Magnificent Sligo seal memorable win

Sligo 0-11 Mayo 0-10

By Cathal Mullaney

After years of close calls, unfortunate losses and indifferent results, Sligo’s barren spell at under-18 level is over.

A gutsy and skilful display from the home side at Quigabar sealed a memorable one-point win over Mayo, and thus handed Aidan Rooney’s side a first Connacht Minor League title since 1984.

This historic victory was sealed in the dying moments when, two minutes into injury-time, substitute Alan McLoughlin fired over from 30 metres – Sligo’s fifth point on the bounce – and sent a sizable home support wild. The wait was finally over. Sligo were Connacht Minor League champions.

On a breezy evening at the home of the Enniscrone/Kilglass club, the foundation for Sligo’s success was laid in a gutsy opening period. Facing into the teeth of the breeze, a superb work-rate and relentless tackling paid dividends for the home side, meaning they only trailed by five points at the interval, 0-7 to 0-2.

The collective will by Sligo in the opening half to work back and turn possession over was indicative of the hard-working streak this side possesses. Limiting a dangerous Mayo attack to seven points was a terrific return, and with two excellent scores from Liam Gaughan and Kyle Cawley, Sligo had a platform to build on going into the second period.

Although they started rather slowly in the second half, remarkably, eight of Sligo’s nine second half points came from an industrious backline.

Finnian Cawley, once again the talisman, scored with four excellent long-range efforts, while captain Eddie McGuinness also contributed a marvellous point.

Brian Mahon and Nathan Mullen (2) also drove forward to register scores, and the way in which Sligo won was thrilling.

Trailing by four points, 0-6 to 0-10, with eight minutes remaining, Sligo clicked into gear. Other teams might have crumbled, but a wind-assisted Sligo battled and reeled off five unanswered points to claim the title.

Cawley scored twice within the final eight minutes, while Eddie McGuinness and Nathan Mullen also fired over.

With the game in injury-time, the final opportunity fell to substitute Alan McLoughlin who managed to slice the posts with a fine effort to send the home support into delirium.

Sligo are Connacht Minor League champions. And this is only the beginning.

Sligo: E Kilgannon; B Mahon (0-1), E McGuinness(0-1), M O’Dowd; N Mullen(0-2), F Cawley (0-4), S Power; P Kilcoyne, K Banks; L Gaughan(0-1, 1f), R Kennedy, S Carrabine; K Cawley (0-1), N Rooney, M Gordon. Subs used: D Cummins for Carrabine (16), P O’Connor for Rooney (39), A McLoughlin (0-1) for Banks (54), J McHugh for Kennedy (59). Subs not used: C McGovern, A Kearns, O Gilmartin, D Leonard, D O’Hara, D Murphy, R Lang, C Walsh, S Tighe.