Wexford end Sligos unbeaten run

Suzuki Ladies NFL Division 2 Semi Final

Wexford end Sligo’s unbeaten League Run Sligo 0 – 11 Wexford 2
– 9

Sligo’s unbeaten run in this years NFL came to an end on Saturday
last in Banagher as they suffered a four point defeat at the semi
final stage to Leinster Intermediate Finalists Wexford. In the
end this game boiled down to missed opportunities! Counties had
3 or 4 chances of goals, Sligo missed theirs, Wexford took 2 of
theirs and there in lies the tale of what might have been with
the age-old saying “Goals win games”. In fairness the winners
looked by far hungrier and were probably hurting for the previous
2 championship defeats to the westerners – the second of which
marked Paddy Henry’s first game in charge of Sligo last August.

Playing with the aid of the breeze in the first half, Sligo held
a slender point advantage, which by the 5th minute of the second
half had decreased into 6 points in arrears with Wexford striking
for their 2 majors via Kate Kelly and Josie Dwyer. It was the
same 2 players that opened Wexford’s account in the opening 6
minutes of the half as the purple and gold raced two points clear.
Points by Therese Marren and Marion O’Donnell drew Sligo level
by the 9th minute only for Dwyer to restore the Wexford advantage
seconds later as she made the most of a mix up in the Sligo defence.
Over the course of the next quarter of an hour Noelle Gormley
and Josie Dwyer traded concerted frees to have the side all square
at 0 – 5 each by the 26th minute. In that same period Sligo witnessed
goal chances go a begging as Mary Rose Kelly saved point blank
from Noelle Gormley and on other occasions Sligo players seemed
to take that little bit extra out of the ball just as a goal chance
looked on, in fact Therese Marren’s point that edged Sligo ahead
at the break could so easily have been a goal as Kelly somehow
finger tipped it over.

Into the second half and that early burst from Wexford proved
the difference. Within seconds of the restart Michelle Hearne
had the sides level, then came the double blast and their could
have been a third as Caroline Murphy blasted her effort wide with
Katrina Connolly well beaten in the Sligo goals. Three points
from Marion O’Donnell, Noelle Gormley and Karen Maloney gave Sligo
a slender hope and when Wexford were reduced to 14 players following
the sin binning of Bridget Curran, things may have been better
still. However it was Wexford that profited from the sin binning
as Josie Dwyer, Caroline Murphy and Michelle Hearne added points
as they outscored Sligo in that 10 minute period by 3 – 2. The
Sligo scores coming from Therese Marren and Louise Brett.

Scorers Wexford: Josie Dwyer 1 – 5, Kate Kelly 1 – 1, Caroline
Murphy 0 – 1. Scorers Sligo: Noelle Gormley 0 – 4, Therese Marren
0 – 3, Marion O’Donnell 0 – 2, Karen Maloney and Louise Brett
0 – 1 each.

Referee Derek Byrne (Limerick)