Tourlestrane’s stylish finish

Sligo Senior Football League Division One title for south Sligo giants Champions Tourlestrane wrapped up their Expert Electrical sligo senior Football League Division one campaign in considerable style last saturday night at Kent park when beating st mary’s by 12 points, 1-16 to 0-7, to finish unbeaten in 11 games.

PresenTaTIon: Handing the new sligo senior Football league Division one trophy, the Frank Kelly Memorial Cup, to champions Tourlestrane were, from left, Barnes Kelly (representing the Kelly family, Castleconnor), Colin neary (team captain, Tourlestrane) and Cyril Feehily (chairman, sligo Gaa County Board).

Presented after wards with the Frank Kelly memorial Cup, the new trophy for the Division one winners, the defending owen B hunt Cup champions were already assured of the Division one title ahead of their sligo town trip and came into this dead rubber with an enviable record of nine wins from 10 fixtures.
Both sides were minus their county players as st mary’s started brightly and opened the scoring through mark Bulter, who landed a ‘45’, and Brian smith.
Tourlestrane’s first real effort came after 13 minutes when alan Dunne called on the st mary’s goalkeeper, mark Rooney, to be at his best as he pulled off a great save.
Gerry mcGowan got the south sligo club on the score board a minute later and then John Quinn’s point left the scores level.
The sides exchanged points to level the scores at 0-4 apiece but Tourlestrane finished the first-half strongly with three unanswered
points, thanks to Gary Gaughan, Gerry mcGowan and John Quinn, to put themselves three points in front at the break (0-7 to 0-4).
Whatever Tourlestrane boss neil Egan said at half-time seemed to work as his side came out flying – they kicked four points without reply in the opening nine minutes of the second period. michael Bree, back playing senior football after a lengthy absence, pointed for st Mary’s and then a point from mark Butler reduced the gap to six points. But that was as good as it got for the home side. Tourlestrane
then kicked 1-4 without reply, the goal coming on the 50th minute from the very impressive John Quinn, who finished with 1-5.
The winners’ team captain, Colin neary, also contributed to the one-sided proceedings when he scored one of Tourlestrane’s nine secondhalf points. Johnny Lynch got a consolation point for st mary’s, who played well in patches, but Gerry mcGowan had the final say with another point for new Division one champions, who succeed st molaise Gaels as the top side in the sligo senior Football League.
This is yet another trophy for Tourlestrane, who already won the Kiernan Cup earlier this year. afterwards Colin neary accepted the trophy from Barnes Kelly, representing the Kelly family, Castleconnor, and Cyril Feehily, sligo Gaa County Board chairman.
Members of Kelly family were also present for the trophy hand over to the County Board.
The Frank Kelly memorial Cup is named after the late Frank Kelly, a Trojan worker for the Gaa in his club and the West Division.

TourlesTrane: Seamus Gildea, Barry Walsh, Colin Neary (0-1), Colm McVeigh, Matthew Brennan, Diarmuid Dunne, James Leonard, Shane Dunne (0-1), Adrian McIntyre, Alan Dunne, Gary Gaughan (0-2), John Marren (0-1), Brian Egan, John Quinn (1-5), Gerry McGowan (0-5)
subs used: John Kelly (0-1), Padraig Leonard, Cathal Henry, Darren Walsh, Ruairi Brennan sT Mary’s: Mark Rooney, Conor Carroll, David Martyn, Donal Carroll, Ciaran O’Boyle, Caolan O’Grady, Johnny Lynch (0-1), Mark Bulter (0-3, 2f, ‘45’), Dermot O’Connor, Brian Smith (0-1), Michael Bree (0-1), Niall McManus (0- 1), Anthony Henneberry, Neil Smyth, Glen Monaghan (0-1)
subs used: Stephen Hansberry, Cian McKeon, Kevin Donegan
referee: TJ Keaveney

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