St Mary’s go the extra to see off Coolera-Strandhill and secure final berth

St Mary’s survived a dramatic Sligo SFC semi-replay tussle with neighbours Coolera-Strandhill, winning by three points, 2-14 to 1-14, after extra-time at Markievicz Park on Saturday.

The John Kent-managed winners, who face Adrian Marren’s Curry in Sunday’s county final, needed Seamus Cawley’s goal in the second period of extra-time to deny a Coolera-Strandhill outfit that refused to give up.

Three spurned goal chances from Coolera-Strandhill left St Mary’s off the hook, including Niall Murphy’s opportunity in the final minutes that would have brought this tie to a second reply.

Coolera-Strandhill, last year’s beaten finalists, dragged matters into extra-time through Niall Costello’s equalising point, which made it 1-10 apiece, after playing the last 10 minutes of normal time with 14 men following playmaker Karol O’Neill’s 50th-minute dismissal. The losers had a second player, Enda Mitchell, sent off in added time but they were back to the full compliment of players for the 20 minutes of extra-time.

With Niall Murphy accurate from frees, Coolera-Strandhill made an early impact in normal time, leading 0-5 to 0-1 by the 13th minute. But Stephen Coen’s converted penalty after 40 minutes put St Mary’s on track until a Coolera-Strandhill comeback was sparked by substitute Colm Mullen’s goal.

Coolera-Strandhill scorers: N Murphy (0-6, 5f), C Mullen (1-1), N Costello (0-3, 1f), K O’Neill (0-2), T Waters (0-1), V Cadden (0-1, 1 ‘45’).

St Mary’s scorers: S Coen (1-2, 1-0 pen), S Cawley (1-1), M Breheny (0-3, 3f), C Breheny (0-2, 1f), M Butler (0-2), N Smyth (0-1), C Egan (0-1), M Bree (0-1), D Davey (0-1, 1 45).