Antrim all but relegated as Sligo edge away from danger with narrow victory
Sligo manager Tony McEntee. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO
WHEN the questions were asked, Sligo found the answers at Corrigan Park to leave themselves in a very healthy position in the battle to avoid the drop from Division Three and leave Antrim all but doomed.
The Yeatsmen have found their form at the right time to claw themselves away from the drop zone and they now just needing a draw at home to Leitrim next week, Tony McEntee's men know they are in a good spot.
They did it by dominating the first half and then fending off the Antrim surge in the second with top-scorer Alan McLoughlin thumping over a two-point free with 67 minutes on the clock and this proved to be the insurance his side needed.
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 Niuall Murphy (free) added scores.
The hosts were off the mark nine minutes in as 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 from a Niall Murphy free that came as a result of Antrim having just two players in the other half of the field.
Given what was at stake in this game, Antrim seemed flat as passes off the mark allowed Sligo the ability 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 an injection of life for the hosts. But the goal that seemed to be coming duly arrived two minutes before the half as the Antrim defence seemed to switch off, allowing Sligo all the time to work open a tap-in for Luke Towey, while Patrick O'Connor saw a shot tipped over in added time as Sligo held a commanding 1-11 to 0-6 lead at the break.
The hosts needed a drastic improvement to get back into it and they delivered in the third quarter with 1-4 without reply.
Half-time sub Dominic McEnhill grabbed 1-1, his goal coming with 50 minutes played as he finished a flowing move that began with Coor Hand's run at goal, while the Safrons felt they could have had an earlier goal only for Walsh to be penalised for overcarrying.
Just as it seemed the pendulum had sung towards the hosts, Sligo rattled off the next three points through Spillane, McLoughlin and Muphy and after Ryan McQuillan pulled one back, the teams swapped two-point frees through Murphy and Byrne.
A Ronan Boyle score left two in it heading down the stretch, but that two-pointer from McLoughlin gave Sligo a cushion, and although 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 standings ahead of next week's final round where they host Leitrim and Antrim head to Kildare.
M Byrne (0-6, 1 tp free, 3 45s, 1f), D McEnhill (1-1), R McQuillan (0-3), C Johnston, E Walsh, P McBride (1f), R Boyle, E McCabe (0-1 each).
A McLoughlin (0-6, 1 tpf, 1f), N Murphy (0-5, 1 tpf, 2f), A Reilly (0-3), L Towey (1-0), P Spillane (0-2), C Lally, P O'Connor (0-1 each).
M Byrne; E McCabe, E Walsh, K Keenan; J Finnegan, J Lenehan, D McAleese; C Stewart, E Quinn; P McBride, N Burns, F Nagle; C Hand, C Johnston, R McQuillan.
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).
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.
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).
N Mooney (Cavan).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
