Connacht SFC semi-final: Sligo 0-14 Galway 1-13
There was nothing Pádraic Joyce could do, but admit to the crime.
His Galway side was caught red-handed, stealing Sligo’s Connacht final place away at the death with a Robert Finnerty goal that crowned a fine individual display, but that his team didn’t deserve.
“We played second fiddle all day and didn’t get into the game – I feel sorry for Sligo” was Joyce’s summary of a game where he said they would be happy to “take the win and get out of here”.
It wasn’t a larceny when it came to total chances created. Galway racked up 11 wides, and that didn’t include a host of meek efforts dropped short, or a handful of red zone attacks that ended with turnovers, but it did include three clear cut goal chances for Céin Darcy, Jack McCabe and Damien Comer, all of which went unconverted.
But in general play? Sligo boss Tony McEntee was in little doubt about who ruled the roost in the Sligo sunshine.
“We were superb in that game, from start to finish” said the Crossmaglen man.
“I don’t think it’s unfair for me to say we were the better team out there and we deserved the victory. We made a mistake and we were penalised for it and unfortunately that happens against these good teams.”
Sligo certainly started brightly, with Darragh Cummins and Cian Lally kicking the best of the scores as they moved 0-4 to 0-0 in front.
Shane Walsh hit back with a majestic solo score, but that was essentially the only time he escaped Evan Lyons’ tightly-locked shackles.
It fell to Robert Finnerty to carry the Tribesmen up front, with their full back-line plugging holes while Céin Darcy added energy and drive in the middle.
Finnerty’s third point, in the first minute of the second half, cut the gap to two points (0-9 to 0-7) and when Damien Comer came off the bench to score with his first touch, Galway looked like the more likely winners.
Instead Alan McLoughlin, Niall Murphy and Seán Carrabine kicked big scores for Sligo, and with five minutes remaining, they were three up.
Three missed chances left Galway in the game however, and when Kieran Molloy and Darcy pointed, Galway had four minutes of stoppage time to find an equaliser.
They got much more than that.
Eddie McGuinness topped off an excellent 70 minutes with a crucial fumble, and Damien Comer pounced to drive at goal and start the move that ended with Finnerty palming in the winning score.
While the Sligo players fell to their knees, crushed at having had a famous victory snatched from their grasp, McEntee sought to emphasise the upside.
“I would hope after this that the team here today is not disappointed by this,“ he said.
“That they realise the quality we have here in Sligo and the opportunities we have to try and progress on in the Tailteann Cup.
“These are real opportunities that this Sligo team can now progress and do something”
The crestfallen home supporters who made up the majority of the 5,000-odd crowd would have struggled to share that view.
SLIGO: A Devaney; E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara; N Mullen (0-1), B Cox, D Cummins (0-2); C Lally (0-1), P Kilcoyne; S Carrabine (0-1), A McLaughlin (0-2), C Mulligan (0-1); M Gordon (0-1), N Murphy (0-3, 0-1 frees, 0-1 mark), P O’Connor (0-2).
Subs: L Deignan for Gordon (52), M Walsh for Lally (62), P Laffey for Cummins (65), E Smith for Carrabine (67), D Conlon for O’Connor (70).
Yellow Cards: Lally (2), Cummins (43).
GALWAY: C Gleeson; S Fitzgerald, J McGrath, J Glynn; D McHugh (0-1), J Daly, L Silke; P Conroy, C Darcy (0-2); S Kelly, J Heaney (0-1), L Ó Conghaíle; J McCabe, R Finnerty (1-5, 0-1 free), S Walsh (0-1).
Subs: K Molloy for Kelly (4-7, blood), D Comer (0-2) for McCabe (42), C Ó Curraoin for Walsh (46), D O’Flaherty for Daly (55), K Molloy (0-1) for Liam Ó Conghaíle (58), P Egan for Conroy (64).
Yellow Cards: Daly (43).
Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin).