Sligo’s U-16 footballers delivered a strong performance in their third game of the Fr Manning Cup played at Curry on Sunday last finishing 3-17 to 1-6 winners over a Clare side that stayed with the home side in the first half  but were ultimately overcome in the second.

It was Sligo’s third outing in the competition and having previously defeated Leitrim and Longford , the home side were able to rest some of their more experienced campaigners including Eli Rooney and Cian Carty who had earlier been part of Sligo’s run to the Connacht minor semi final where they were defeated by All Ireland finalists Galway.

After a slow start in which they only scored once in the opening fifteen minutes – a Dara Mostyn pointed free – Sligo began to work the scoreboard with two further Mostyn points, one a free, and points from corner forwards Darragh Sweeney and Paul Flynn bringing in to the last minute of the first half on level terms. 

The game changed completely on foot of the two minutes either side of half time. Sligo ended the first the half on a high with Flynn finding the net for the game’s first goal in the last minute of the half and full back Eamonn Keane adding a point in added time to give the hosts a four point half time lead, 1-6 to 0-5.

They repeated the trick in reverse at the beginning of the second half with a point and then a goal from full forward Oisín Devlin opening up an eighty margin within two minutes of the beginning of the second half which put the result beyond doubt.

The home side added a further 1-10 with Mostyn adding four points (three from frees), Sweeney two and Keane, Devlin, Barry McNamara and Eamon O’Mahony one each with Sweeney also adding a goal in the final minutes.

Sligo now progress to the semi-final of the competition on the weekend of the 23 July  

Sligo  Adam Kelly; Evan Finnerty, Eamon Keane (0-2), PJ Scanlon; Daragh Mastin, Liam Higgins, Sean McCabe; Eoin Tuffy, Eamon O’Mahony (0-1); Barry McNamara (0-1), Dara Mostyn (0-7, 5f), Niall Kenny; Paul Flynn (1-1), Oisin Devlin (1-2), Darragh Sweeney (1-2). Subs: Cillian Duggan for McNamara (39m), Jake Chambers for McCabe (41m), Kern O’Doherty for Flynn, Keith Cotter for Tuffy  and Cathal Walsh for O’Mahony (all 48m)