A promising and highly committed London challenge gradually evaporated in the face of a storming second-half response by Sligo in yesterday's Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior football championship before a highly appreciative attendance of 2,000 at Ruislip.
London, who have done themselves proud in this particular competition in recent years, without ever achieving a winning result, opened their challenge with passion and determination and were three points ahead on the third minute after Paul Coggins side-stepped three defenders to send the ball passed goalkeeper Pat Kilcoyne, after Eamonn O'Hara and the London full forward Ian Reilly had exchanged opening points.
In the early stages Sligo looked frequently uneasy by the hunger and intensity of wind-backed London's performance. However, boosted by some inspirational play by midfielders Paul Durcan and Nigel Clancy, Sligo gradually got to grips with the game and their half-time lead of 0-8 to 1-3 was no more than they deserved.
But all praise to a depleted London side for their refusal to lie down and indeed, but for a series of near misses in the last quarter, could well have made the result closer.
Forced to start the game without their injured captain Tommy Maguire, London benefitted to some extent by a series of positional changes, especially that of centre back Barry McDonagh, who normally fills an attacking role. Tommy Maguire opened up many attacking moves when making his appearance early in the second half.
Sligo must feel satisfied with the result and now face Roscommon on June 28th.
Particularly impressive for Sligo were defenders Mark Cosgrove, Ronan Keane and Colin White; while top scorer Sean Davey emerged as the best forward on view.
A hard-pressed Tipperary snatched a dramatic 0-9 to 1-5 win over Waterford with an injury-time point in the Munster Junior Football Championship quarter-final at Clonmel on Saturday.
Tipperary were in control in the early stages and with points from Paul Cahill (2), Kevin Coonan , Willie Morrissey and Jim McAuliffe were leading 0-5 to 0-1 coming up to the break.
Then centre forward, Ger Walsh, scored the only goal of the game for Waterford and this left two points separating them at the interval 0-6 to 1-1.
After Tipperary had a Kevin Coonan goal disallowed in the 43rd minute, substitute Anthony Cross did a lot to steady the home side and scored a great point after 50 minutes to make it 0-8 to 1-2.
Waterford substitites Brian Arrigan and John Power played a major role in Waterford's late rally and their points had the sides level 0-8 to 1-5 with five minutes to go.
Centre forward, Mark O'Shea , then decided the issue in favour of Tipperary, with the winning point.
Tipperary: S Delahunty; P Ormond, A Keating, M O'Mahony; B Walsh, D Peters, W Morrissey 0- 1; D Byrne, D Fogarty; P Cahill 0-2, M O'Shea 0- 1, PJ Lanigan 0-1; J McAuliffe 0-1, K Coonan 0- 2, D Bourke. Subs: A Cross 0-1 for D Bourke, C Bonar for J McAuliffe.
Waterford: A Kirwan; B Whelan, A Power, D Crotty; D Ryan, P Walsh, A Reynolds; A Ahearne, E Burke; T Corcoran 0-1, G Walsh 1-0, F Halpin; N O'Connor, G Power, P Fitzgerald 0-2. Subs: B Arrigan 0-1 for N O'Connor, J Power 0-1 for F Halpin.
Referee: R Murphy, (Cork).
