Sligo make forceful statement

Sligo IT 2-12 UCC 0-11: Sligo IT once more stated a forceful case for their retaining the Datapac Sigerson Cup when overwhelming UCC in yesterday's semi-final at Dundalk IT.At Dundalk IT

The weather was perishing but at least the rain held off as the holders started strongly and maintained an unshakeable grip on the match all the way through.

The Cork side did pepper the scoreboard with four late points but the match was well over by that stage.

As with their previous rounds against UCD and Athlone IT, Sligo's win has to be taken in the context of a poor display from the opposition but all they can do is beat what's put in front of them and this they cheerfully did yesterday.

The winners' lively forwards, with Mayo pair Alan Costello and Andy Moran irrepressible, and integrated team play made them look considerably superior but there was a crucial interval of a few minutes when the course of the match might have been altered. Having laboured long and hard in the face of slick movement and punitive finishing, UCC trailed 0-1 to 0-6 in the 23rd minute.

Fintan Gould, who together with fellow wing forward Conor McCarthy posed the most serious threat in the UCC attack, was brought down for a penalty. McCarthy took the kick, placed it well - top left-hand corner - but the lack of power enabled Paul Durcan to make a crucial save.

Four minutes later David Ward was fouled at the other end after getting on the end of one of Michael Moyles's several good deliveries. There was no messing with Michael Doherty's penalty kick, which was virtually unstoppable.

It all represented a six-point turnaround and on the basis of all that was to be seen, nobody believed there to be a way back for UCC who thus trailed 0-2 to 1-6.

The wind was wreaking some havoc with the play and Sligo had the advantage of it in the first half. They kicked seven wides in the initial half-hour, omissions that might prove more costly against stronger opposition.

Any lingering notion that UCC could turn things around was quickly dispelled at the start of th second half when Sligo captain Christy Toye knocked over two early points on the resumption to leave 11 points between the teams, 1-10 to 0-2.

Neither were UCC making the best of their possession, working the ball short rather than letting it go quickly to see if the Sligo defence could be unsettled.

But if the Cork side were game enough about trying to get back into the match, they were also leaving gaps at the back and Sligo's fluent movement posed a constant threat on the break. Five minutes from the end Toye glided through the defence and slotted the second goal for an 11-point lead, 2-12 to 0-7.

SLIGO IT: P Durcan; B McWeeney, K Higgins, C Cafferty; J Murphy, E McGee, S McDermott; P Brady, M Moyles; R O'Connor, C Toye (1-3), A Moran (0-1); A Costello (0-2), D Ward (0-1), M Doherty (1-4, goal a penalty, one free, one 45). Subs: J Glancy for O'Connor (half-time), P O'Connor for McGee (half-time), D Gallagher (0-1) for Ward (53 mins), E Gallagher for Brady (60 mins), E Devenney for Moran (62 mins).

UCC: D McInerney; D O'Donovan, F Griffin, N O'Donovan; L Burke, C O'Carroll, J Wycherley; D Mehigan, P Kelly (0-1); F Gould (0-2), J Hayes (0-2, both frees), C McCarthy (0-2); R Hussey, D Walsh (0-1), C Brosnan (0-1). Subs: E Kavanagh (0-1) for Burke (20 mins), W Morgan (0-1) for Hussey (35 mins), P Galvin for O'Carroll (39 mins).

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).