Yeats County return to winning ways

TG4 Connacht Senior Championship Round 1

Yeats County return to winning ways Sligo 3 – 13 Roscommon 1 – 10

Sligo Began life in the Connacht Senior Championship with this 9
points victory over 2001 All Ireland Junior Champions Roscommon
on Saturday evening last in Castlerea. In doing so they also laid
the ghost of a dismal display in Banagher 8 days earlier to rest
as well. Playing with wind advantage, the magpies settled quickly
and apart for roughly 2 minutes of this encounter they were never
either on behind or on level terms, the 2 minutes were accounted
for in 2 one minute periods, the first of which was the opening
minute when neither side registered a score and the other was from
the 7th to 8th minute when Kathryn O’Sullivan cancelled out Noelle
Gormley’s opening minute free. Points from Therese Marren, Imelda
Mc Nulty and Louise Smith had Sligo 3 to the good by the 12th minute.
A brace of points from Jenny Downey and Emer Casey restored life
in Roscommon only for it to be cancelled out again in sixty seconds
at the mid way point of the half.

First was a Marion O’Donnell point following a sweeping move involving
several players from almost their own goal line and then a goal
finished by Noelle Gormley that involved O’Donnell in the build
up. Roscommon recovered again with points from Emer Casey, Michelle
Carey and Casey again to narrow the gap back to two by the 21st
minute. Once again disaster was to strike for the home side as another
sixty seconds yielded two goals for Sligo. On both occasions Therese
Marren won kick outs, the first she placed Noelle Gormley who fed
Marion O’Donnell for the goal. For O’Donnell it was just rewards
as she had missed two goal chances earlier. Sligo’s third goal involved
Marren and Louise Brett playing a number of 1 – 2’s with Brett hitting
the target. For Brett who like O’Donnell earlier it was just reward
as she too had missed an open goal in the opening minutes. Points
by Bernice Byrne, Therese Marren, Imelda Mc Nullty and Marren again
sent Sligo to the dressing rooms 3 – 9 to 0 – 6 to the good.

A half which witnessed 5 of the 6 Sligo forwards on the score sheet
as well as their two midfielders, Sligo miss 3 goal chances and
a rare piece of fielding by Sligo full forward Noelle Gormley as
she caught a dropping ball in almost a flat position on the ground
and fed Marion O’Donnell for her goal. By the 8th minute of the
second half all six Sligo forwards were on the score sheet as Karen
Maloney fired over Sligo’s 11th point. In the earlier minutes both
Emer Casey and Marion O’Donnell had exchanged points. Two points
from Emer Casey reduced the gap down to 11 points by the 2oth minute.
Therese Marren extended Sligo’s advantage in the 21st minute. Seconds
later Roscommon were awarded a penalty, which Emer Casey converted
with former Eastern Harps player giving Katrina Connolly no chance
in the Sligo goals. In the closing minutes Marion O’Donnell and
Emer Casey traded points to leave Sligo comfortable winners by 3
– 13 to 1 – 10.

So a week on from the Banagher mishap in the League semi final to
Wexford, Paddy Henry’s charges have returned to winning ways. Judging
on their display on Saturday last, had they produced a quarter of
that display the previous week in Banagher, they could very well
be prepairing for a League Final this coming weekend. The ECC timber
player of the match award on Saturday evening went to Roscommon’s
Emer Casey. Elsewhere on Saturday in the Championship Galway defeated
Mayo in a dress rehersal for the forthcoming Suzuki NFL Division
1 Final by 1 – 18 to 1 – 7 in Tuam with Niamh Fahy of Galway receiving
the ECC timber player of the game here.

Scorers Sligo: Marion O’Donnell 1 – 3, Noelle Gormley 1 – 1, Therese
Marren 0 – 4, Louise Brett 1 – 0, Imelda McNulty 0 – 2, Louise Smith,
Karen Maloney and Bernice Byrne 0 – 1 each.

Sligo: Katrina Connolly, Fiona Maye, Angela Doohan, Martina Keane,
Tracy O’Hara, Stephanie O’Reilly, Ruth Goodwin, Bernice Byrne, Louise
Smith, Imelda McNulty, Marion O’Donnell, Karen Maloney, Louise Brett,
Noelle Gormley, Therese Marren. Subs used: Joanne O’Connell, Cammie
Kennedy, Caroline Benson, Elaine O’Reilly & Ciara Doyle

Scorers Roscommon: Emer Casey 1 – 7, Michelle Carey, Jenny Downey
& Kathryn O’Sullivan 0 – 1 each.

Roscommon: Sarah Finnerty, Marla Kenaghan, Fiona Galvin, Emma Hussy,
Claire Kelly, Laura Sharkey, Sinead Cooney, Anette McGeeney, Nicola
Tully, Emer Casey, Kathryn O’Sullivan, Michelle Carey, Jenny Downey,
Tara Taylor, Claire Raftery. Sub used: Claire Grehan.

Referee: Gerry Guinan (Galway)