Clare vision from young Yeats boys who lift silverware
Enniscrone/Kilglass GAA Club had five representatives on the Sligo minor football panel that won the Connacht Shield on Friday. From left to right: Shane Murphy, Aaron Bourke, Niall Duffy, Eoin Finnerty and Ryan O’Donnell.
Sligo’s minor footballers rounded out their provincial campaign by winning the Connacht Shield to ensure they will be playing in the All-Ireland ‘B’ Series which sees them take on Clare next weekend in a preliminary quarter-final.
This was second meeting of Sligo and Leitrim this season and that too had ended in a one point win for the Yeats County. They had just missed out on a Connacht ‘A’ semi-final due to scoring difference and were eager to start well on Friday evening, with a point from Enniscrone/Kilglass attacker Niall Duffy seeing them off the mark inside two minutes.
The sides were level after four minutes when Leitrim responded with a point from Karl Gethins and indeed they were still all-square after nine minutes when Sligo captain James Lavin fisted a point that was negated by the lively Jack Kelly who converted a free.
Kelly, who was causing the Sligo backs problems, kicked Leitrim in front for the first time on 13 minutes but the Black and White had regained the advantage by the 19th, with firstly Niall Duffy pointing a free and midfielder Cian Nicholson splitting the posts also.
The sides would be level twice more before the break at which stage the scoreboard read 0-5 apiece.
Leitrim started the second-half brightly with a brace of points coming from Daire McCabe inside the opening four minutes, but the key score of the match came on 37 minutes when Matthew Walsh fired home the only goal on the back of a hand pass inside by James Lavin.
Duffy tagged on a point two minutes later to put the Yeats County two clear yet by the 41st minute the sides were level, after a further couple of points by Jack Kelly.
Scores were at a premium in the final quarter but Sligo restored their lead on 49 minutes when Aaron Healy kicked over a mark – and they never looked back. Insurance scores arrived from Castleconnor’s Ben Cawley, a son of former Sligo midfielder Eamon Cawley, and this was followed by a point from Walsh to leave Sligo three ahead approaching stoppage time.
Leitrim did mount a late rally with a brace from Kelly but time was against the home side who came up just short.
Scorers – Sligo: Matthew Walsh 1-1, Niall Duffy 0-3 (1f), Cian Nicholson 0-2, James Lavin, Aaron Healy and Ben Cawley 0-1 each.
Leitrim: Jack Kelly 0-7 (3f, 2m), Daire McCabe 0-3f, Karl Gethins 0-1.
Leitrim: Scott Kerr; Oran Foley, Luke Braam Farrell, Cillian McWeeney; Niall Torsney, Bailey McBride, Luke Fitzsimons; Gearoid Curley, Cormac Moran; Karl Gethins, Gavin Gallagher, Jack Prior; Daire McCabe, Jack Kelly, Conor Reynolds. Subs: Ruairi O’Rourke (for Prior 46), Joey McBrien (for McCabe 52), Jamie Plunkett (for Reynolds 57), James Hughes (for Gethins 60).
Sligo: Gareth Cummins; Dante Currid, Noah Phillips, Conor Murray; James Lavin, Alexander Lillie, Danny Woodrow; Cian Nicholson, Patrick Brady; Conor McDonagh, Niall Duffy, Cathal Gilligan; Matthew Walsh, Aaron Healy, Conor Langan. Subs: Eoin Finnerty (for Langan 44), Ben Cawley (for McDonagh 47), Marc Clifford (for Duffy 57).
REF: Anthony Coyne (Galway)
