Sligo took a huge step towards survival in Division Three as their recent upturn in form continued at Corrigan Park on Sunday to get the better of Antrim who are now starring relegation in the face.
Tony McEntee's side bossed the first half and led by eight at the turnaround but were forced to show plenty of character in the second as Antrim roared back and got to within one, but when answers were needed, Sligo found them with top-scorer Alan McLoughlin thumping over a two-point free with 67 minutes on the clock and this proved the insurance his side needed.
Sligo opened the scoring as Alan Reilly finished a patient build-up and the Yeatsmen continued to control the early stages as Alan McLoughlin and Niuall Murphy (free) added scores.
The hosts were off the mark nine minutes in as goalkeeper Michael Byrne kicked the first of his three 45s in the opening half before Ryan McQuillan thumped over from play.
However, Sligo were dictating terms with five of the next six points including one a Niall Murphy free that came as a result of Antrim having just two players in the other half of the field.
Given what was at stake in this game, Antrim seemed flat as passes off the mark allowed Sligo the ability to get om the front foot and as the half continued to tick along, the lead continued to increase with Alan McLoughlin and Reilly leading the way.
A fine score from Antrim's Eunann Walsh who began the move in his own half hinted at an injection of life for the hosts, but the goal that seemed to be coming duly arrived two minutes before the half as the Antrim defence seemed to switch off, allowing Sligo all the time to work open a tap-in for Luke Towey, while Patrick O'Connor saw a shot tipped over in added time as Sligo held a commanding 1-11 to 0-06 lead at the break.
The hosts needed a drastic improvement to get back into it and they delivered in the third quarter with 1-04 without reply.
Half-time sub, Dominic McEnhill grabbed 1-01, his goal coming with 50 minutes played as he finished a flowing move that began with Conor Hand's run at goal, while the Saffrons felt they could have had an earlier goal only for Walsh to be penalised for overcarrying.
Just as it seemed the pendulum had sung towards the hosts, Sligo rattled off the next three points through Spillane, McLoughlin and Muphy and after Ryan McQuillan pulled one back, the teams swapped two-point frees through Murphy and Byrne.
A Ronan Boyle score left two in it heading down the stretch, but that two-pointer from McLoughlin gave Sligo a cushion, and although Eoghan McCabe pointed for the hosts to leave a goal in it.
Antrim were chasing that second major, but it wouldn't come as Sligo held firm to leapfrog Antrim in the standings ahead of next week's final round where they host Leitrim and Antrim head to Kildare.
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-06, 1x2pf, 3x45s, 1f); Eoghan McCabe (0-01), Eunan Walsh (0-01), Kavan Keenan; Joseph Finnegan, Jack Lenehan, Dermot McAleese; Conor Stewart, Eunan Quinn; Patrick McBride (0-01 f), Niall Burns, Fionn Nagle; Conor Hand, Conhuir Johnston (0-01), Ryan McQuillan (0-03).
Subs: Ronan Boyle (0-01) for J Finnegan (23), Dominic McEnhill (1-01) for C Stewart (HT), Ruairi McCann for C Johnston (HT), Patrick Finnegan for P McBride (61), Ryan Murray for E Quinn (66)
Sligo: Daniel Lyons; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Luke Towey (1-00); Canice Mulligan, Patrick O'Connor (0-01); Cian Lally (0-01), David Quinn, Alan Reilly (0-03); Alan McLoughlin (0-06, 1x2pf, 1f), Niall Murphy (0-05, 1x2pf, 2f), Pat Spillane (0-02).
Subs: Ross Doherty for A Reilly (38), Nathan Mullen for L Towey (51), Shane Deignan for P Spillane (52), Paul Kilcioyne for C Lally (68), Mikey Gordon for P O'Connor (70+2)
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
