Coach and player hoping that Sligo’s tide keeps rising
Sligo’s Darragh Cummins tackles Damien Comer during last season's heartbreaking defeat for the Yeats County against Galway. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Sligo goalkeeping coach Colm McGee has admitted the team’s National Football League campaign was a ‘mixed bag’ as the Yeats County get ready for the test of Mayo in the Connacht SFC quarter-final this Sunday.
Defeats in their first three league games left the county looking over its shoulder but they were unbeaten in their final four games, winning the last three, to retain their place in Division 3 for 2026.
“If you look at it results wise, it's more or less a season of half and half. Three losses, a draw, and then finish with three wins. So, it literally was half bad and half good,” said the former Sligo footballer, who is also the current head coach of his local club Tubbercurry.
“We look at it in that we're winning at the right time maybe. But obviously winning in Division 3 for your survival and going into the home of a Division 1 finalist is two different levels altogether and we're very much aware of that. But we'll just get our heads down between now and then and try and put our best foot forward, give a really good account for ourselves and hopefully have a really good summer.”
Sligo’s poor start was alarming considering their performances in the championship last year. In the Connacht semi-final, Sligo were seconds away from beating Galway in Markievicz Park but Robert Finnerty’s goal in injury-time helped the Tribesmen escape with victory. Galway would go on to win the Connacht title and reach the All-Ireland final.
“We would have had designs on promotion and that's no secret. We had that ambition, and it was very clear after round two and definitely after round three that that wasn't going to happen. It was a scrap for survival and thankfully we won that scrap.
“We have to move on from the whole promotion talk and focus now on our next job at hand and it's probably a good time for us to be focusing on something new. We're very much looking forward to it.”
For defender Darragh Cummins, the feeling at full-time after Galway’s smash and grab win was one of disbelief, but also knowledge that Sligo can compete with the very best on their day.
“Your immediate thought is you couldn't actually believe what’s after happening considering we played so well for literally up to the 70th minute. But then as soon as that kind of goes off, you have to be hugely proud of the performance we put in.
“We ran them and then you can see where they went to, going to within a few kicks of a ball, with injuries, of being All-Ireland champions. We know if we can bring that level of performance and intensity this weekend again, we won't be too far off Mayo.
“We showed that as well in lot of Tailteann games last year, the Down game especially. I think we definitely have the footballers to do it. What we'll have to match is the intensity. Obviously, they're playing Division 1 the last seven, eight weeks. We're only playing Division 3. We know if we can match that intensity, we won't be too far away,” said Cummins.
Sligo football has been on a steady rise, with Summerhill College reaching the Hogan Cup final in 2023, Coolera-Strandhill winning the Connacht club senior title last year and the county’s U20 side winning back-to-back provincial titles, as well as reaching the 2023 All-Ireland final. Some of those U20s have made the step up to senior, including Jack Lavin, Lee Duignan and Canice Mulligan, and Darragh Cummins has been impressed with their impact.
“The last few years, the 20s coming through has really added lot of depth into training games and quality in sessions. Like our A versus B games, there'd be very little between both sides. If you're getting a good hit out in training on your Wednesday and Friday, you're in good stead then for your Sunday match.”
A key advantage for Sligo could be the presence of a couple of Mayo men among manager Tony McEntee’s backroom team. Former Mayo – and current Knockmore footballer – Kevin McLoughlin remains the forwards coach for a second year, Sean Boyle of Mayo Gaels is head of strength and conditioning and Crossmolina’s Joe Keane is the team’s main coach.
“Kevin has that bit of calmness, a real measured approach when he talks” says Colm McGee. “He doesn't say anything without thought behind it. He's really clear in his communication, so it's been good to get to know Kevin and to learn from Kevin as well.”
Sligo will be going in as underdogs once more given they were operating in Division 3 while Mayo topped the table in Division 1. They do have the benefit of an extra week’s preparation before their trip to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park but McGee says all outside noise will be just that.
“We just have to focus on ourselves and our own preparation and everything outside of that is outside of our control. We’ll just focus on our training sessions that we have between now and April 6th, and then just go for it.”
