Jack Goulding shines as London blow Sligo away in Christy Ring Cup
London 4-26 Sligo 0-12
Jack Goulding scored 2-13 as London produced a second half blitz to despatch Sligo at McGovern Park on Saturday, and make it two wins from two in their bid to reach a first Christy Ring final since 2018.
It was in the end a comprehensive victory for Neil Rogers’ side, which followed their impressive 11-point win against Tyrone in Dungannon.
Get past Wicklow at Ruislip next Saturday – a team the Exiles beat by 15 points there in the league – and London will put themselves within striking distance of a place in the final.
But Rogers’ men certainly didn’t have it all their own way against Sligo, and Stephen Sheil would have been by far the happier manager at the break, as the Yeatsmen went in all square (0-9 a piece) having played the first half into a strong wind.
Sligo were far more fluid and sharper in their play, with London struggling to click into gear.
But crucially Goulding had the ball in the back of the visitors’ net within 17 seconds of the restart, and further goals inside the opening ten minutes from Sean Glynn and Goulding saw the home side burst into a 3-13 to 0-10 lead.
Glynn’s major, which was still rising as it flew past Luke Comerford, was the pick of the bunch.
That took the sting out of the game and London cantered home from there. Glynn added the icing with a last-gasp fourth goal.
For Sligo, the 2019 Nickey Rackard champions, another heavy defeat on the back of their 11-point loss to Kildare in round one.
Scorers:
London: J Goulding 2-13 (8f); S Glynn 2-4; R Crowley 0-4; T Millerick 0-2; R Murphy, O Sheil, K Reid 0-1.
Sligo: G O’Kelly Lynch 0-6f; M Munnelly, T Cawley 0-2; Conor Hanniffy, Joe McHugh 0-1.
Teams:
London: T Wallace 6; P Muldoon 7, C Byrne 6, N Geoghegan 7; T Millerick 8, S O’Meara 6, C O’Carroll 6; A Cunney 7, R Murphy 8; O Sheil 6, S Glynn 7, K Reid 6; D Dawson 6, J Goulding 8, R Crowley 7.
Subs: E McHugh 7 for Reid (53), P Kennedy 6 for Dawson (53), S Whelan 6 for Cunney (61), R Lodge 6 for Murphy (63), M Flannery 5 for Sheil (65).
Sligo: L Comerford 6; K O’Kennedy 6, G Connolly 6, D Cawley 7; N Kilcullen 6, R McHugh 6, C Hanniffy 7; F Cawley 6, F Connolly 6; J McHugh 6, G O’Kelly Lynch 7, M Munnelly 7; T Cawley 6, C Griffin 6, E O’Donoghue 7.
Subs: D O’Brien 6 for O’Donoghue (60), E Rua McGowan 6 for Hanniffy (63), D Hanley 5 for Finnian Cawley (66), D Keaveney 5 for O’Kennedy (66), S Brenan 5 for Griffin (68).
Referee: N Malone (Clare).
