Sligo added to Kildare's relegation worries with a superb Ken Killeen match-winning goal a minute before half-time in this pulsating match watched by a 6,000- crowd at Markievicz Park yesterday.
Kildare boss Mick O'Dwyer was forced to field a team without a number of regulars, including his son Karl (injured) and the suspended Anthony Rainbow.
Kildare played reasonably well against the wind in the first half and looked to be heading for halftime with a slender one-point lead when the Tubbercurry clubman struck to change the pattern of the game. If the goal took the wind out of the Lilywhites' sails, worse was to follow early in the second half. Four unanswered Sligo points - two from the accurate boot of Tommy Brennan - put the home side 1-9 to 0-6 ahead inside 15 minutes.
Tadhg Fennin scored the visitors' first point of the half in the 52nd minute and Kildare were back in contention seven minutes later when a probing ball by Eddie McCormack found secondhalf substitute Terry Rossiter who squeezed the ball past Sligo goalkeeper Peter Walsh at the butt of the post.
Kildare missed a gilt-edged chance to go in front after 61 minutes when substitute Gavin Keane grazed the post from a Martin Lynch pass.
Half back Ronan Keane settled frayed Sligo nerves a minute from time to put three points between the teams and to secure victory for his side.
Man of the match Paul Durcan played powerfully in the Sligo midfield while Noel Maguire performed solidly at full back. Gerry McGowan opened the first-half scoring for Sligo with a point inside a minute and in the second minute they added another point before Cathal Sheridan opened the visitors' account from a free after nine minutes. A brilliant Kildare move started by midfielder Dermot Earley was carried on by Tadhg Fennin but Martin Lynch missed the target from a couple of yards. Sligo led 1-5 to 0-6 at the interval.
Kildare will rue missing a glorious goal chance after four minutes of the second half when Martin Lynch shot inches wide of the Sligo goal following great play by Tadhg Fennin and Colm O'Reilly.
SLIGO: P Walsh; M Cosgrove, N Maguire, B Phillips; R Keane (0-2), D Durkin, M Langan; E O'Hara, P Durcan (0-1); K Giblin, P Taylor (0- 2), S Davy (0-1); T Brennan (0-2), K Killeen (1-0), G McGowan (0-1). Subs: D Sloyane for Giblin (29 mins); J McPartland for Davey (63mins).
KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, E Mulhall, K Doyle; D Hughes, G Ryan, J Finn; D Hynan, D Earley; C O'Reilly (0-1), E McCormack (0-1), M Lynch; P Graven (0-1), T Fennin (0-2), C Sheridan (0-2). Subs: M Wright for Doyle (halftime); D Maher for Mulhall (41 mins); T Rossiter 1-0 for Sheridan (45 mins); G Keane for Graven (55 mins); P Reilly for Fennin (65 mins).
Referee: B Gorman (Armagh).
