After their
semi-final win over Leitrim last week, the Sligo minor team will hope to create
a major piece of history when they go in search of a Connacht title on Sunday
afternoon in Salthill.
The
provincial final pits Sligo against a Galway team regarded as heavy favourites
to win the last instalment of the Connacht Minor Championship in its current
guise – from 2018, all minor inter-county competitions will be for U-17 players,
rather than the current age bracket of U-18.
It would be
particularly apt therefore if Sligo were to win the last Connacht U-18
Championship title, given that they have only been crowned champions twice
since the competition’s inception in 1928.
The county’s
last title was in 1968 – the first in 1949 – so it is fair to say that Sligo
are due some success.
That said,
there have been a number of near misses in the not-too-distant past.
On the last
two occasions Sligo reached the final, they narrowly missed out: in 1998 they
lost to Leitrim by a single point, while in 2015 the Yeats men drew with Galway
before succumbing to the Tribesmen in the replay at Tuam Stadium.
All of that
past will count for little come 12pm on Sunday afternoon when David Cummins’
side will take to the field knowing they have prepared meticulously for this
decider, and are in with a right good chance of causing an upset.
Their
semi-final defeat of Leitrim was a case of job done after looking in danger for
periods of the tie, but Sligo’s resilience and strong finish bodes well going
into Sunday’s contest.
Galway have
already defeated Mayo and Roscommon on their way to the final, and some of
their squad members will have had the experience of reaching last year’s
All-Ireland final before losing to Kerry.
As always,
home advantage will be a significant advantage for the Galway men as they look
to secure a third successive title and 28th overall.
However,
Sligo will be bursting to clinch the honours at Pearse Stadium and although
they will have an All-Ireland quarter-final to look forward to regardless of the
outcome, little matters other than the Connacht title on Sunday afternoon.
Make sure to
get there and support the team.
Sligeach Abú