McCann lands clincher
ANTRIM 0-13 SLIGO 0-12
ANTRIM snatched an injury-time winner over luckless Sligo at Casement Park in a match that didn't warm up until the second half.
The Saffrons had taken a 0-6 to 0-5 interval lead, and in the end they still had that one-point advantage as sure-shot Tomas McCann fired over a 74th-minute free-kick to stun the visitors who had levelled the argument two minutes earlier.
The first half was error-ridden, with Antrim, playing with the wind, shooting seven wides to three from Sligo.
The visitors, who took control after the restart, raced into a two-point lead at 0-8 to 0-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Mark Breheny, Adrian Marren, Pat Hughes and sub Colm McGee, who sent over two points within five minutes of entering the action, were on the mark for the visitors, who led 0-10 to 0-7 on 52 minutes.
The game then really burst into life as the teams traded scores, with Sligo 0-11 to 0-10 ahead on the hour.
The sides were then level twice before McCann grabbed the winner from 25 metres, four minutes into injury-time and seconds before the final whistle.
Man of the Match: Tomas McCann (Antrim)
SCORERS -- Antrim: T McCann 0-5 (4f, 1 '45'), B Neeson 0-3, P Cunningham 0-2f, C Murray, K Brady, S Finch 0-1 each. Sligo: A Marren 0-5 (3f), C McGee 0-3 (1f), M Breheny 0-2, P Hughes, J Clarke 0-1 each.
ANTRIM -- C Kerr 7; P Gallagher 6, D O'Hagan 6, M McAleese 6; T Scullion 7, J Crozier 7, J Loughery 7; C Murray 6, C Kelly 6; M Sweeney 6, P Cunningham 7, M Armstrong 6; B Neeson 7, T McCann 8, K Brady 6. Subs: S McDonagh 6 for Murray (47), S Finch 7 for Sweeney (56), M Johnston 6 for Gallagher (64).
SLIGO -- V Cadden 7; C Harrison 7, J Martyn 6, R O Donnabháin 7; J Davey 7, S McManus 6, P McGovern 7; B Egan 7, E Mullen 7; M Breheny 7, A Costello 6, P Hughes 6; S Cohen 6, A Marren 8, N Murphy 6. Subs: J Clarke 6 for Cohen (42), C McGee 7 for Murphy (47), D Rooney for McManus (64), T Taylor for Egan (63).
REF -- M Higgins (Fermanagh).
Irish Independent
