Sligo Ladies have to stand up and be counted

THEY SAY a week is a long time in sport. If this is
true then two months must be an eternity.

Certainly Sligo’s surprise Connacht final defeat to a committed
Leitrim side at McHale Park in Castlebar on August 1 has been banished
to memory by Sligo’s Ladies Football followers as subsequent wins
over Wexford and, impressively, a strong Clare team, ensured a third
consecutive All-Ireland final appearance.

Manager Kathleen Kane moved aside at the end of last year after
Sligo had tasted their second successive defeat at the final hurdle
against Armagh last October Ð their first coming a year previously
to a strong Kildare team.

A management team of Padraig Mannion and Fiona Golden stepped in
and brought with them a strict regime with the focus exclusively
on getting Sligo over that hurdle. The Connacht final defeat threw
a spanner in the works, and Mannion and Golden was left with no
alternative but to resign their positions after the players expressed
their dissatisfaction with the situation.

Tourlestrane’s Paddy Henry was quickly drafted in but it was up
to the players to set things right after their decision. The results
against Wexford and Clare re-ignited interest in what was fast looking
like a lost cause and the players now find themselves exactly where
they had aimed for at the start of the year, albeit by a different
route.

Of course if Sligo cannot swing the balance of power against their
neighbours and great rivals, Leitrim, back in their direction in
Sunday’s final then the season may yet be seen as one of failure.

Before their departure Mannion and Golden had brought a number of
the county’s Minor panel into the Senior squad, so it was a logical
decision to get Henry, the county’s Minor manager, involved given
his familiarity with many of the players.

The talent was already there in abundance and it was too late in
the season for dramatic changes in playing personnel. Instead what
the team needed was a little stability, which Henry provided.

One player who never lacked stability, however, and has kept her
displays consistently high is speedy corner-forward Therese Marren.

Not only had she played with Henry for the county Minors, she is
also one of the first names on the team-sheet for every Senior match,
despite being in her teenage years.

Sligo’s top scorer so far in this years campaign, Marren has racked
up an incredible 5-17 in the six matches so far this year, giving
her an overall total of 32 points.

Despite her staggering scoring record, Marren admits that Henry
and his selectors, Gerry Mullaney and Rose Cawley, will have a lot
of decisions to make on Sunday, given the quality of players in
the panel.

Training with Paddy [Henry] and his team has been going great and
there are a lot of players pushing for places. So the selectors
will have some deciding to do. But hopefully the team will come
out on top.

Marren came on as a substitute in the 2004 final against Kildare
and claimed a goal to help spur her side to a commendable comeback
that ultimately fell short. The following year she started against
Armagh and again got on the score-sheet but couldn’t prevent the
disappointing defeat.

This year Marren is determined to come out on the winning side,
especially having watched her brothers, Adrian, Stephen and Jason,
brilliantly capture a county title with Curry on Sunday.

She said: Ive really enjoyed the season so far and hopefully I will
be bringing another medal back home this weekend.