Sligo play Leitrim in the Connacht Minor Football Championship on Wednesday evening at Markievicz Park (7.30pm throw-in) hoping to qualify for the Connacht Final for the second time in three years.

David Cummins’ side have been engaged in preparations for the game since the conclusion of the Connacht Minor League in April, where the Yeats men defeated Leitrim, Roscommon and Longford in the six-team competition.

Championship, however, is where the focus has always been and Wednesday’s meeting with their neighbours promises to be a very tight game, just as it was in the league when Sligo were three-point victors, 2-11 to 1-11.

Unfortunately for the home team they will be without the services of the influential Rory McHugh who suffered an ankle injury last month, while Dean Carroll is also a long-term absentee.

Nonetheless the Sligo team has plenty of talent, with the Red Og Murphy likely to lead the scoring threat and captain Barry Gorman will also have a major role to play around the middle third.

Though Leitrim failed to win any of their Connacht Minor League encounters, they will come to Markievicz Park full of endeavour and hoping to cause a shock.

Sligo will want to avenge a heart-breaking one-point defeat to Roscommon at the same venue last year when they fell at the quarter-final stage, and make a return to the provincial decider on July 9^th.

Sligo last contested the final in 2015, when they were beaten by Galway after a replay.

Wednesday’s game has a 7.30pm throw-in.