Sligo 10 – Tuam 7
League leaders Sligo were given a major fright by a determined Tuam side in their Halloween weekend fixture as they struggled to an unconvincing 10-7 victory on Sunday last, November 2nd, in Hamilton Park. Fresh from their bye-week, Sligo were looking to make this their best start to a season in recent memory but were expecting a battle against a Tuam side that were looking to make in three wins in a row following impressive victories over Ballina and OLBC. Sligo were forced into a few changes from the side that defeated Castlebar in their last outing, not least the loss of their hugely influential out-half Paddy Pearson who is unfortunately out for the rest of the season. Pearson was replaced at ten by the returning Kakaber Machitidze, who was joined in the backline by the tricky David Gerrity, fully recovered from injury. Sligo also welcomed back star forward, James Wilson, whose lineout ability has been one of the key features of Sligo’s unbeaten start to the season. Club stalwart Peter Mullan switched to number eight, with Joe Sweeney and Mataele Fifita making up a big-hitting back-row.
Cheered on by large home support, enjoying the benign weather conditions, Sligo looked to make a quick start, and had an early opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty 35m out. However Machitidze, looking to add to the 32 points he had already contributed this season, pulled his kick narrowly wide. Sligo continued to press and on ten minutes a great drive inside his own half by the industrious Jamie Bowes allowed Sligo’s backs to move the ball wide where good hands from Gavin Foley and Joe Sweeney released the towering Tongan, Fifita, on the half way line. Storming down the left touchline, two huge hand-offs saw him smash his way through the hapless Tuam defence, all the way to the line for a wonderful individual try.
Machitidze just missed with the conversion, and Sligo led 5-0. Fifita has been a huge influence since his arrival at Sligo, and from the restart he followed up his score with one his trademark huge hits on an unfortunate Tuam attacker to loud cheers from the Sligo supporters as Sligo looked in control.
Many visiting teams could have come undone at this point, but Tuam to their credit, knuckled down and began to get a foothold in the game with their lively backs causing Sligo problems, out-half Eoin Cosgrave’s lateral lines allowing their skilful centre Killeen McDonagh space. It was from one of these McDonagh breaks that Tuam opened their account. Recycling quickly from his run, back-rower Johnny Tierney charged through a massive hole in Sligo’s breakdown defence being stopped only ten metres out. Again Tuam were allowed quick, clean ball and switching wide, two good offloads saw the Galway side’s winger David Burke scoring in the corner. Cosgrave added the extras with a superb kick, as Tuam took a 5-7 lead into the game’s second quarter. Rocked by this score Sligo tried to respond immediately and winning the restart, a great break by sniping scrum-half Billy Leahy, saw Sligo move deep into Tuam territory. Kicking a penalty to touch, Sligo had a lineout 5m out, but a handling error allowed Tuam to clear.
The away side’s backline continued to be the game’s most effective unit, and they tried to release them at every opportunity. On the half hour mark, they again went wide, and only a desperate tackle by Sligo winger David Gerrity stopped them adding to their lead. It was all the Galway men now, and a huge period of pressure saw them bombard the Sligo line with Foley and Gerrity again both making try-saving tackles in successive phases. Sligo were at sea, and only another big tackle by the excellent Joe Sweeney stopping the away side. Tuam tried everything to breach the line, with their backs and forwards alternating attacks on the Sligo line. Sligo’s defence this season has been excellent however, and this was no different as they desperately tried to hold on until half-time. With only seconds remaining Sligo finally infringed and Tuam were awarded with a penalty 22m out. However Cosgrave dragged his kick wide, and Sligo survived, being fortunate to only trail by two at half-time.
Tuam were forced into a change with one of their forwards having to be stretchered off with a unfortunate neck injury, however this did not stop Tuam’s momentum and they were straight back on the attack forcing two 5m scrums in quick succession on the Sligo line. Luckily the scrum was the one facet of the game where Sligo were dominating and two strong defensive scrums allowed them to clear but only briefly. Another attack from Tuam saw them advance down the left touchline, where they were only stopped by a dangerous tackle from Machitidze. The referee had no option but to send him to the sinbin, and Sligo had to face a lineout only 5m out with only 14 men. Sligo’s pack were in determined mood however, and again their defence stood firm, refusing to allow Tuam to breach their line. With fifteen minutes of the half gone, Sligo coach Joe Walsh introduced Andrew Feeney for Ted Mulvaney, which led to a reshuffle in the Sligo backline with Feeney moving to centre, Foley to out-half and Machitidze returning from the sinbin to fullback. This move seemed to give Sligo some impetus, as the seasoned Foley took control of the game with some excellent tactical kicking, and good decision making that had been lacking previous.
Sligo finally began to put together some attacking pressure, and good breaks by Fifita and Leahy forced Tuam into defence. On the hour mark a solid Sligo scrum allowed Leahy to break blindside where he offloaded to veteran back-rower Peter Mullan, who was only stopped deep in Tuam territory. Sligo finally began to put some phases of concerted pressure together, with their forwards picking and driving to get them within metres of the line with Fifita, Bowes, and the hugely impressive Joe Sweeney, who was having one of best games in a Sligo shirt, most prominent. One final drive saw Sligo crash over the Tuam line, and it was Fifita who emerged with the ball, claiming his fourth try of the season. Machitidze was unlucky with the conversion, failing to add to Sligo’s 10-7 lead.
The game was delicately poised and both teams had changes over the next few minutes, Sligo defended heroically again, Machitidze covering a dangerous Tuam kick through, while in attack a good up and under by Gerrity forced a lineout deep in Tuam territory but Sligo were unable to capitalise. With eight minutes remaining, Tuam’s backs attacked from well inside their own half, spreading it wide to release their speedy winger. David Burke, who looked to have a chance to score before another amazing try-saving tackle by Sligo’s man of the hour, Joe Sweeney. With Sweeney prominent everywhere, and Foley’s tactical kicking relieving pressure, as the clock ticked down it looked like Sligo had done enough to hold on. However with only seconds remaining, Tuam had one last attack and when their backs went wide, they sprinted down the touchline and a long pass sent one of their players clear to what looked a clear run to the line. Dramatically the pass had drifted forward, and to Sligo’s relief it was spotted by the excellent referee who called the move back. That was to be the game’s last action, and the referee blew his whistle to end proceedings, and maintain Sligo’s 100% record with a final scoreline of 10-7.
It was the great American Football supremo, Vince Lombardi, who coined the phrase that “winning is a habit� and this was never truer than this weekend. Sligo were lacklustre, sloppy, and error-strewn while Tuam were superb, playing some excellent free-flowing rugby. However it was Sligo who have that winning mentality at the moment, with a number of team members having never tasted defeat in a Sligo shirt and it was this mental toughness that allowed them to secure victory. Sligo have huge performances from their back-row to thank for victory, not just with Fifita’s two tries but with Joe Sweeney the game’s outstanding player. Joe had been a long servant of the club, and this was as good a game as he has ever had inspiring his teammates to show that will to win that in the end carried them to another win. Sligo will need to improve, and with another home game next week against a Corrib side near the bottom of the table, Sligo will have a chance to get things right before they enter a tough stretch of games where their title hopes will be severely tested. If they perform like they did on Sunday, those hopes may be dashed.
Sligo: D Gerrity, T Mulvaney, A Taurerewa, G Foley, N Reynolds, K Machitidze, B Leahy, P Mullan, M Fifita, J Sweeney, J Bowes, J Wilson, M Feeney, R Mannion, A McHale.
Subs: A Feeney, R O’Boyle, R Lucey.
Tuam: J Murphy, D Burke, J Maughan, K McDonagh, S Burke, E Cosgrave, R Kavanagh, J Tierney, D Noone, B Ruane, D Slattery, A Lowe, S Kavanagh, M Ward, N Higgins, G Conolly, M O’Connor, C Durant.
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