# 2006 Sligo Senior Football Championship

This is a round-up of the 2006 Sligo Senior Football Championship. The reigning champions, Coolera/Strandhill, who were surprisingly eliminated at the group stage, after losing a playoff tie to neighbours St. John's. Geevagh won the 2006 Sligo Intermediate Football Championship with a victory over St Patrick's and therefore will take part in the 2007 Championship. Curry won the 2006 title, claiming their 6th title in all, by beating Bunninadden in the final.

## Group stages

The Championship was contested by 16 teams, divided into four groups of four. The top two sides in each group advanced to the quarter-finals, with the remaining sides facing the Relegation playoffs to secure Senior status for 2007.

### Group A

| Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| 22 July | Markievicz Park | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 3-7 | St. Mary's | 2-10 |
| 23 July | Tubbercurry | Ballymote | 0-9 | Eastern Harps | 0-9 |
| 29 July | Ballymote | Eastern Harps | 1-14 | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 1-7 |
| 30 July | Markievicz Park | St. Mary's | 0-9 | Ballymote | 0-8 |
| 12 August | Markeivicz Park | Eastern Harps | 1-9 | St. Mary's | 0-7 |
| 12 August | Kent Park | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 2-10 | Ballymote | 1-9 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | For | Against | Pts |
| Eastern Harps | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2-32 | 1-23 | 5 |
| Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6-24 | 4-33 | 3 |
| St. Mary's | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2-26 | 4-24 | 3 |
| Ballymote | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1-26 | 2-28 | 1 |

### Group B

| Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| 22 July | Enniscrone | Easkey | 1-10 | Tourlestrane | 0-8 |
| 22 July | Ballymote | Calry/St. Joseph's | 1-7 | Shamrock Gaels | 0-10 |
| 29 July | Ballymote | Tourlestrane | 4-11 | Shamrock Gaels | 1-6 |
| 29 July | Kent Park | Easkey | 3-14 | Calry/St. Joseph's | 1-10 |
| 12 August | Ballymote | Tourlestrane | 4-15 | Calry/St. Joseph's | 0-8 |
| 12 August | Tubbercurry | Easkey | 2-13 | Shamrock Gaels | 0-9 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | For | Against | Pts |
| Easkey | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6-37 | 1-27 | 6 |
| Tourlestrane | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8-34 | 2-24 | 4 |
| Shamrock Gaels | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1-25 | 7-31 | 1 |
| Calry/St. Joseph's | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2-25 | 7-39 | 1 |

### Group C

| Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| 22 July | Kent Park | Coolera/Strandhill | 1-9 | St. Molaise Gaels | 0-8 |
| 22 July | Ballymote | St. John's | 2-10 | Tubbercurry | 1-10 |
| 29 July | Kent Park | St. Molaise Gaels | 0-12 | St. John's | 0-7 |
| 30 July | Enniscrone | Tubbercurry | 0-12 | Coolera/Strandhill | 1-7 |
| 13 August | Markievicz Park | Coolera/Strandhill | 1-11 | St. John's | 2-8 |
| 13 August | Kent Park | Tubbercurry | 4-14 | St. Molaise Gaels | 1-6 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | For | Against | Pts |
| Tubbercurry | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5-34 | 4-23 | 4 |
| Coolera/Strandhill | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3-27 | 2-28 | 3 |
| St. John's | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4-25 | 2-33 | 3 |
| St. Molaise Gaels | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1-26 | 5-30 | 1 |

### Group D

| Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| 23 July | Tubbercurry | Bunninadden | 2-9 | Castleconnor | 1-10 |
| 23 July | Tourlestrane | Curry | 2-16 | Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 0-4 |
| 29 July | Tubbercurry | Castleconnor | 1-12 | Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 3-6 |
| 30 July | Markievicz Park | Curry | 0-12 | Bunninadden | 0-10 |
| 13 August | Tubbercurry | Bunninadden | 2-15 | Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 0-3 |
| 13 August | Easkey | Curry | 0-11 | Castleconnor | 0-6 |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | For | Against | Pts |
| Curry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2-39 | 0-20 | 6 |
| Bunninadden | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4-34 | 1-25 | 4 |
| Castleconnor | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2-28 | 5-26 | 1 |
| Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3-13 | 5-43 | 1 |

### Playoffs

Two groups required playoffs to decide the remaining Quarter-Final places. In Group A St. Mary's, inspired by Mark Breheny, defeated Drumcliffe/Rosses Point to qualify to face Easkey in the last eight. The other playoff produced a major upset as holders Coolera/Strandhill crashed out, beaten by neighbours St. John's in the Group C playoff. Coolera had led by six points at one stage in the second half but St. John's scored two late goals, and booked a meeting with Curry in the quarter-finals.
| Group | Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| Group A | 20 August | Markievicz Park | St. Mary's | 0-14 | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 0-10 |
| Group C | 20 August | Markievicz Park | St. John's | 2-4 | Coolera/Strandhill | 1-5 |

## Quarterfinals

The quarter finals of the Championship saw the exit of Tourlestrane, St. John's, Easkey and Tubbercurry. Eastern Harps, Curry, St. Mary's and Bunninadden qualified for the semi-finals. The quarter finals had one drawn game, Eastern Harps and Tourlestrane finishing level after a tense encounter. Harps won the replay a week later.
| Game | Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| Sligo SFC Quarter Final | 26 August | Markievicz Park | Bunninadden | 0-13 | Tubbercurry | 1-8 |
| Sligo SFC Quarter Final | 26 August | Markievicz Park | Curry | 2-12 | St. John's | 1-6 |
| Sligo SFC Quarter Final | 27 August | Markievicz Park | St. Mary's | 1-10 | Easkey | 1-7 |
| Sligo SFC Quarter Final | 27 August | Markievicz Park | Eastern Harps | 0-8 | Tourlestrane | 0-8 |
| Sligo SFC Quarter Final Replay | 3 September | Tubbercurry | Eastern Harps | 2-9 | Tourlestrane | 2-7 |

## Semifinals

The semi-finals saw Curry and Bunninadden emerge victorious, and qualify for the 24 September decider. Bunninadden recorded a famous win over neighbours Eastern Harps, whom many expected to reach the final. In the second Semi-Final, Curry, with the Marren brothers, Jason and Adrian, both on form, saw off St. Mary's by a three-point margin.
| Game | Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| Sligo SFC Semi-Final | 10 September | Markievicz Park | Bunninadden | 0-10 | Eastern Harps | 0-9 |
| Sligo SFC Semi-Final | 10 September | Markievicz Park | Curry | 1-11 | St. Mary's | 1-8 |

## Last eight

| Quarterfinals 26 August/August 27 | Quarterfinals 26 August/August 27 | Quarterfinals 26 August/August 27 | Semifinals 10 September | Semifinals 10 September | Semifinals 10 September | Final 24 September | Final 24 September | Final 24 September |
| Bunninadden | Bunninadden | 0-13 | | | | | | |
| Tubbercurry | Tubbercurry | 1-8 | | | | | | |
| Tubbercurry | Tubbercurry | 1-8 | Bunninadden | Bunninadden | 0-10 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Harps | Eastern Harps | 0-9 | | | |
| Eastern Harps | Eastern Harps | 0-8, 2-9 (R) | Eastern Harps | Eastern Harps | 0-9 | | | |
| Tourlestrane | Tourlestrane | 0-8, 2-7 (R) | | | | | | |
| Tourlestrane | Tourlestrane | 0-8, 2-7 (R) | | | | Bunninadden | Bunninadden | 2-9 |
| | | | | | | Curry | Curry | 1-15 |
| Curry | Curry | 2-12 | | | | | | | Curry | Curry | 1-15 |
| St. John's | St. John's | 1-6 | | | | | | |
| St. John's | St. John's | 1-6 | Curry | Curry | 1-11 | | | |
| | | | St. Mary's | St. Mary's | 1-8 | | | |
| St. Mary's | St. Mary's | 1-11 | St. Mary's | St. Mary's | 1-8 | | | |
| Easkey | Easkey | 1-8 | | | | | | |

## Sligo Senior Football Championship Final

| Curry | 1-15 - 2-9 (final score after 60 minutes) | Bunninadden |
| Manager:Denis Kearney Team: J. Durcan P. Walsh J. Hayes B. Collins S. Haran J. Feeney S. Marren G. Maye B. McDonagh S. Davey (0-3) K. Morley (1-1) K. Giblin J. Marren (0-1) A. Marren (0-8) D. McDonagh Substitutes: A. Brennan (0-2) P. Durcan S. Colleary | Half-time: 0-4 2-4 Competition: Sligo Senior Football Championship (Final) Date: 15.30 BST Sunday, 24 September 2006 Venue: Markievicz Park, Sligo Referee: Marty Duffy (Enniscrone) Match rules: 60 minutes. Replay if scores still level. Maximum of 5 substitutions. | Manager:Brian Touhy Team: D. Flannery P. McGettrick S. Roddy T. Gormley B. Gilhooley E. Gilhooley S. Leamy P. Doohan (0-2) F. O'Flaherty (0-1) L. Óg Gormley Mark Gormley (0-1) Michael Gormley S. McHugh (2-0) K. Kerins (0-1) W. Gormley (0-3) Substitutes: T. McLoughlin (0-1) T. Davey J. O'Flaherty S. Kerins A. Killoran |

## Relegation

Due to the restructuring of the Senior Championship, in order to reduce the number of teams to 12 by 2009, two teams were to be relegated from the 2006 Championship, with one being promoted from the Intermediate ranks. The loser of each game progresses to the next round, the losers of the relegation finals will play in the Sligo Intermediate Football Championship in 2007. Coolaney/Mullinabreena and St. Molaise Gaels were the two sides that made the drop.
| Game | Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Playoff | 26 August | Kent Park | Shamrock Gaels | 0-16 | St. Molaise Gaels | 2-6 |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Playoff | 26 August | Grange | Calry/St. Joseph's | 1-11 | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 1-10 |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Playoff | 27 August | Ransboro | Coolera/Strandhill | 1-12 | Ballymote | 1-4 |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Playoff | 27 August | Tubbercurry | Castleconnor | 0-13 | Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 0-4 |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Final | 2 September | Kent Park | Ballymote | 1-14 | St. Molaise Gaels | 0-7 |
| Sligo SFC Relegation Final | 2 September | Ballymote | Drumcliffe/Rosses Point | 2-9 | Coolaney/Mullinabreena | 0-7 |