After a few years of Sigerson disappointment, the newly names ATU Sligo produced a battling performance at a rain sodden Ballinode to secure and opening day success against a more fancied MTU Kerry of the Sigerson Cup.

The victory was very much fashioned by the performance of two of Sligo’s 2022 Connacht U20 heroes with captain Joe Keaney, who excelled at centre forward, and corner forward Jack Davitt, providing three of the four goals.

The victory came after a difficult opening quarter which had seen the visitors take a 0-4 to 0-0 lead with three points from place balls by Kerry senior Tony Brosnan and one from play by midfielder Mark Nolan.

The home side were slowly finding their feet and came into the game with a bang when Davitt got his hands on the rebound from a saved Oisin McLoughlin's shot to grab their first goal. They quickly followed that with points by Maitias Barrett and Keaney to take the lead for the first time.

The Tralee based college hit back however with points from Anthony Darmody and Gary Vaughan before Richard O'Rourke pointed on the stroke of half-time to leave the sides level at the break - 1-3 to 0-6.

The shape of the game was set with five minutes of the second-half as first Keaney and then Davitt from a penalty gave Sligo a decisive lead that they never relinquished.

The visitors managed to keep the scoreboard ticking with points from Darmody, Keith Evans, Conor Frayne, Ryan O’Grady and Brosnan but a fourth Sligo goal midway through half kept the margin beyond a score

Brosnan had the last word in added time to bring the final margin back to three but it was too little too late to stop the home side’s deserved success.

ATU Sligo: L Jennings (Mayo), Aaron Kelleghan (Offaly) (1-1), C Seoighe (Galway), A Gleeson (Roscommon), M Walsh (Sligo), DJ Earley (Kildare), S O'Brien (Sligo), M Barrett (Galway) (0-2, 2f), K McGee (Sligo), R O'Rourke (Donegal) (0-1), J Keaney (Sligo) (1-0), F Ayorinde (Westmeath), J Davitt (Sligo) (2-0, 1-0 pen), L Molloy (Cavan), O McLoughlin (Leitrim) (0-1, 1f)              

Subs: S Tuke (Dublin) for R O'Rourke, 42 (temporary); S Tuke (Dublin) for DJ Earley, 49 (temporary); C McGahon (Cavan) (0-1)  for J Davitt, 52; P Prior (Leitrim) for K McGee, 60 

MTU Kerry: K O'Leary (Kerry), G Vaughan (Kerry) (0-1), E Carroll (Kerry), L Chester (Kerry), D Rusk, (Kerry), T Cronin (Kerry), M Nee (Galway), D Lyne (Kerry), M Nolan (Dublin) (0-1), E Looney (Kerry), K Evans (Kerry) (0-1), A Darmody (Kerry) (0-2), C Frayne (Meath) (0-1),T Brosnan (Kerry(0-5, 4f, 1'45')), R Holmes (Limerick) 

Subs: R O'Grady (Kerry) (0-1)for M Nolan, 45; C O'Sullivan (Kerry) for G Vaughan, 55; R McCarthy (Cork) for D Lyne, 60 

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo)