Malahide RFC 43

Sligo RFC 21

A poor first half performance proved Sligo’s downfall as they slumped to a disappointing defeat against a lively Malahide at a blustery Estuary Road on Saturday. The visitors yielded twenty nine points before opening their own account with an uncharacteristically loose defensive showing which left themselves a mountain to climb to try to come away with any reward for their efforts. 

Malahide seized the initiative in the opening moments and opened their account with a try in the third minute. The opening score was followed up with  4 further try’s inside half an hour before Sligo opened their own account with an excellent effort from  Calum Goddard just before the interval. 

Following the resumption, Malahide touched own again following a lineout maul before a powerful run from Daire Byrne yielded Sligo’s second touchdown of the day. 

Malahide picked up their final try and Philip Carter responded with an excellent effort , racing down the left touchline from the thirty metres out. 

With the four try bonus in sight Sligo threw everything into the final moments but had to leave empty handed when the referee blew the long whistle. 

While coaches Paddy Pearson and Jason East will be disappointed with the breakdown of the defensive system they will take heart in the fact that their charges fought to the final whistle and manufactured three excellent try’s. 

Sligo will be looking to immediately get back to winning ways when they entertain Mayo rivals Ballina in an eagerly anticipated clash next Saturday. 

Neither side will require motivation as league points are at a premium and traditional rivalry will add spice to the mix. The match kicks off at the earlier time of 2pm at Hamilton Park next Saturday. 

Sligo Enda Gavin, Calum Goddard, Mark Butler, Ryan Feehily, Philip Carter, Euan Brown, Brendan Cunningham, Matthew Earley, Shane O’Hehir, Tom Gormely, Ciaran Cassidy, Rob Holian, Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill, Brian West, Shane Boyle. Reps James O’Hehir, Sean Mullin, Matthew Davey, Sean Wynne, Daire Byrne

Sligo RFC 26

Blackrock RFC 27

Despite outscoring their illustrious visitors by four try’s to three Sligo fell to an agonising defeat by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling Energia AIL2B encounter at Strandhill on Saturday. 

Going into the closing moments Sligo were ahead by six points, but an injury time converted try snatched victory for the visitors by the smallest margin and broke the hearts of the Sligo faithful. 

On a crisp Strandhill afternoon Blackrock kicked off playing towards the Knocknarea end. Shane Boyle was illegally tackled in the air and Sligo were awarded a penalty.  Euan Brown despatched the kick to touch and Sligo set up camp in the ‘Rock 22.

Sligo’s early initiative was rewarded with an excellent score with six minutes on the clock. A planned backline move,  from a scrum on the 22, gave Brown the opportunity to slip through a gap in the visiting defence. Brown linked with Enda Gavin and the full back timed his pass to allow Winger Calum Goddard the space to use his blistering pace to race in at the right corner. Browns difficult conversion attempt drifted across the posts. 

Blackrock looked to respond and were rewarded with a penalty, converted from outside the Sligo 22. 

Sligo reset and again worked their way into the ‘Rock half of the field. An excellently timed Ryan Feehily pass coupled with an excellent line from Mark Butler opened up the visiting defence and Butler touched down under the posts. Brown converted to push Sligo nine points ahead at the interval.

Following the resumption it was Blackrock that took the early initiative.

Indiscipline from the home team resulted in a second penalty score for the visitors before a converted try put ‘Rock ahead by a single point.

Sligo again showed their mettle and worked their way back into the lead when Rob Holian crashed over following a sustained period of pressure on the Blackrock line. Brown converted to push Sligo ahead by six. 

The game continued to ebb and flow and Blackrock wrestled back the lead with 15 minutes remaining following a try from a five metre mauled lineout.

With the game on a knife edge every inch of ground was being fought for tooth and nail. The home victory looked to have been sealed with a Ciaran Cassidy try, converted by Brown, with eight minutes remaining but the concession of a series of late penalty’s gave Blackrock the opportunity to close the gap with a third try and snatch the win with a final kick conversion.

Sligo had heroes all over the park. Mark Keegan, Tom Gormely and Shane O’Hehir battled intensely in the tight and replacements Ross O’Boyle, James O’Hehir and Matthew Earley added to the cause when introduced. Brian West and Matt Davey covered every inch of ground through the entire match. Brendan Cunningham’s reputation at scrum half continues to grow and Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill continued his return to form with more valuable game time. Philip Carter was his usual ball of energy and a thorn in the visitors side in both attack and defence. 

Despite the loss, Sligo picked up 2 valuable league points with the losing and four try bonus points, but Coaches Paddy Pearson and Jason East will be disappointed that the five points didn’t come to Sligo

Sligo’s AIL2B campaign continues with a trip to Malahide next Saturday. The match kicks off at 2.30 at Estuary Road. 

Sligo: Enda Gavin, Calum Goddard, Mark Butler, Ryan Feehily, Philip Carter, Euan Brown, Brendan Cunningham, Mark Keegan, Shane O’Hehir, Tom Gormely, Ciaran Cassidy, Rob Holian, Shane Boyle, Brian West, Matt Davey. Reps Ross O’Boyle, Matthew Earley, James O’Hehir, Diarmuid O’Dowd Hill, Daire Byrne.

The President, Club Officers and Members of Sligo RFC wish to extend their sincere condolences to the family of Dr Philip Murray, Ballincar and formerly Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, who passed away peacefully at the North West Hospice, Sligo, surrounded by his loving family. Sadly missed by his loving wife, Vivien, his children Emily, Joe and Jenny, his beloved grandsons Daniel, Peter, Sean-Johnny and Oisín, son in law Johnny, daughter in law Aoife, extended family and many, many friends.

Dr Philip (Phil) Murray was a versatile sportsman who played hurling and rugby to a very high level. He captained UCD to a Fitzgibon Cup win and UCG to a Connacht Senior Cup win in rugby in 1970. The UCG team at that time included International players such as Seamus Dennison and Mick Molloy. He moved to Sligo in the mid 1970s and helped Sligo Rugby Club through the transition from Junior to Senior rugby. 

In his time, Phil was known as a new breed of front row forwards, who brought the position to new levels of technique.Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.Mass of the Resurrection took place in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo at 12 midday on Tuesday, 26th November. Burial followed in Rathcormac Cemetery.  Sit tibi terra levis

Galwegians RFC 16

Sligo RFC 31

Sligo advanced to their second Connacht Senior Cup final in 3 seasons with a comprehensive victory over Galwegians at a floodlit Glenina on Saturday evening. Sligo’s victory earns the team the opportunity to face Galway Corinthians at the Sportsground on December 22 in a repeat of the 2017/18 final which saw Sligo lift the trophy for only the second time in the long history of the Strandhill based club.

On a calm evening Sligo kicked off but it was the home team that took the early initiative with a successful penalty kicked from the Sligo 10 metre line. Sligo immediately responded. Ciaran Cassidy got a hand to the restart and Shane Boyle secured the ball, Brian West drove forward and the ball was recycled and moved towards midfield. A well timed pass saw Mark Butler split the defence and race into the 22 before linking up with Ryan Feehily who beat the last defender and finished under the posts. Euan Brown converted and Sligo were up and running. 

A second successful ‘Wegians penalty moved the gap to one point with thirty minutes on the clock but Sligo responded well. Matt Davey picked from a scrum on the left of the ‘Wegians 22 and linked with Brendan Cunningham. The ball was moved quickly across the backline to Calum Goddard who raced to within 5 metres of the line before linking with the supporting Philip Carter who crashed over for Sligo’s second try. Brown hit an excellent conversion to put Sligo into an eight point lead. 

A third Galwegians penalty put the half time score to nine points to fourteen in favour of the visitors.

Following the resumption Sligo continued to press. Cunningham broke down the blind side of a scrum on the Galwegians ten metre line and placed an excellent grubber kick down the line for Goddard to collect and score in the corner. Brown hit an excellent conversion to push his teams total to twentyone.

A sustained period of pressure resulted in a Galwegians converted try, closing the gap to five but Sligo again hit back with another well worked score. 

Brian West tapped a free kick on the Galwegians 22 and drove into the heart of the home defence. Cassidy and Brown both added to the drive before replacement centre Daire Byrne burst through before being stopped just short of the line. From the resulting ruck Feehily fed Butler who twisted his way over for Sligo’s 4th try. Brown again converted and minutes later added a penalty to round off the scoring and seal the place in the final. 

Sligo’s win was built around their excellent team ethos with every player deserving credit. Tom Gormely, Benroy Sala and Mark Keegan provided a solid platform in the tight and continuously put in some huge tackles in open play. Shane O’ Hehir and Matthew Earley and Rob Holian were dynamic in all facets. James O’Hehir made a big addition to the work rate when introduced. Enda Gavin was a rock at full back and Luke Hogge fitted seamlessly into the backline when called into the fray. 

Sligo now turn their attention back to the All Ireland League where they host Blackrock College at Hamilton Park next Saturday. Having suffered a narrow defeat to Blackrock in last seasons promotion playoffs Sligo will not need motivation when facing their Dublin visitors. The match kicks off at 2.30 at Strandhill.

Sligo: Enda Gavin, Calum Goddard, Mark Butler, Ryan Feehily (Co-Capt), Philip Carter, Brendan Cunningham, Benroy Sala, Shane O’Hehir (Co-Capt) Tom Gormely, Ciaran Cassidy, Rob Holian, Shane Boyle, Brian West, Matt Davey. Reps: Mark Keegan, Matthew Earley, James O’Hehir, Daire Byrne, Luke Hogge

Sligo 5 Buccaneers 0

Sligo played host to Buccaneers in Hamilton Park on Sunday 17 th in a low scoring but entertaining game in the U13’s league. Sligo started brightly putting Buccaneers under pressure with the boot of outhalf Killian O Neill playing the majority of the first half in Bucc’s territory. The Bucc’s pack were significantly physically bigger that Sligo who made up for the size disparity with good defence around the ruck. Sligo’s starting back row of O’Mahony, Burrows and Gambi-Wheelan played well and were ably supported by O’Neill , Draper and Lawes in the front row. Sligo’s scrum stood up well to a noticeably bigger Buccaneers eight with Fitzgerald , Bradly and subsequently Keyes and Keaney showing up very well in the second row. Sligo’s backs kept probing with McGetterick and Ryan prominent going forward and newly arrived Tadhg Murphy very solid in defence along with James Mackey and Conor McGoldrick. A clever kick through and quick feet and an eye for the line gave the only score of the game to Conor Van Rensburg halfway through the first half. A difficult conversion missed narrowly. Sub harry Dennison recently returned from injury injected pace in the last minutes of the half and Sligo were unlucky not to score again. The second half was a different tale for Sligo. Refereeing largesse at ruck time meant thatthe heavier Buccs team had possession for much of the second half but good work in the tight meant that there was always a Sligo tackler there to put down the runner. On the occasions when the ball went wide the Sligo backs tackled very effectively. With 5 minutes left the siege was lifted after a number of goal line stands and Sligo were making their way to the opposition half when the referee blew for full time.

Both teams were well drilled and very competitive and a third period played on Sligo’s 4 G pitch ended with a two try to nil victory for Buccs. This was a chance for the entire squad to take to the pitch in Sligo colours.

All the returned tickets have been returned to the IRFU and now the waiting game begins.  Fingers crossed that one of our members will win one of the amazing prizes. A huge thank you to the YCYC team of Club President Jacqui Cunningham, Club PRO Jean Mc Connell, Club Stalwart George Draper, Club Treasurer Michael Shovelin and Juvenile Co-Ordinator Phelim O’Connor who led a successful campaign to collect over €7,000 for the club. We would like to acknowledge the hard work of all the coaches who co-ordinated their team’s tickets and also thank all those who bought tickets to support the club.

A Connacht Rugby SkillZone with totalhealth is coming to Coolaney Community Pitch in Sligo later this month.

SkillZone is the perfect opportunity for your son or daughter to enjoy a full morning’s activity and keep active. The focus of the day will be small sided games which will be fun and fast flowing. The events are run by Connacht Rugby staff who are IRFU accredited coaches and are also involved in both the Regional and Interprovincial squads.

It’s open to boys and girls aged from 6-12 and no rugby experience is necessary.

Bookings must be made in advance and can be done so on connachtrugby.ie/community from next week.