Sligo 17 – Corrib 0
A clinical, gutsy display in difficult conditions saw Sligo overcome a strong Corrib challenge by 17-0 to make it seven from seven and cement their place at the top of the Connacht JL1 League in a wet, wind-swept Hamilton Park on Sunday. Last week’s dour struggle at home to Tuam had led some pundits to declare that this was the week when Sligo’s luck would run out and their unbeaten run ended, but a heroic effort from Sligo’s forwards ensured that it was to be victory number seven for the Yeatsmen. Sligo coach Joe Walsh reacted angrily to his side’s inept performance against Tuam with a number of changes. Upfront the consistent Cathal Culhane returned at flanker, with the athletic Kim Williams making his first start of the season. It was the backline where Walsh really wielded his axe with club stalwart Gavin Foley switching to out-half, joined by a new centre partnership of Andrew Feeney and the powerful Mataele Fifita, and a first team call-up for tricky winger Brian Hynes after his four-try salvo for the seconds last weekend. Corrib’s league position belies their performances this season so far as they have suffered a five point deduction for off the field offences, and the gritty Galwaymen were expected to pose a major question to a Sligo side that has been suggested to have ridden their luck on occasion this year.
The visitors started brightly, despite the wintery conditions and had two early opportunities to get points on the board. Fullback Charlie Sullivan dragged an early penalty wide before some good work by the Corrib backline gave Sullivan a chance to make amends with another penalty right in front of the posts. However Sullivan again pulled his kick to the left and wide, and Sligo escaped unscathed. Following these early scares Sligo’s pack began to get down to business, and implement their game-plan of keeping it tight in the wet, slippy conditions. Sligo’s first attack of note saw a break from the towering Joe Sweeney whose offload saw the ball switched wide to the straightening Feeney who linked up with Hynes, before the speedy winger was bundled into touch by the covering Corrib defence ten metres short. The opening quarter of the game was a scrappy affair with the whistle-happy referee penalising both sides for numerous infringements at the breakdown, leading to a lot of breaks in play and ensuring that Sligo were unable to build up any phases of sustained pressure. The constant stream of penalties led to a warning to the home side that anymore infractions would not be tolerated, culminating in the harsh sin-binning of fullback David Gerrity for going off his feet at the breakdown.
Corrib sought to take control with this numerical advantage but it was the Sligo pack who responded the strongest with a period of sustained pressure in the visitor’s territory. Sligo’s forwards carried strongly, with many of the hard yards being made by the tireless work by the front row. A lineout twenty metres out was gathered by Sligo and the pack thundered towards the Corrib line. Here they were met with some excellent defence from the visitors as drive after drive was repelled, with Martin Feeney and Joe Sweeney going closest to breaking the whitewash before a handling error led to a turnover much to the dismay of the Sligo faithful. Sligo continued to keep it tight and another series of disciplined phases saw Corrib penalised again for illegally slowing the ball down, and their strong back rower Brian McDonagh sent to join Gerrity in the sin-bin. From this penalty, Foley expertly kicked Sligo to just 5m short, and from the lineout Sligo again mauled to inches from the Corrib line. Marshalled by commanding scrum half, Billy Leahy, Sligo’s forwards attacked the line mercilessly with Culhane, Mannion and Mullan all held up just short. As half-time approached Corrib were still pinned inside their own 5m line, and despite their best efforts the break-through was finally made when the sheer strength of burly prop Adrian McHale pierced the brave visitors defence and touched down for the games opening score. Gerrity, fresh his visit to the sin-bin, expertly added the extras with a superb conversion from wide on the right before the referee blew for halftime.
Sligo’s largest crowd of the season so far were subjected to a battering from a vicious hail-storm during the half-time interval and even the players had to run to the stand to seek shelter from the storm that engulfed the pitch. With the rain sweeping across the pitch, making conditions treacherous it was Sligo who began the second half the stronger with their forwards continuing their dominance as the game’s most effective unit. Following some good work by the pack, Andrew Feeney made an incisive break cutting through the Corrib cover down the right wing. Here he offloaded to the supporting Sweeney, who burst into the Corrib 22, before a strong Corrib tackle saw the move abruptly ended as the referee penalised Sligo for an infraction at the breakdown. The Galwaymen, who had been subdued in attack by the suffocating pressure of the Sligo pack up to this point, finally broke loose and a quick penalty by their creative centre Tom Lee saw them move into Sligo territory with some effective phases creating an opportunity out wide. Lee was again involved, before a shuddering hit by Sligo’s Tongan centre, Mataele Fifita forced a turnover.
On the hour mark, Sligo again pressed, and were awarded a penalty 40m out. Gerrity’s effort was well struck but drifted narrowly right and wide. The drop-out presented possession back to Sligo, and phase after phase of tenacious, disciplined work from the industrious pack saw them again move deep into Corrib territory. A penalty was kicked to touch only 10m out, and from the lineout James Wilson and his team-mates grinded their way towards the line. With Corrib stretched from the battering their line was taking with each pick and drive from the aggressive Sligo forwards, Leahy chose the right time to shift the point of attack to the backs where Fifita crashed through the cover before being halted just 5m short. A quick recycle saw Leahy expertly pick out the charge of the forceful Joe Sweeney, who crashed over for a well-deserved score. Gerrity made no mistake with the conversion, and Sligo’s lead was extended to 14-0.
Inspired by the score and in search of a bonus point, Sligo continued to dominate proceedings with their front five commanding their opposite numbers, supported by their athletic back-row marauding around the fringes. With ten minutes remaining another break by the effective Fifita, enjoying the extra space allowed to him at centre, moved Sligo forward before he offloaded to the evasive Gavin Foley whose jinking run led to a scrum 30m out for the home side, presenting them with a dangerous attacking platform. Leahy sniped down the blindside, and his expert grubber-kick through was only inches away from connecting with winger Nick Reynolds before the Corrib defence cleared into touch. Sligo had moved into clinical, game-closing mode at this stage and always looked comfortable in the closing stages. Corrib were further demoralised by the sin-binning of replacement forward, Dave Audley, and this led to a penalty opportunity for the home side with Gerrity making no mistake from 30m to make it 17-0 and putting the seal on an impressive, controlled performance. With only seconds remaining there was no sign of a Sligo let-up and they continued to pressurise with the omnipresent Sweeney prominent before a knock on right on the Corrib line saw the move fizzle out and the referee blow for full time.
While Sligo’s backline were competent in attack and unforgiving in defence, this was a victory that can be credited to a supreme display by the Sligo pack. Their ball-carrying and handling were excellent while their scrummaging always provided them with a solid platform from which to build. To a man they were superb, with the front five putting in a season best performance, as their discipline and hard-work laid the foundations for a comfortable victory. Props, Martin Feeney and Adrian McHale were immense, with Kim Williams prominent on his seasonal debut along with Wilson and captain Ross Mannion who were again dominant in the lineout. Sligo’s reshuffled back-row outplayed their opposite numbers with the seasoned Peter Mullan again outstanding, ably supported by the excellent Culhane. For the second game in a row it was Joe Sweeney who turned in a man of the match performance with his combative, aggressive line-breaking and his uncompromising defence, capped by his match-winning score. The forwards were expertly marshalled by scrum-half Leahy, while Gavin Foley was commanding at out-half playing the percentage game that the conditions demanded. Fifita revelled in the open spaces of his new role at centre making his trademark big hits, as well as continuously breaking the gain-line. David Gerrity was a calming influence at fullback ensuring that he always had Corrib’s kicking game covered, with his place kicking faultless.
Sligo head coach Joe Walsh was pleased with his side’s clinical performance, praising the forwards for their supreme effort. He would have been especially pleased by Sligo’s miserly defence as the teams hard-hitting and endless hard-work kept a tough Corrib side scoreless, and more importantly starved of possession throughout. Credit to must go to Walsh whose changes from the abject performance a week ago against Tuam making a huge difference as Sligo turned in a much more complete performance in awful conditions. Sligo now have a week off to enjoy next week’s visit to Ireland of the All Blacks, and to prepare for their awkward trip to a Westport in two weeks. This preparation will be vital as Sligo continue to aim for league success and with both their title-challengers Monivea and Corinthians still to be faced in future games, these cold weeks of hard training may prove the difference later in the year. For now Sligo continue to answer every question asked of them, and it won’t bother them if they continue to be proclaimed lucky by certain quarters as with each win confidence is building and this winning mentality will be priceless in the closer encounters.
Sligo: A McHale, R Mannion, M Feeney, J Wilson, K Williams, J Sweeney, C Culhane, P Mullan, B Leahy, G Foley, N Reynolds, A Feeney, M Fifita, B Hynes, D Gerrity.
Replacements: R O’Boyle, D Greene, K Machitidze.
Corrib: C Sullivan, M Monaghan, T Lee, S Conlisk, R Casey, B Lee, E Henry, B McDonagh, D Hughes, D O’Connor, J Newell, B Audley, K Reilly, M Lee, A Bane.
Replacements: D Audley, D O’Connor, J Gavin.
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