Sligo travelled to Newtownforbes on Saturday for the first official game of 2020. A cross wind on a damp pitch made for typical January conditions but in the first half there was only one team in the game. The tenacity and hard tackling Longford team were in great form. Sligo scored in the first minute from a Gavin Duffy free and did not bother the scoreboard till the 27th minute. A quick hand passing movement in the second minute saw Longford pass the ball to the net by Darren Moffett/Dylan Farrell (one name in programme, but told it was Farrell). Oran Kenny added a good long range free and then centre forward Jack Hagan scored 4 on the trot with Eoghan McCormack scoring from a well worked 45 and Kenny added to put it out to 1-7 to 0-1. Shane Deignan won a tussle for the ball and his effort for a point ended up at the keepers feet and somehow went into the corner of the net. This got the home team going again and a Hagan point was followed by two goals both one on one with the keeper Lyons, Farrell/Moffett his second and Aidan McGuire leaving the score at half time 3-8 v 1-1

Longford got off the mark very early in the second half however Sligo were showing a lot more hunger for the battle and a long range point effort by Red Óg Murphy was well taken by the Longford keeper however when he went to run from the goals he managed somehow to throw it back into the net. This was followed up by two points from Murphy and then McGuinness the Longford keeper made up for the previous mistakes by smaking two excellent saves. Longford were gone out of it around the middle where Joseph Keaney was playing very well. Jack Lavin, Deignan and Alan Reilly who had come on earlier scored 3 points. Sligo did not fully take advantage of their possession despite having the score down to 6 and Oran Kenny scored a good free in the 26th minute to end the revival. Niall Murphy scored a good one from play but a clever pass by Kenny put McGuire in for his second goal. The teams traded points but after the effort in the first half the scoreline was probably fair. 

Fermanagh are visitors to Sligo in the second round of the Philly McGuinness Cup tournament. 

Scorers: Shane Deignan 1-1, Red Óg Murphy 0-2(1f), Alan Reilly 0-2 (2f), Gavn Duffy 0-1(1f), Niall Murphy, Jack Lavin 0-1 ea

Team: Daniel Lyons, Tomás Taheny, Oisín McCann, Evan Lyons, Sean Carroll, Kevin O'Hara, Oisín O'Donnell, James Carroll, Dillon McDermott, Conor Finn, Red Óg Murphy, Jack Lavin, Josephy Keaney, Shane Deignan, Gavin Duffy. Subs used, Alan Reilly, Niall Murphy, Gavin Gorman, Robbie Ryan, Michael Jennings