Sligo again showed their Allianz Football League Division 4 promotion credentials with a six-point defeat of Wexford, 1-20 to 3-08, at Markievicz Park.
Sean Carrabine once more was Sligo's top scorer – he bagged 0-07 – and substitute Pat Spillane’s fine goal helped put the home side 13 points up, 1-16 to 1-03, with 59 minutes played.
Wexford, who went down to 14 players when Eoghan Nolan picked up a second booking, finished with a flourish and goaled twice in the closing stages.
In what was their final home game of the campaign, Sligo were looking for a fourth successive victory and so maintain their promotion push.
Manager Tony McEntee made just one change to the starting team that had overcome London at McGovern Park the previous weekend – making his first start of the campaign was Finnian Cawley, who played for Easkey hurlers at Croke Park in January’s All-Ireland Club Junior Hurling Championship final.
Wexford, meanwhile, came into game placed fourth in the standings, needing a victory to improve their outside chances of joining the race for Division Three. Their most recent win was a comfortable defeat of bottom of the table Waterford.
The sides swapped points early on – Sean Carrabine’s pointed free for the hosts was then cancelled out by John Tubritt – and then Sligo ought to have goaled but Niall Murphy pulled an eighth minute shot wide after a slick build-up involving Cian Lally and Alan O’Reilly.
Within 30 seconds Wexford were raising a green flag at the other end when John Tubritt found the net from a Sean Nolan pass.
This score put Wexford three points up, 1-01 to 0-02, but they would only score once more in that first-half – a well-taken point after 30 minutes from John Tubritt, who was Wexford’s only first-half scorer.
Sligo recovered from the jolt of conceding a goal and they worked themselves into the game.
Paul McNamara was doing well at wing-back and midfielder Cian Lally’s industry was also noticeable.
Sean Carrabine was Sligo’s main scorer in the opening period – he contributed 0-05 – and one of Sligo’s best first-half points was their ninth when Niall Murphy finished adroitly from Sean Carrabine’s assist.
Sligo brought a 0-9 to 1-02 lead into the second-half but Wexford had the benefit of a slight breeze.
The Connacht county’s control continued as they were eight points up by the 48th minute, 0-14 to 1-03, with the best of a flurry of scores coming from substitute Pat Spillane, who fisted over after a strong run through Wexford territory.
It was Pat Spillane’s goal in the 54th minute that put Sligo firmly in the driving seat as they now held an 11-point advantage, 1-14 to 1-03.
Wexford’s woes were worsened with the dismissal of Eoghan Nolan (for a second booking) but the 14 men battled bravely for the last 20 minutes of play as they finished up with 3-08.
Goals from Cian Hughes and his cousin, Niall, gave Wexford a measure of respectability on the scoreboard but this defeat, only their second in five games, puts them on the fringes of the promotion battle.
Sligo substitute Mark Walsh kicked two impressive points following speedy runs from deep and Niall Murphy added his fourth of the contest in the closing stages.
Sligo: Daniel Lyons, Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Luke Towey (0-01), Jack Lavin, Paul McNamara (0-01), Paul Kilcoyne (0-02), Cian Lally, Finnian Cawley, Alan Reilly (0-01), David Quinn (0-01, 1f), Sean Carrabine (0-07, 4f, 1 'mark’), Patrick O’Connor, Niall Murphy (0-04, 1f)
Subs used: Mark Walsh (0-02) for Nathan Mullen, h-t; Pat Spillane (1-01) for Alan Reilly, 45; Keelan Cawley for David Quinn, 50; Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch for Finnian Cawley, 55; David Phillips for Evan Lyons, 59
Wexford: Darragh Brooks, Brian Cushe, Brian Molloy, Michael Furlong, Paudi Hughes (0-01), Darragh Lyons, Conor Carty, Glen Malone (0-01), Niall Hughes (1-00), Sean Nolan, Eoghan Nolan, Liam Coleman, Kevin O’Grady, John Tubritt (1-02), Mark Rossister (0-04, 4f)
Subs used: Cian Hughes for Liam Coleman, 17; Robbie Brooks for Darragh Lyons, 50; Conor Kinsella for Conor Carty, 50; Cathal Walsh for Sean Nolan, 64; Dean O’Toole for John Tubritt, 64
Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick)
