Two images at the final whistle of this entertaining game in Newry: one, the elation of the Sligo players after two late Sean Davey points had given them their first victory over Down; the other, the empty terraces of Esler Park, where only a few hundred spectators huddled in testimony to the need for a review of the league schedule.
Those who did not come missed another chapter in the progress of Sligo football under Micky Moran's stewardship. Sligo thoroughly deserved this win. They played patiently constructive football on the Newry mud and possessed, moreover, the most influential player on the park in their mobile midfielder and captain, Eamonn O'Hara.
They also benefited from good fortune. The first of these strokes came 11 minutes into the second half, with the scores level at 0-6 to 1-3, when experienced Down defender Micheal Magill, after doing well to cut out a Sligo attack, inexplicably passed the ball straight to the unattended Sean Davey, who gleefully advanced to roll the shot past the advancing Micky McVeigh.
Down's second self-inflicted blow came six minutes later, when their main play-maker, Ross Carr, got himself sent off by referee Micky Brady.
Carr's absence wasn't immediately felt. Indeed, with Gregory McCartan raising his game, Down enjoyed their best period, eventually levelling the scores with eight minutes remaining through a point from McCartan and two from Shane Mulholland. But in the final five minutes Sligo's astute deployment of the extra man as defensive "sweeper" began to turn the tide.
Down had looked the better team in the opening 10 minutes and led 0-2 to no score before a surging run from Eamonn O'Hara brought a splendid save from McVeigh, only for Dessie Sloyane to prod the ball over the muddy goal-line in the 11th minute.
Over the 70 minutes the strong defensive play of Michael Langan and Noel Maguire contained the lop-sided Down attack in which only Mulholland, Carr and Shane Ward showed traditional Down flair.
SLIGO: P Kilcoyne; N Maguire, N Clancy, B Phillips; D Durcan, G McDermott, M Langan; E O'Hara, P Durcan; S Davey (1-4), P Taylor, D Sloyane (1-1); T Brennan, K McDermott, G McGowan (0-1). Subs: E Colley for G McDermott, J McPartland for K McDermott.
DOWN: M McVeigh; F Caulfield, C Deegan, C Byrne; M Magill, P Higgins, M McMurray; E Woods, A Molloy (0-1); G McMahon, R Carr (0-2), G Cunningham (0-1); S Ward, S Mulholland (0-4), L Parr. Subs: G McCartan (0-2) for E Woods, S Poland for G Cunningham, P Matthews for C Byrne, P McGrath for G McMahon, C McLaughlin for L Power.
Referee: M Brady (Cavan).
