Sligo break Leitrim hearts after final quarter comeback falls just short

Leitrim dreams of promotion and a trip to Croke Park next Saturday were shattered in cruel, cruel fashion as two late Sligo points plucked Allianz NFL Division 4 promotion from the grasp of Andy Moran’s men and left them wondering what might have been.

In a game played with all the fervour and intensity of the championship, Leitrim and Sligo served up another thrilling contest that had fans on the edge of their seats but unfortunately for the Green & Gold, it was the Yeatsmen who once again prevailed to win promotion and a place in the Division 4 Final.

Leitrim came within touching distance of promotion when Tom Prior’s brilliant point from the corner with less than four minutes of normal time remaining saw the home side go a point in front, an improbable situation less than 15 minutes before as Sligo were cruising to victory with an eight point lead.

Fans treated to another Leitrim Sligo thriller in Pairc Sean sunshine - GALLERY

Another thrilling if heartbreaking chapter in the Leitrim and Sligo saga was written before a packed Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada on Sunday as the Yeatsmen held off a furious Green & Gold rally to secure promotion to Division 3 at the end of a thrilling 1-15 to 2-11 encounter. Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was a busy man snapping photos of fans engrossed in the action ..... see who you can spot!

But when Barry McNulty poked home after Tom Prior’s initial shot was saved, Leitrim finally awoke and charged back into a game where they had looked dead and buried. Points from Darragh Rooney and a McNulty mark saw belief surge into the Leitrim ranks and when Aidan Flynn forced another Prior rebound to the net, the roof was almost lifted off the stand.

The second goal left Leitrim a point adrift with captain Donal Wrynn tying the scores after good work from the inspirational super sub Tom Prior. A draw would not have been enough for Leitrim but the roars that greeted Prior’s superb score from the left corner could be heard all the way to Markievicz Park.

Sligo, however, were made of stern stuff and despite seeing their comfortable lead wiped out, they rallied with Finian Cawley tying the scores on 69 minutes before Sean Carrabine fisted over the wing over four minutes into added time.

A mere recounting of those final minutes hardly tells of the drama - Tom Prior saw a shot blocked before being black carded, Sligo appealed for a penalty after Paul McNamara was clearly pulled back on his way through on goal as both teams worked themselves to a standstill.

Leitrim had gotten off to a blistering start with three points in the first three minutes from a Donal Wrynn mark, a lovely Keith Beirne effort from play and Darragh Rooney launching over from 40 yards after a Pearce Dolan pass.

It might have been even better on six minutes as Wrynn made another superb catch for a mark on the 21 yard. Hindsight might say he was better going for his point but the Leitrim captain played a low ball to the charging Keith Beirne but under pressure from Sligo’s Nathan Mullen, his shot scrapped the paint off the far post and went wide.

It was a close escape for Sligo and they took notice, Carrabine punishing a Conor Reynolds pull on Niall Murphy with a successful free. Patrick O’Connor, Cian Lally (with a goal on) and O’Connor again from a free all fired over points and suddenly Sligo were a point up after 14 minutes.

Keith Beirne fires an early goal chance just wide of the Sligo posts under pressure from Nathan Mullen Picture: Willie Donnellan

Evan Sweeney showed well for the ball, beat his man and fired over on 17 minutes to tie the scores once more but a strong run from Pat Spillane through the middle of the Leitrim defence put the Yeatsmen back in front.

Keith Beirne appealed for a free after he went to ground in a challenge with Sligo breaking quickly, Spillane seeing his shot come off the woodwork before Murphy was fouled, Murphy converting himself.

O’Connor and Paul Kilcyone added points as an increasingly dominant Sligo started to push clear, although Leitrim did have a let-off when O’Donnell kickout went straight over the sideline only for Spillane to put his shot wide.

O’Connor would land his fourth point of the half before Darragh Rooney ended an 18 minute wait for a Leitrim score with a fine point. Sligo had wides from Murphy and Towey while Keith Beirne, on an uncharacteristically off day, missed from close range and then left a fifty short.

Sligo led 0-9 to 0-6 at the break and despite Beirne converting a 37 minute free after a foul on himself, Sligo continued to dominate, Finian Cawley firing over four minutes into the half.

Crucially, Sligo struck for the first goal - a crossfield pass to Cian Lally found him in space and he released Pat Spillane who finished with cool accuracy to put Sligo seven points clear.

Leitrim fans protested loudly for a penalty after a block on Aidan Flynn’s shot but Sligo full-back Eddie McGuinness actually made a clean and superbly timed block on the shot. It didn’t help that Leitrim missed two chances from Evan Sweeney and sub Jack Heslin with Spillane firing over on 47 minutes.

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Keith Beirne converted a free after a foul on the newly introduced Tom Prior before Sligo broke from a throw-ball on their own 21 yard line, Luke Towey firing over to leave them eight points clear after three quarters of the game.

A poor Keith Beirne wide from a free seemed to sum up Leitrim’s day but the mood shifted dramatically with 17 minutes to go when Tom Prior saw a close range shot saved but sub Barry McNulty forced the ball home from close range.

Two minutes later, McNulty made a superb catch under pressure to claim a mark and the Glencar Manorhamilton youngster converted to cut the gap to four. 

Sligo almost had a second goal with Nevin O’Donnell making a good block but it would have come with controversy as the umpire had seemed to signal a wide from a long range free.

The pressure was growing with Darragh Rooney scoring a fine point from a tight angle while Nevini O’Donnell made a good save from Sean Carrabine as he bore down on goal at the expense of a fifty converted by the Sligo marksman with some distance to spare.

Leitrim launched another free into the Sligo goalmouth, the ball broke free with Tom Prior seeing his shot brilliantly saved by Daniel Lyons only for the ball to break across the face of the goal where Aidan Flynn stretched out his foot to force the ball across the line, the ball hitting the post and running across the goal line to hit the other post before going in.

Donal Wrynn strikes for Leitrim's equaliser in the second half Picture: Willie Donnellan

That left Leitrim a point down but great work from Tom Prior in the corner saw him work the ball out to Keith Beirne who found Donal Wrynn and he fired over from distance to tie the scores.

Prior himself then capped a superb contribution off the bench by firing Leitrim in front on 67 minutes as the Leitrim fans couldn’t believe what they were witnessing as an eight point Sligo lead was turned into a one point Leitrim advantage.

Credit Sligo with guts and determination though - they refused to throw in the towel as Paul McNamara appealed for a penalty after he appeared to be hauled down on his way through only for the ball to come back to Finian Cawley for the levelling score.

With the game going into injury time, Tom Prior again cut in from the endline only to see his shot blocked. In his eagerness to win the ball back, the Ballinamore clubman hauled down a Sligo defender and was promptly black carded meaning Leitrim would finish with 14 men.

Sligo then broke up the field and worked the ball out to Sean Carrabine who fisted the ball over the bar after a long run to ensure a Sligo victory, although the freetaker did miss a late chance with nearly 41 minutes played in the second half.

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LEITRIM

Scorers: Barry McNulty 1-1, 1M; Darragh Rooney & Keith Beirne (2f) 0-3 each; Aidan Flynn 1-0; Donal Wrynn 0-2, 1M; Evan Sweeney & Tom Prior 0-1 each

Team: Nevin O’Donnell, Adam Reynolds, Mark Diffley, Conor Reynolds, Domhnaill Flynn, Shane Quinn, Aidan Flynn, Pearce Dolan, Paul Keaney, Paddy Maguire, Keith Beirne, Darragh Rooney, Evan Sweeney, Donal Wrynn, Mark Plunkett. Subs: Conor Farrell for A. Reynolds (21), Jack Heslin for D. Flynn (HT), Tom Prior for Keaney (46), Barry McNulty for Sweeney (50), James Rooney for Plunkett (60)

SLIGO

Scorers: Pat Spillane 1-2; Patrick O’Connor 0-4, 1f; Sean Carrabine 0-3, 1f, 145; Finian Cawley 0-2; Luke Towey, Paul Kilcoyne, Cian Lally & Niall Murphy 0-1 each

Team: Daniel Lyons, Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Luke Towey, Brian Cox, Paul McNamara, Paul Kilcoyne, Cian Lally, Finnian Cawley, Sean Carrabine, Keelan Cawley, Pat Spillane, Patrick O’Connor, Niall Murphy. Subs: David Quinn for Cawley (50), Mikey Gordon & Mark Walsh for Spillane & Cox (57), Alan Reilly for O’Connor (62), Luke Nicholson for Lyons (71)

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)