Sligo played their first Connacht championship game in over two years when they entertained 2020 All Ireland finalists Mayo at Markievicz Park on Saturday. On a fine summers day, Mayo put on a powerful display showing their physical power, speed with the ball, and quickness of attack to ease to a comfortable victory.

Tony McEntee made 5 changes before the throw in but had changed back 3 before the break when Mayo put on an awesome display in the middle third of the half.

Niall Murphy had an uncharacteristic miss in the first minute of the game which was quickly followed by Mayo championship debutant Darren McHale getting the first of his very impressive 1-4 in the first half (1-5 total for game, he got the first 3 Mayo points). Niall Murphy atoned for his earlier miss with 2 points from play. McHale and Tommy Conroy added more points in the first 10 minutes to extend the lead to 0-6 v 0-2 when Nathan Mullen was dispossessed (appeared to be fouled) by 3 Mayo forwards. Aidan O’Shea came out with the ball and drove into the roof of the town goals. Sligo responded with a Murphy point from play which was again followed by a Durcan score leaving the score at the first water break at 1-7 v 0-3. Sligo were unfortunate when Murphy rattled the crossbar after a Paddy O’Connor super pass. Conroy and Carrabine swapped points but the Mayo forwards were scoring from inside 30m whilst Sligo were now having to shoot from distance.

Between the 20^th and 25^th minutes Mayo put on 1-4 without reply with O’Shea scoring 1-2 from play and Jordan Flynn and Ryan O’Donoghue also adding points. Liam Gaughan scored a typical Gaughan point from outside the 45 with the outside of the boot. Murphy scored another from play after good work by Barry Gorman who caught a crossfield ball and put Murphy into the shooting position. McHale scored 1-1 from play and hit also a wide in a three minute spell. The goal was the result of an excellent save by Paddy O’Connor from Conroy with McHale quickest to react to poke home into the bottom left of the goal. Evan Lyons came on for his clubmate Karl McKenna to make his championship debut and captain Keelan Cawley who was an injury doubt before the game entered the fray at the same time after 32 minutes. He scored from play from out on the wing and O’Connor and Carrabine added more long range points leaving the score at the break 3-13 v 0-8.

From the throw in Mikey Gordon drove at the Mayo defence and punched over the bar but it would be another 30 minutes before it was added too from play (there was a free kicked also in the 46^th minute). Mayo were able to use their bench and Fergal Boland scored from play shortly after coming on and Eoghan McLaughlin added two excellent scores where he burned the Sligo team for pace. Conor Loftus also scored two fine points from distance for Mayo and substitute Stephen Coen added a further. Niall Murphy added two from play, with one an excellent team move with plenty of quick passes and fast movement. James Carr another substitute got the final score of the game in additional time but the game had been finished a lot earlier.  

Scorers: 

Sligo :- Niall Murphy 0-6 (1f) Seán Carrabine 0-2, Liam Gaughan, Paddy O’Connor, Mikey Gordon, Keelan Cawley 0-1 each

Mayo :- Darren McHale 1-5, Aidan O’Shea 2-2, Ryan O’Donoghue 0-5 (4f), Tommy Conroy, Eoghan McLaughlin, Conor Loftus 0-2 each, Paddy Durcan, Jordan Flynn, Fergal Boland, Stephen Coen, James Carr 0-1 each.

Sligo : Eamonn Kilgannon, Ryan Feehily, Eddie McGuinness, Karl McKenna, Peter Laffey, Paul McNamara, Nathan Mullen, Paddy O’Connor, Paul Kilcoyne, David Quinn, Liam Gaughan, Mikey Gordon, Barry Gorman, Niall Murphy, Seán Carrabine,.

Subs – Evan Lyons for McKenna, Keelan Cawley for Gaughan, Red Óg Murphy for Gorman, Conor Griffin for Gordon, Cian Lally for Cawley

Mayo: Rob Hennelly, Enda Hession, Oisín Mullen, Lee Keegan, Michael Plukett, Paddy Durcan, Eoghan McLaughlin, Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus, Kevin McLoughlin, Darren McHale, Jordan Flynn, Tommy Conroy, Aidan O’Shea, Ryan O’Donoghue.

Subs: Fergal Boland, Padraig O’Hora, Stephen Coen, Paul Towey, James Carr