Sligo’s 2023 U20 team got their year off to a disappointing start when they lost their opening game - 0-16 to 0-10 - in the U20 Development competition – the Leo Murphy Cup – against Mayo played at ATU Sligo’s on Sunday last.

With the game delayed by a day due to the participation of two Sligo teams in the Connacht Colleges finals on the previous day, Sligo manager Paul Henry was forced to field a somewhat experimental side as 12 of his panel were involved in those colleges’ games.

Despite that, the home side opened well and the first quarter of the game was tit for tat oin the scoreboard with corner forward Luke Marren leading the way for Sligo with three pointed frees that had his side a point up 0-3 to  0-3 each coming up on the 15 minute mark.

The visitors upped the ante however in the second quarter and added five consecutive points, four of which were scored by midfielder Jack Fallon, including two frees, to head towards the break with a four poiunt advantage. Sligo however pulled themselves back into the game with two future Marren points and a point from centre forward Daire O’Boyle to bring the margin back to one at the break 0-7 to 0-6.

That was as good as it got for Sligo. It was 15 minutes into the second before corner back Ross Chambers got up for their next point by which time Mayo had three more on the board to lead 0-10 to 0-7. Mayo immediately added two more to lead by five with ten minutes to play,

There was a mini revival as Marren again got two to bring the margin back to three but Mayo pushed it out to four immediately to keep the home side at arm’s length. Canice Mulligan got it back to three with three minutes on the clock but that proved to be Sligo’s final score as Mayo added three more points in the closing minutes to post a very solid six winning margin.

Sligo: Ethan Cadden; Zaak Mahon, Luke Casserly, Ross Cambers (0-1); Rossa Sloyan, Ciaran O’Reilly, Canice Mulligan (0-1); Brian Byrne, Conor Sheridan; Dylan Walsh, Daire O’Boyle (0-1), Ross Doherty; Luke Marren (0-7, 5f), Stephen Rogan, Matt Henry

Subs: Dara Foy for O’Reilly (52m), Ronan Kelly for Foy (55m inj) Ciaran Smith for Byrne (59m)

Mayo: Bryan O’Flaherty, John McMonagle, Jack Ferguson, Darragh Joyce, Ciaran Boland (0-1), Sean Morahan (0-2), Conal Dawson, Jack Fallon (0-5, 3f), Ryan Fadden (0-3), Dara Hurley, Cian McHale, Fenton Kelly, Tom O’Flaherty (0-1), James Maheady (0-2), Ronan Clarke (0-1)

Subs: Cathal Corless (0-1), Brendan Collins, Paul Gilmore, Adam Byrne