50 minutes played as he finished a flowing move that began with Conor Hand’s run at goal, while the Saffrons felt they could have had an earlier goal but Eunan Walsh was penalised for over carrying after a surging run saw him finish from close range.
Just when it looked that things were now very much in the hands of Andy McEntee’s side, Sligo rattled off the next three points through Spillane, McLoughlin and Muphy before Ryan McQuillan pulled one back and the teams then swapped two-point frees through Murphy and Byrne.
A Ronan Boyle score left two in it again as the Saffron support started to find their voice, but that two-pointer from McLoughlin gave Sligo a cushion, before Eoghan McCabe pointed for the hosts to leave a goal in it.
Antrim were chasing that second major, but it wouldn’t come as Sligo held firm to leapfrog Antrim in the table ahead of next week’s final round where they host Leitrim and Antrim head to Kildare.
A point against Leitrim would be enough for Sligo, even if Antrim were to win in Newbridge but the Yeats men are likely to win that one comfortably to leave Antrim playing their football in division 4 next season.
Antrim scorers: M Byrne 0-6 (1x2pf, 3x45s, 1f), D McEnhill 1-1, R McQuillan 0-3, C Johnston 0-1, E Walsh 0-1, P McBride 0-1 (1f), R Boyle 0-1, E McCabe 0-1.
Sligo scorers: A McLoughlin 0-6 (1x2pf, 1f), N Murphy 0-5 (1x2pf, 2f), A Reilly 0-3, L Towey 1-0, P Spillane 0-2, C Lally 0-1, P O’Connor 0-1
Antrim: M Byrne; E McCabe, E Walsh, K Keenan; J Finnegan, J Lenehan, D McAleese; C Stewart, E Quinn; P McBride, N Bu
Nagle; C Hand, C Johnston, R McQuillan.
Subs: R Boyle for J Finnegan (23, head injury), D McEnhill for C Stewart (HT), R McCann for C Johnston (HT), P Finnegan for P McBride (61), R Murray for E Quinn (66)
Sligo: D Lyons; E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara; B Cox, D Cummins, L Towey; C Mulligan, P O’Connor; C Lally, D Quinn, A Reilly; A McLoughlin, N Murphy, P Spillane.
Subs: R Doherty for A Reilly (38), N Mullen for L Towey (51), S Deignan for P Spillane (52), PKilcioyne for C Lally (68), M Gordon for P O’Connor (70+2)
Referee: N Mooney (Cavan)
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