Confidence shot for Sligo as Lee leads the way

FBD Connacht SFL Shield Final 

Sligo 1-18 

Roscommon 2-14 

Gavin Cawley at Connacht CoE, Bekan 

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Sligo picked up an early season piece of silverware when getting the better of Roscommon in Friday night’s FBD Connacht SFL Shield Final, played at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. It was their first win of 2026 having lost to Mayo and drawn with London in their previous two outings in the competition, but attention immediately turns to next weekend’s trip to Mullingar and an opening round game against Westmeath in Division 3 of the National Football League.

Roscommon were far from at full strength, however, to have overcome Division 1 opposition will no doubt give a shot of optimism to Sligo’s new management team of Dessie Sloyan and Eamonn O’Hara. They watched their side come through a tight battle with Roscommon, who had goalkeeper Aaron Brady send a late equalising match-winning opportunity from a free wide of the posts.

“We played well for the hour tonight and just showed that bit of character that the lads believe they have, and I think they can take from it,” remarked O’Hara afterwards.

Lee Deignan, who was particularly impressive throughout the course of the match for Sligo, opened the scoring with a point that was soon negated by Senan Lambe. The teams traded a further point apiece before a converted mark by Eoin Colleran sent the Shannonsiders in front for the first time.

Sligo soon took control of proceedings however, as they would score 1-3 without reply in five minute period. The goal, in part created by Cian Lally, was finished to the net by Lee Deignan, who was on his way to scoring 1-9 in total.

Mark Dowd’s Roscommon side fought back strongly and by the 25th minute they had levelled proceedings, scoring 1-2 on the spin themselves. The goal came from Robert Heneghan after the original effort by Dylan Ruane had been expertly saved by Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney.

A Roscommon breach was punished with a free from Lee Deignan and his brother Shane added another Sligo point to see the Yeats County lead by two points at the interval, 1-7 to 1-5.

Declan Kenny reduced the gap to a single point with the opening score of the second-half but Sligo would take control once again as they went four points clear after 37 minutes, with substitute Pat Spillane among their scorers. The Black and White were dealt a blow a minute later however, as Enda Smith was fouled by Michael Lavin and the Ballymote clubman picked a black card for his troubles.

Roscommon were starting to come to terms with the energetic Sligo side and they kicked two points, including a beauty from Richard Hughes, but Luke Towey, who was impressive throughout the match, restored Sligo’s three points lead.

Matters didn’t look good for Sligo however, when Darragh Heneghan fired home Roscommon’s second goal of the game, in the 49th minute, which along with a point meant the Saffron and Blue were ahead again entering the final 10 minutes.

The teams traded scores before a second point of the game by Paul Carey, with only two minutes of normal time left to play, nudged Roscommon two points in front. But there was still lots of drama left to come.

Sligo landed a pair of two pointers through Pat Spillane and Lee Deignan, from a free, and Kyle Cawley looked to have got the insurance score when he sent Sligo three points clear. But a two-pointer by Dylan Ruane in the fourth minute of stoppage time left the minimum between the sides, with one last opportunity falling to Aaron Brady who would have secured victory for Roscommon had his kick been on target.

Scorers – Sligo: Lee Deignan 1-1-7 (1tpf, 4f), Pat Spillane 0-1-1, Darragh Cummins 0-0-2, Alan McLoughlin (f), Shane Deignan, Luke Towey and Kyle Cawley 0-0-1 each.

Roscommon: Robert Heneghan and Darragh Heneghan 1-0-0 each, Dylan Ruane 0-1-1, Enda Smith, Eoin Colleran (2f) and Paul Carey 0-0-2 each, Senan Lambe, Declan Kenny, Richard Hughes, Diarmuid Murtagh and Oisin Cregg 0-0-1 each.

Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Michael Lavin, Tommy Ross, Evan Lyons; Darragh Cummins, Jack Lavin, Paul Kilcoyne; Luke Towey, Gavin Gorman; Alan McLoughlin, Luke Gilmartin, Cian Lally; Shane Deignan, Lee Deignan, Joshua Flynn. Subs: Pat Spillane, Kyle Cawley and Luke Casserly (for Lally, S Deignan and Ross 30), Niall Murphy (for Gilmartin 33), Daire O’Boyle (for Flynn 41), Dillon Walsh (for Kilcoyne 47), Patrick O’Connor (for McLoughlin 51), David Quinn and Cian Kilcoyne (for Gorman and Devaney 55).

Roscommon: Aaron Brady; Tim Lambe, Niall Higgins, Eoin Ward; Richard Hughes, Ronan Daly, Declan Kenny; Dylan Ruane, Jack Duggan; Oisin Cregg, Enda Smith, Senan Lambe; Robert Heneghan, Paul Carey, Eoin Colleran Subs: Diarmuid Murtagh (for Colleran ht), Mark Richardson (for Ward 35), Darragh Heneghan (for Kenny 47), Jack Tumulty (for Cregg 52).

REF: Christopher Ryan (Galway)