The 2022 Connacht Gold Junior A football championship got underway on Saturday last, and the first round saw a replay of the 2016 and 2019 finals with Tourlestrane and St Michael's playing out a nail biting draw in Coola.

Tourlestrane handed championship debuts to four starters, with two of them bagging early scores to get the ball rolling - three from Aiden Marren followed by one from corner forward Danny Cawley.

Kyle Carty registered the first score for Michael's from distance after ten minutes, as Tourlestrane held a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.

A long ball into the Michael's full forward line troubled the Tourlestrane defence. Possession broke in the penalty area and full forward Jamie Mackey got the all-important touch to see the ball to the back of the net. Unfortunately, this would be Mackey's last act of the game as he was injured in the process.

Connacht minor championship winning captain Kyle Davey swapped the goalkeeper jersey for that of a wing forward, showing he could do both with a great score to level the game on 18 minutes, before his side took the lead.

Ryan Walsh's free kick was mis-hit, McGoldrick fisted to keep it in play, and Simon McKeon's looping effort snuck under Jack Lundy's crossbar to give Michael's the lead.

he score of the half came from the left foot of Stephen Henry, whose aerial ability was exemplary in midfield throughout. Taking the ball towards the left corner of the field, Henry slotted over from the tightest of angles - a score Tourlestrane needed to halt the opposing surge.

McGoldrick and Sean McVeigh were having quite the battle inside and it took the Michael's captain 33 minutes to get his first, which helped his side to stretch their lead to 2-4 to 0-8 heading into the break.

Injury to Tourlestrane's McVeigh and captain Niall Durkin forced a restructuring with Rian Bailey and Enda Kelly introduced, while St Michael's brought in their inter county footballer Jack Haran who pointed after the restart.

 A flurry of scores brought the lead out to seven points with McGoldrick striking twice, and with ten minutes left to play the game looked all but over for Tourlestrane.

Donning their alternate yellow and green jerseys, the south Sligo side were far from finished and clawed their way back into the game.

Henry again lifted the spirits with an effort from 30 yards, before Stephen Clarke and McGoldrick exchanged scores to reduce the lead to five. Into added time, and Bailey's floated ball towards goal was punched to the net by Marren, who rose above Kyle Crawley in the St Michael's net. Hope for Tourlestrane, with only a couple of minutes to play in added time.

Momentum on their side, and the 2020 Junior A champions found their levelling scores. A short free kick ended with Enda Kelly who notched over from close range to bring it back to a point. The veteran found himself in front of goal again, and from the 13 yard line fisted the ball over the bar with a cool head to earn a draw.

St Michael's scorers: S McKeon (1-2), P McGoldrick (0-4), J Mackey (1-0), K Carty, K Davey, J Haran, R Walsh, C McTiernan (0-1 each). St Michael's team: K Crawley; A Davey, O McKenna, P Kelly; C Feeney, C McTiernan, H McGowan; S Clerkin, K Carty; K Davey, R Walsh, C McKeon; S McKeon, J Mackey, P McGoldrick. Subs used: J Haran, G McGowan, C McGowan

Tourlestrane scorers: A Marren (1-5), S Henry, E Kelly (0-2 each), S Clarke, D Brennan, C Fleming, D Cawley, N Egan (0-1 each). Tourlestrane team: J Lundy; D Leonard, S McVeigh, D Dunne; N Durkin, C Neary, A Walsh; C Fleming, S Henry; C Dolan, N Egan, S Clarke; D Cawley, D Brennan, A Marren. Subs used: R Bailey, E Kelly, C Surlis.

Referee: G Higgins/ K Henry.