Sligo advance

By Cathal Mullaney

Leitrim 0-12 Sligo 4-8

Sligo ensured their progression to a Connacht Minor Football Championship semi-final meeting with Roscommon next Friday evening with a hard-earned 8-point win over Leitrim in the quarter-final at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon this afternoon (Saturday).

Sligo, who came into the tie as favourites, were given a stern test by the home side and will hope for improvement ahead of next week’s clash with Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park. The winners only really shook off Leitrim in the final four minutes, when two goals ensured victory.

A somewhat hesitant start from the visitors allowed Leitrim take a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after six minutes, but Nathan Rooney’s 7th minute free settled Sligo.

Keith Beirne, who was scorer in the chief for the home side, slotted over a free in the 11th minute to restore their two point lead, but then Sligo sparked into life.

A well-taken 14th minute goal from Seán Carrabine, following a superb run from full-back Eddie McGuinness, pushed Sligo into the lead and then they further asserted their superiority with an 18th minute goal from Patrick O’Connor, after Paul Kilcoyne halted Leitrim’s attempt to work their way up the field. Sligo, therefore, led by 0-3 to 2-1 at the 20 minute mark.

To their credit, Leitrim fought back to leave the score at 0-6 to 2-2 as the first-half entered injury-time, but points from Carrabine and the impressive Darragh Cummins, after Nathan Rooney pointed another free, left Sligo 0-6 to 2-4 ahead at the break.

Cummins’ influence was beginning to grow for Sligo and he grabbed two excellent points in the early stages of the second half, along with a Liam Gaughan free. Cummins’ 43rd minute point was Sligo’s best.

Leitrim, however, started the half with two points of their own and closed the gap to two when Kevin Beirne scored with a 53rd minute effort. (0-12, 2-8)

Despite this, Leitrim’s hopes of a comeback were dashed, as Sligo netted twice late on.

In the 27th minute, a bizarre series of events saw the ball hit the post twice – first from substitute Rian Kennedy’s free, then from Nathan Rooney’s point effort from the rebound – but at the third attempt, Patrick O’Connor fisted to the net to ensure Sligo would not be beaten.

Then, in injury-time, Sligo grabbed their fourth with Rian Kennedy finishing a fine move involving both O’Connor and Paul Kilcoyne to leave Sligo with eight points to spare, and a semi-final against Roscommon to look forward to.

Sligo: Eamonn Kilgannon; Brian Mahon, Eddie McGuinness, Mark O’Dowd; Nathan Mullen, Finnian Cawley, Sean Power; Darragh Cummins (0-3), Paul Kilcoyne; Liam Gaughan (0-1, 1f), Nathan Rooney (0-3, 2fs), Sean Carrabine (1-1); Kyle Cawley, Paddy O’Connor (2-0), Mikey Gordon. Subs used: Kevin Banks for Carrabine, Rian Kennedy (1-0) for K Cawley