Castlebar Celtic 2
McGurren 20, Gavin 47
Sligo Rovers 3
McCartney 77, 85, Brannigan 91
Daniel Carey
Castlebar
CASTLEBAR Celtic snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Celtic Park on Sunday night, conceding three goals in the final quarter of a match they looked certain to win.
The Hoops led 2-0 from early in the second half, and had plenty of chances to kill off Sligo Rovers before their late collapse.
Celtic had opened the scoring after 20 minutes, James McGurren getting a rare goal after following neat footwork with a well-placed finish into the bottom corner of the Rovers net. Seán McHale had had their best early chance, but saw his thumping shot turned out for a corner by Sligo goalkeeper Anthony Havlin. Colm Jinks went closest for the visitors in the first half, but his 36th minute chip was marginally too high.
Apart from that, it was half chances on both sides – Peter Dravins, McHale and Stevie Ryan for Celtic, while Shane Brannigan saw his effort blocked by Declan Flynn.
Two minutes after the restart, Celtic doubled their advantage with a cracking strike from Stevie Gavin after McHale’s cross was half blocked. They looked home and hosed, and might well have added a third before the three-quarter stage. Shane Hynes whipped in a ball which Havlin punched clear, while McHale was penalised for a foul on the goalkeeper while challenging for Andy Neary’s dangerous cross.
Sligo put the ball in the net for the first time in the 73rd minute with the best goal of the net, as Shane Brannigan scissors-kicked home a fine cross by influential sub Martin McGoldrick, but assistant referee Martin Halligan had flagged for offside. Within a minute, Hynes had headed Gavin’s cross goalward, but Christopher Cleary headed the ball off the line.
Sligo made it 2-1 13 minutes from time as Jason McCartney raced down the left and, unchallenged, fired a long-range effort that flew into the net. Even then, Celtic might have killed off the game when Eoin Torphy played the ball through for McHale, but the striker’s effort came off the crossbar. A minute later, McHale was booked for a tackle on Cleary, and McCartney scored direct from the free kick (notwithstanding McGoldrick’s brief claim to have made contact with the ball).
That left the score 2-2 and Celtic looking a point from a game they might have won well. But there was worse to come. One minute into additional time, the home side failed to clear a Rovers cross, and Brannigan took advantage to score the winner. How did we end up with this result? Sherlock Holmes might have to investigate.
Castlebar Celtic
R Hennelly, P Walsh, A Neary, S Ryan, D Flynn, E Torphy, J McGurren, S Gavin, S McHale, P Dravins, S Hynes.
Subs used: A Walsh for McGurren (72); P Fitzgerald for Dravins (78, inj).
Sligo Rovers
A Havlin, C Davey, J McCartney, C Griffin, P Devins, C Jinks, K Brick, S Feeney, S Brannigan, C Cleary, N Howley.
Subs used: M McGoldrick for Devins (51); P Sweeney for Howley (55); G Butler for Brick (76).
Referee: C Matthews (Galway)
