Sligo captain Niall Murphy scored eight points as the men in black put in their best performance of 2024 when beating Antrim by seven points at Markievicz Park.
But it took an improved second-half from Sligo to secure their third win of the campaign because a depleted Antrim led 1-9 to 1-8 at half-time after an exciting opening period that saw Patrick McBride kick several classy points for the visitors.
This was the second of four home games for Sligo in this year's campaign, with Tony McEntee’s men looking to exploit home advantage in a difficult section.
The hosts and the visitors had identical records coming into this fixture – two wins and one loss apiece, with Sligo victorious over Limerick in the previous round and Antrim losing to promotion favourites Down.
They also contested successive Allianz Football League finals back in 2009 and 2010, with Sligo winning those Division Four and Division Three deciders.
Recent meetings have been close encounters – a one-point win for Sligo in 2020 and a minimum margin victory for Antrim three years ago.
Sligo looked to make the early running but their only score for a spell of dominance was a point from Darragh Cummns.
Antrim rattled the home side with a scrambled goal in the seventh minute when Ronan Boyle got the final touch after a Ruairi McCann delivery – a point attempt from a mark – dropped short.
This goal kept the sides apart as Antrim, with goalkeeper Michael Byrne regularly raiding upfield, looked dangerous.
Sligo, though, gradually improved and they moved a point ahead, 0-5 to 1-1, with 23 minutes played following scores from Niall Murphy, Darragh Cummins and Sean Carrabine.
Good points from Dermot McAleese and Patrick McBride put Antrim back in front, 1-3 to 0-5, and then a wonderful purple patch from Sligo – a phase that yielded an unanswered 1-2 – looked to have put the Connacht county in control.
Sligo’s goal was a brilliant finish from Cian Lally and Pat Spillane ought to have goaled too but he pointed with a close-range shot.
Then it was Antrim’s turn to take over – they scored six points without reply, including four from the impressive Patrick McBride, who was landing some beautiful scores, to lead 1-09 to 1-08 in first-half stoppage time.
Patrick O’Connor’s point lifted the siege for an under pressure Sligo as Antrim brought a one-point lead into the second period.
The initial stages of the second-half were nip and tuck but once Sligo got back in front via a neat point from Murphy, who had jinked inside for what seemed was a certain goal shot, they never looked back.
Luke Towey’s introduction gave further pace to Sligo and he scored, as did fellow substitute Lee Deignan, but it was Niall Murphy who was the home side’s talisman.
The corner-forward bagged Sligo’s 20th point in the 69th minute as Sligo’s second-half dominance was reflected in the fact that they outscored the Ulster county, 0-12 to 0-04.
Eddie McGuinness and Brian Cox also impressed for the winners who are more or less secure in Division Three for another campaign.
Antrim, for whom Patrick McBride was outstanding, finished with 14 players because of a late black card for Marc Jordan.
Sligo: Aidan Devaney, Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins (0-3), Nathan Mullen, Patrick O’Connor (0-3), Paul Kilcoyne, Alan McLoughlin, Donal Conlon, Cian Lally (1-0), Pat Spillane (0-1), Sean Carrabine (0-2, 1f), Niall Murphy (c) (0-8, 4f, 2 'mark’)
Subs used: Lee Deignan (0-1) for Pat Spillane, h-t; Luke Towey (0-2) for Donal Conlon, 46; Eoghan Smith for Alan McLoughlin, 62; Mikey Gordon for Sean Carrabine, 68; David Quinn for Cian Lally, 68
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-1, 1f), Ronan Boyle, Eunan Walsh, Kevan Keenan, Marc Jordan, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese (c) (0-1), Colm McLarnon (0-1), Patrick McAleer, Cormac McGettigan, Patrick McBride (0-6), Ruairi McCann (0-2, 1 ‘mark’, 1f), Declan Lynch (0-1), Niall Burns (0-1, 1f), Dominic McEnhill
Subs used: Eoghan McCabe for Kevan Keenan, 39; Eoin Hynes for Cormac McGettigan, 45; Conor Hand for Dominic McEnhill, 53; Ryan McQuillan for Patrick McAleer, 63; Jack Dowling for Colm McLarnon, 63
Referee: Margaret Farrelly (Cavan)
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