Coolera-Strandhill 0-11 St Molaise Gaels 0-08
Coolera-Strandhill are Sligo SFC champions for the first time since 2005 thanks to an improved second-half against first-time finalists St Molaise Gaels.
Sligo ace Niall Murphy scored five points for the winners, who had lost to previous kingpins Tourlestrane in the deciders of 2019 and 2021, while Mark McDaniel also impressed and was named Player of the Match.
St Molaise Gaels gave a good account of themselves and for most of the first-half they played with vim and fearlessness.
The favourites tag for this showdown were Coolera-Strandhill, who had been runners-up on three occasions (2011, 2019 and 2021) since their previous title in 2005.
St Molaise Gaels – an emerging north Sligo club – were appearing in their first-ever senior decider and obviously brought colour and excitement from an area that previously featured three different clubs; Maugherow, Grange and Cliffoney.
Coolera-Strandhill took the game's first score – a fine point from Mark McDaniel – but it was St Molaise Gaels who dominated most of proceedings during the first-half.
Five unanswered points in the opening 14 minutes put St Molaise Gaels in the driving seat with a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.
Good points came from Luke Towey, team captain Alan McLoughlin, Aaron Currid, Gerard Brady and Keelan Watters.
Coolera-Strandhill ended a scoreless period of 18 minutes when Niall Murphy found the target and they were thankful that goalkeeper Keelan Harte did well to cut a Michael Langan pass that was intended for Jack Davitt.
St Molaise Gaels probably should have increased their lead but were still three points to the good at half-time, 0-5 to 0-2.
Coolera-Strandhill had it all to do in the second-half but they accepted this challenge when Niall Murphy landed a superb point five minutes after the restart.
St Molaise Gaels, who only managed three second-half points (which was one point more than what Coolera-Strandhill kicked in the first period), needed a goal and had a such chance in the 49th minute but Michael Langan took a point after a move involving Jack Davitt, Aaron Currid and Luke Towey.
Coolera-Strandhill replied with three points on the bounce, including a brace from Niall Murphy and a fine score by Barry O’Mahony, and this put them in front, 0-7 to 0-6, with 13 minutes of normal time left.
This was the first time that Coolera-Strandhill had hit the front and it looked ominous for St Molaise Gaels although the north Sligo side were level in the 55th minute when Alan McLoughlin converted a free.
Then came another burst of scores from the improved Coolera-Strandhill, who moved 0-10 to 0-7 clear by the second minute of added time.
Niall Murphy, Mark McDaniel Ross Doherty hit the points that sunk the St Molaise Gaels dream.
Another pointed free from Alan McLoughlin kept St Molaise Gaels in the mix – with just two points between the sides – but a Gerard Brady chance that went wide, his side’s sixth miss of the second-half and their eighth wide in total, summed up St Molaise Gaels’ pain.
Peter Laffey then set up Ross Doherty for Coolera-Strandhill’s 11th point of the day and when the full-time whistle sound the party began.
It was an emotional day for Sligo GAA chairman Sean Carroll, who is a proud member of Coolera-Strandhill.
Coolera-Strandhill: Keelan Harte; Jonathan Cassidy, Sean Taylor, Luke Bree; Keelan Cawley (0-01), Ross O’Carroll, Sean Murphy; Kevin Banks, Peter Laffey (c); Ross Doherty (0-02), Aaron O’Boyle, Mark McDaniel (0-02); Leo Doherty, Niall Murphy (0-05, 1f), Barry O’Mahony (0-01)
Subs used: Donagh Flynn for Aaron O’Boyle 12, Adam Higgins for Leo Doherty 36, Eoin Comerford for Kevin Banks 36, Conor Burke for Donagh Flynn 52, Kevin Banks for Eoin Comerford 59
St Molaise Gaels: Niall McLoughlin; Liam Kennedy, Luke Casserly, Marc Heraghty; Jamie McLoughlin, Evan Farrell, Luke Towey (0-01); Joseph Keaney, Alan McLoughlin (c) (0-03, 2f); Aaron Currid (0-01), Gerard Brady (0-01), Keelan Watters (0-01); Michael Langan (0-01), Eoin McHugh, Jack Davitt
Subs used: Cathal Herron for Eoin McHugh 42, Robbie Ryan for Evan Farrell 49 Dean Carroll for Keelan Watters, 54
Referee: Barry Judge (Castleconnor)
