St Mary's 0-13 Tourlestrane 0-15 - AET
It's super seven for Tourlestrane as the green and gold giants from south Sligo completed an historic seven-in-a-row in the Sligo Senior Football Championship.
Tourlestrane were brought to extra-time by an industrious and skilful St Mary’s side – Tourlestrane needed two points in second-half stoppage time to force an additional 20 minutes.
Wing-back Oisin Kennedy was Tourlestrane’s hero as his point levelled matters at 0-11 each and so extra-time was required to find a winner.
Tourlestrane came into this final on the back of 41 games without defeat in Sligo GAA’s premier club competition.
St Mary’s were the last team to beat the green and gold – a county semi-final replay in 2015 – and the Sligo town side were also the last winners of the Owen B Hunt Cup before Tourlestrane’s stranglehold of the trophy began in 2016.
Both finalists – who last met at this stage six years ago, with Tourlestrane winning by seven points – had injury concerns.
Gary Gaughan, Tourlestrane’s captain, was fit to play after he overcame an injury sustained in the county semi-final.
Paul Kilcoyne, one of St Mary’s key players, was given the green light to start having initially been deemed doubtful due to an arm injury sustained when in action for Naomh Eoin in a county hurling semi-final.
St Mary’s were the better side for much of the first-half, in terms of both possession and chances created, and they were a point up at half-time, 0-07 to 0-06.
Nathan Rooney kicked four points from frees, while their three points from play were excellent finishes from Ryan Feehily, Michael Munnelly and Stephen Coen.
Tourlestrane relied on Liam Gaughan as their go-to guy in the opening period – he bagged three of the holders’ six points in the opening period.
The defending champions, who trailed 0-4 to 0-2 by the 12th minute, kept in touch without hitting any of their previous heights, and drew level three times before half-time.
Nathan Rooney’s fourth pointed free of the first-half edged St Mary’s ahead by the minimum.
The second-half was just as tight. St Mary’s again had more of the ball and brought possession into Tourlestrane territory where they encountered a wall of green and gold.
Twice St Mary’s went two points in front, 0-08 to 0-06 and 0-11 to 0-09, but each time Tourlestrane came back.
The second of these recoveries came in stoppage time – with St Mary’s having gone in front via the fifth and sixth points from Nathan Rooney – as Cathal Henry and Oisin Kennedy kicked the scores that kept Tourlestrane in contention.
Extra-time saw Tourlestrane show their invaluable experience. They were two points up after the first period of extra-time, 0-13 to 0-11, after Stephen Henry converted a mark and Cathal Henry kicked a '45’.
That score from Stephen Henry – in the first minute of extra-time – was the first time that Tourlestrane were in front.
A superb pointed free from Nathan Rooney – his eighth – brought St Mary’s to within a point of their opponents in the second period of extra-time but Tourlestrane were not to be caught again and they maintained their advantage to get across the line.
A pointed free from Player of the Match Liam Gaughan – his fifth and his side’s 15th – wrapped up the winners’ tally, with St Mary’s finishing with 14 players due to a black card for Scott Lynch.
St Mary’s: Jack Teape, Ryan Feehily (0-01), David Phillips, Fionn O’Hehir, Patrick Maher, Paul Kilcoyne, Ryan Madden, Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch, Tony O’Kelly-Lynch, Michael Munnelly (0-01), Emlyn Mulligan, Scott Lynch, Stephen Coen (0-02, 1 ‘mark’), Nathan Rooney (c) (0-08, 8f), Jay Cox (0-01)
Subs used: David McGovern for Jax Cox, h-t; Eamonn Flynn for David McGovern, 58; Luke Nicholson for Fionn O’Hehir, 59; Johnny Martyn for Tony O’Kelly-Lynch, 64; Stephen Henry for Michael Munnelly, 70; Conor Darcy for Ryan Feehily, 70; Jay Cox for Ryan Madden, 76
Tourlestrane: Adam Broe, John Paul Lang, John Francis Carr, Barry Walsh, Oisin Kennedy (0-02), Adrian McIntyre, Noel Gaughan, Feidhlim O’Donnell, Conan Marren (0-01), Kenny Gavigan, Cathal Henry (0-04, 3f, 1 ‘45’), James Leonard (0-01), Liam Gaughan (0-05, 3f, 1 ‘mark’), John Kelly (0-01), Gary Gaughan (c)
Subs used: Kevin O’Hara for JP Lang, 41; Cian Surlis for James Leonard, 54 (‘blood’ sub); Stephen Henry (0-1, 1 ‘mark’) for Barry Walsh, 60+2; Cian Surlis for Oisin Kennedy, 74
Referee: John Gilmartin (Curry)
