Patrick O'Connor impressed for Sligo in their Allianz Football League Division 3 victory over Clare.
Allianz Football League Division Three
SLIGO1-19 CLARE 2-14
By Liam Maloney at Markievicz Park
Sligo boosted their chances of avoiding the drop thanks to a gutsy and often polished two-point defeat of Clare - for their first win of 2025 - in a thriller at Markievicz Park.
Patrick O’Connor was again inspirational for the men in black, who were seven points clear in the third minute of time added on, as they absorbed a late comeback from Clare to hold on for a nervy victory.
Sligo, who were hosting Clare in an Allianz Football League fixture for the first time since 2002, were seeking a first win of the campaign after three successive losses to Offaly, Kildare and Laois and an away draw against Fermanagh when they threw away a seven-point advantage at Brewster Park.
For this re-fixture in the north-west (the game was originally scheduled for February 23 but was postponed due to an unplayable pitch), Clare were buzzing with a record of three wins from four games.
Clare, who beat Sligo by a point in last year’s campaign, have already clocked up wins this year over Leitrim, Fermanagh and Kildare. Their only loss so far in 2025 was against Antrim at Corrigan Park in January.
In splendid sunshine both sides served up some good moments during a well-contested first-half.
Sligo ended the half two points to the good, 0-9 to 0-7, with midfielder Patrick O’Connor’s clean fielding from kick-outs and a brace of points from play among the highlights for the hosts.
Luke Towey was also busy for the home side, who won most of the possession around the middle, as Sligo, who trailed 0-5 to 0-3 after 19 minutes, needed a strong push to take control on the scoreboard at half-time, 0-9 to 0-7.
Clare, for whom Emmet McMahon notched 0-4 in the first-half (this haul included a two-pointer from a free), went closest to a goal.
Fionn Kelleher, Aaron Griffin, Emmet McMahon and Eoin Cleary each had shots that were blocked by a variety of Sligo players.
At the other end, meanwhile, Clare goalkeeper Eamon Tubridy was largely untroubled in that first-half as Sligo didn’t create any goal shots.
Sligo started the second-half with purpose and when Canice Mulligan goaled in the 48th minute - from Patrick O’Connor’s pass - Sligo were 1-12 to 0-8 ahead.
But Clare goaled almost immediately when Aaron Griffin’s effort was scrambled home via a deflection off a Sligo player.
The visitors then had to deal with a black card for Keelan Sexton as Sligo continued to look the better side and substitute Nathan Mullen contributed two points.
Powerful Clare midfielder Ikem Ugwueru twice pointed when goals looked on as Clare kept in touch.
Four points without reply from Sligo - Alan Reilly, Darragh Cummins, Niall Murphy and substitute Mikey Gordon - increased the gap to seven points, 1-19 to 1-12, and it looked as if things were wrapped up from a Sligo perspective.
Clare kept battling, however. Ikem Ugwueru’s goal was disallowed but Clare then found the net for a second time when Emmet McMahon scored from close-range. The same player got a two-pointer free in the sixth minute of added time to leave just two points between them as Sligo held on.
Scorers for Sligo: N Murphy 0-5 (2f); C Mulligan 1-0; P O’Connor 0-3; D Cummins, N Mullen, D Quinn (1 2pt), L Towey 0-2 each; P Spillane, A Reilly, M Gordon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clare: E McMahon 1-6 (1 2pt, 1 2ptf); A Griffin 1-1; E Cleary 0-3 (2f); I Ugwueru 0-2; K Sexton, C Meaney 0-1 each.
SLIGO: Daniel Lyons; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Luke Towey; Canice Mulligan, Patrick O’Connor; Ross Doherty, David Quinn, Alan Reilly; Alan McLoughlin, Niall Murphy, Pat Spillane. Subs: Nathan Mullen for Towey (54), Cian Lally for Doherty (54), Oisin Flynn for Quinn (58), Mikey Gordon for Reilly (65), Jack Lavin for Cummins (70)
CLARE: Eamon Tubridy; Cillian Rouine, Cillian Brennan, Manus Doherty; Alan Sweeney, Fionn Kelleher, Connor Meaney; Brian McNamara, Ikem Ugwueru; Aaron Griffin, Emmet McMahon, Ciaran Downes; Daniel Walsh, Eoin Cleary, Keelan Sexton. Subs: Evan Cahill for Walsh (45), Dermot Coughlan for Downes (50), Cormac Murray for Sweeney (61), Darragh Burns for Sexton (69), Gavin Murray for Ugwueru (72)
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)
