Sligo’s U20 footballers made it two wins from two with a hard earned one point victory (4-3 to 1-11)  over Longford in the refixed Philly McGuinness U20 Development League game played at the Connacht Centre of Excellence at Bekan on Wednesday night.

In what could best be described as a ‘strange’ game. Sligo made it hard for themselves with two players dismissed early in the second half requiring a backs to the wall approach for the last 20 minutes.

The first half was played through continuous rain and with a wind blowing across the field, from side to side, but Sligo got the ideal start when corner forwards Gavin Duffy found the net in just the fourth minute.

The midlanders hit back with a goal and a point of their own before Eastern Harp’s Matt Henry found the net again to renew the Sligo advantage in the twelfth minute 2-0 to 1-1.

Bizarrely Sligo only managed one further score, a point by Duffy but went in at the break leading by a single score  2-1 to 1-6.

Longford opened the second half scoring with a point to bring the sides level but then it was Henry again who found the net in the sixth minute to restore the Yeats county’s advantage.

Sligo then went down to 14 men as full back Mark McGowan was shown a red card for foul language,

While the rain had subsided the sideways wind was still a factor and the physically strong midlanders again proved more adept at point scoring.

With Sligo further reduced to 13 players after Ciaran O’Reilly, who had previously been booked, was shown a black card, they added three to their tally to Sligo’s one - an Eoghan Smith free - to draw level with ten minutes on the clock.

The Sligo response was typical of the night as they worked a move from inside their own 20 menter line to slip Lee Deignan inside the defense to finish to the net. Deignan then converted a close in free to put three between the sides. Longford continued to exert pressure adding two points to their tally in the dying minutes to finish just one point down at the final whistle.

Sligo proved the old adage that goals win games, to deny a Longford team that proved a challenge all over the field.

The win puts Sligo top of Group 2 of the competition with the final game to come against Leitrim on Saturday next in Cloonacool with a 12.00 throw in.

Sligo: Cian Kilcoyne; Shane Molloy, Mark McGowan, Canice Mulligan; Luke Casserly, Jack Lavin, Ciaran O’Reilly; Feidhlinm O’Donnell, Eoghan Smith (0-1 f); Joe Keaney, Lee Deignan (1-1), Dylan Walsh; Jack Davitt, Matt Henry (2-0), Gavin Duffy (1-1).

Subs:  OisÍn Flynn for O’Donnell, Dylan McLoughlin for Duffy, Conor Johnston for Smith. Oisín Gormans for  Davitt