Tourlestrane claimed their fifth Junior A title, a significant number for the club on this finals weekend. This was their first title since 2004 and will see the clubs second team play in the Intermediate championship in 2021. With the majority of these players on the senior squad for Sundays, drive for five, the quality is there. 

Owenmore Gaels came a step close than last years semi-final loss to eventual champions St.Michael' s (who were ironically were relegated around the time Tourlestrane scored their second goal and effectively sealed this victory). In fairness to Gaels despite playing the whole second half with 14 men they stuck to their method of play and even saw a late late penalty won by Kevin Healy crash off the crossbar but the game was out of reach then.

In an entertaining first half it was tight with both sides giving a good account of themselves. Niall Hodgins scored an excellent outside of the right effort into the town end goal from out at the dugout in the second minute. John Marren who was to win the player of the match award scored his first from a free a minute later. 

Ryan Philips scored a lovely point on the turn when beating his marker to a long raking pass but in the 8th minute Colin Neary who was everywhere that counted in the first half was the man who came off the shoulder and drove the ball into the bottom left of the dressing room goals giving Jason Farrell no chance to save. This did appear to affect Gaels who lost a number of balls around the Tourlestrane 45 with Stephen Clarke scoring from play for Tour in the 11th minute. Brian Mahon got Gaels back on track when breaking the Tourlestrane first line of defence and scoring from 35m in the 14th minute. 

Gaels were not breaking the Tour defensive line around 45m out enough and Marren scored from a free on a counter attack in the 20th minute. Mark Walsh did break the line on a number of ocassions but never had a man coming off his shoulder. He was fouled though in the 26th minute which Philips did convert. Roly Anderson and Cian Whiteside were now becoming more influential players in the game but three fouls by Mahon across his own 45 saw him receive his marching orders with a second yellow, resulting in a red being issued in the 28th minute. Marren pointed the subsequent free with Philips responding with a long range effort to leave the score at the break, 1-4 v 0-5 to Tourlestrane.

Young Clarke got his second of the game from play in the 4th minute of the second half and two minutes later a ball lost in the Tourlestrane half saw Marren palm the ball into an open net after a good passing and running move by the men from south Sligo. James Duffy responded in the 10th minute for Gaels from an acute angle but their attacks were too methodical and slow especially against a team who all train with their senior team who have perfected the art of defending a lead. There was an air of inevitability especially when the evergreen Shane Dunne scored from range before the water break. Philips did respond before the break but that turned out to be their last as they moved to looking for goals which bar the penalty never looked like happening despite a number of good runs by Walsh and some stirring defending by Liam Gilligan. Eoin Walsh and Mark Lundy got on the scoresheet as the the young guns finished the job for Tourlestrane with Phelim O'Donnell impressive all through. 

Sligo GAA Chair, Brendan Leonard had the pleasure of presenting his clubman Niall Durkin with the cup. No doubt after match celebrations were cancelled as they all come back on Sunday for the senior final as their seniors attempt to create further history and go for their own drive for five. 

Scorers:

Tourlestrane - John Marren 1-5 (5f), Colin Neary 1-0, Mark Lundy 0-3 (1f), Stephen Clarke 0-2, Shane Dunne, Eoin Walsh 0-1 each.

Owenmore Gaels - Ryan Philips 0-5 (4f), Niall Hodgins, Brian Mahon, James Duffy 0-1 each.