Sligo’s U17 footballers faced into their second round Connacht championship match in Carrick on Shannon on Friday evening past hoping to get their tilt at championship glory running again after an opening day loss to reigning All Ireland champions Galway.

While the Yeats County will be disappointed to have ended up only with a draw, there were plenty of bright moments in the game for David O’Neill’s side to take away and work on between now and the next, vital, game against Roscommon in two weeks’ time.

The Sligo challenge started slowly and with Leitrim having the benefit of a notable breeze playing into the town end goals, they set about building the lead that most observers felt they would need to insulate themselves from the elements.

They build well with points from Rory O’Rourke, midfielder Dara Greenan, Brian Keaney and captain Paul Honeyman. They also shot four wides and Sligo could consider themselves lucky not to concede a goal from a double chance on 14 minutes. All in all, the first quarter was one to forget for Sligo as they didn’t have their first shot on goal until Jim Molloy pulled his attempt wide in the 14^th minute.

Cian Carty finally opened the Sligo account a minute later from a free, but Honeyman pointed twice more – the second a free to give the home side a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage by the 21^st minute.

It was Sligo however who finished the half the strongest and who started to get their supporters into the game with an excellent closing ten minutes that yielded four unanswered points and left the visitors only one down at the break 0-6 to 0-5 despite being notably second best for the great period of the half.

Those points came from Aaron Lang, who was the sharpest to react to the rebound off the upright of an Eamon O’Mahony attempt at a pointy, the hard-working Jim Molloy, midfielder Conor Walsh and Carty.

Sligo continued their dominance early in the second half with Aaron Lang pointing within 15 seconds of the resumption to level the scores with Drumcliffe’s Eamonn O’Mahony putting them ahead for the first time in the game three minutes later.

Leitrim checked that progress however when Leitrim attackers Hugh Maye and Honeyman worked an opportunity for Honeyman to drill the ball low to the net and put his side two up again on 6 minutes.

The visitors responded immediately with another O’Mahony point and then Jim Molloy brought the game level in the 10^th minute 1-6 to 0-9 points.

Carty then put Sligo ahead with a great free from distance after 12 minutes with Michael Carroll extending the lead to two on the 15th minute.  

Leitrim then hit two great points from David Liu Doyle and James Gilheaney to level again after 16 minutes and the game looked set for a great last quarter.

Despite the best efforts of both sides however, those strangely were to be the last scores of the game. Despite plying against the breeze, Leitrim had the greater possession, but Sligo managed to keep their goal intact and the game ended with honours even - 1-8 to 0-11

Sligo; James Cronin; Clyde Regan, Eamonn Keane, David Lyons;   Oran Harte, James Lavin; Conor Walsh (0-1), Eoin Tuffy; Eamon O'Mahony (0-2), Jim Molloy(0-2), Michael Carroll (0-1); Aaron Lang (0-2), Cian Gallagher, Cian Carty (0-3, 2f)

Subs: Conor McDonagh for Molloy (40m), Dara Moyston for Lan (46m), Marty Murray for McDonagh (56m),