Sligo’s minor footballers sealed a
place in the semi-final of this year’s Connacht championship with a deserved
four point win over Roscommon in Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon on Friday evening last.
After a nervous start that saw neither
side register a score in the first six minutes the winners took the game to their
opponents and led from mid-way through the first half through to the end.
Sligo played with a stiff breeze into
the town end of the field in the first half and were first to get on the
scoreboard with Ronan Niland opening the scoring from a free and then adding a second
point from play in the tenth minute.
Roscommon got their first score three
minutes later when Robert Heneghan pointed from play. That was quickly followed
by a Rory Carthy free and a good point from wide on the right-hand side by wing
forward Eoghan Murray which gave the home side the lead for the first time on
16 minutes.
The sides then exchanged points with Sligo’s
score coming from James Foley before the Yeats County changed the direction of
the game with a superbly executed goal from centre half back Robert O’Kelly which
put them two points ahead.
From here on, Roscommon were chasing
the game. Although Murray, with an excellent second point from play, and Jamie
Betts, did briefly bring them back level, O’Kelly-Lynch, midfielder Ryan
Gillespie and goalkeeper Diarmuid Henry from a ‘45 gave Sligo a 1-6 to 0-6 half
time lead.
Roscommon’s Murray ran in a point straight
from the second half throw-in and TJ Hannon added a second two minutes later, but
Sligo retained their composure and defended the initial Roscommon surge well
while still creating chances at the other end as first Rooney and then Dillon Walsh
added points to maintain the three point gap.
It was to be the pattern of the half as
Roscommon clawed back a point or two at a time only to see Sligo go down the other
end and restore their advantage. That Sligo effort was spearheaded up front by Niland
and Rooney and also by sub Connor Flynn who came on after 16 minutes to replace
Shea O’Neill who had worked himself to a standstill as a linkman for his team
all over the field.
Flynn got the first of three points immediately
after his arrival and when he added his second ten minutes later, it extended Sligo’s
lead to four points with five minutes remaining.
The home side pushed hard and after a
Carthy free reduced the margin to three, they almost got themselves back in the
game when Conor Kelly got through one on one with Sligo keeper Henry but the Tubbercurry
man stood strong, parried the shot and then saw his defender to start a move
that went the length of the field and finished with a Walsh point at the other
end.
In the three minutes added time there
was still time for an exchange of points between Heneghan and Flynn which finished
out a well earned 1-16 to 0-14 win for Sligo whio now go on to face Galway in the Connacht semi final next week.
ROSCOMMON: Sean Kelly, Michael Moran,
Jack Donnelly, Evan Quinn, Mark Halligan, Ronan McDermott, Ryan Hanley (0-1),
Conor Kelly, Brendan Murphy, Eoghan Murray (0-4), Robert Heneghan (0-4 1f),
John McGuinness, Jamie Betts (0-1), Rory Carthy (0-2 2f), TJ Hannon (0-2).
Substitutes used; Ryan Dowling for
McGuinness (46) (0-1), Brian Greene for Hannon (53), Lee Taylor for Betts
(27).
SLIGO; Diarmuid Henry (0-1 ‘45),
Ronan O’Hehir, Oisín Conlon, Daniel King, Rian O’Callaghan, Robert
O’Kelly-Lynch (1-1), Tommy Ross, Ryan Gillespie (0-1), Dillon Walsh (0-4), Tom
Bailey, Ronan Niland (0-3 1f), Cian Carty, Eli Rooney (0-2), Shea O’Neill,
James Foley (0-1).
Substitutes used; Conor Flynn for
O’Neill (45) (0-3), Kevin Carnahan for Foley (63).
REFEREE; Paul Lydon (Mayo).