Joyce rescues a point against two-goal Sligo

Electric Ireland Connacht MFC – Round 1 

Galway 0-11

Sligo 2-5 

Gavin Cawley at Tuam Stadium 

A 64th minute point from Killian Joyce ensured Galway grabbed a share of the spoils against a Sligo side that had led Friday’s Connacht minor opener in Tuam Stadium by all of four points in the second-half.

The Yeats County looked all set to claim maximum points, and a rare minor victory over the Tribesmen, who kicked eight wides during a tight and tense first-half where the teams managed only five scores between them. It looked like Galway could pay the ultimate price for their wastefulness but they dug deep in the final quarter to force the draw.

It was the home side who opened the scoring in the opening minute through Luke Dempsey but they would have wait twelve minutes before doubling their lead courtesy of a free by Killian Joyce.

Sligo finally got on the scoreboard in the 16th minute when Enniscrone/Kilglass clubman Niall Duffy kicked over his first free of the day. Duffy added a second free to bring the teams level for the first time in the 24th minute.

The momentum was now with the visitors and they hit the front two minutes later when netting the first goal of the match, as Marc Clifford got on the end of a ball sent in by Conor McDonagh and applied a scoring touch.

Galway replied with their third point before the end of the half, again through Joyce, but it was Sligo who led at the break 1-2 to 0-3.

The Yeats County restored their three points lead six minutes after the restart when Niall Duffy popped over his third free but quickfire singles in reply from the boots of Charlie Killeen and Killian Joyce reduced that gap to the minimum.

Sligo, however, struck for a second goal in the 38th minute and this time is was St John’s attacker Adam Feeney who finished to the back of the net, giving the away side a 2-3 to 0-5 advantage. And while Eoin O’Cualain replied with a point for Galway, another Duffy free kept Sligo four points clear with 43 minutes played.

Backed into a corner, the Maroon and White would go on to dominate the last quarter and hit four points on the spin, from Luke Dempsey and Killian Joyce, to leave the sides level again on 59 minutes. But the drama was far from over; Sligo might have thought Niall Duffy’s fifth pointed free was going to be the winning score but Joyce held his nerve to land a free from a tough angle and ensure the honours were even at the long whistle.

Sligo will host Leitrim at Markievicz Park in Round 2 this Friday while Roscommon and Galway face off at Dr Hyde Park.

Scorers – Galway: Killian Joyce 0-5 (2f), Charlie Killeen and Luke Dempsey 0-2 each, Niall De Paor (f) and Eoin O’Cualain 0-1 each.

Sligo Niall Duffy 0-5f, Marc Clifford and Adam Feeney 1-0 each.

Galway: Jamie King; Donnacha Naughton, Sean Martyn, Ethan Forde; Cian Raftery, Tiarnan Proulx, Brian O’Malley; Richard McGrath, Michael Leahy; Ronan Duggan, Killian Joyce, Charlie Killeen; Sean Costello, Niall De Paor, Luke Dempsey. Subs: Eoin O’Cualain (for Costello 30), Shay Rabbitte (for Raftery 51), Pat Murphy (for O’Malley 55), David Kilraine (for Duggan 56).

Sligo: Gareth Cummins; Conor Murray, Noah Philips, Shane Murphy; James Lavin, Alex Lillie, Patrick Brady; Cian Nicholson, Conor McDonagh; Eoin Finnerty, Niall Duffy, Danny Woodrow; Cathal Gilligan, Marc Clifford, Adam Feeney. Subs: Conor Langan (for Feeney 42), Aaron Healy (for Clifford 50), Matthew Walsh (for Woodrow 52), Dante Currid (for Murray 54).

REF: Brendan Healy (Roscommon)