Preview: This is Major for Sligo Minors

Back 06/07/2017 @ 22:25 | mainnews | Preview: This is Major for Sligo Minors

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