Late Duffy point decides low-scoring derby
Mayo referee Garryowen McMahon of Davitts GAA club with the captains of Leitrim and Sligo, Luke Braam-Farrell and James Lavin, ahead of last Friday evening's Connacht MFC clash at Markievicz Park.
Sligo are unbeaten after two rounds of the Connacht minor football championship, with a point from a stoppage time free by Niall Duffy securing the narrowest of wins against Leitrim on Friday evening.
This was a game that lacked quality and one where both teams scored only six points between them in the first-half – and five points from play across the course of the hour.
Visiting Leitrim opened the scoring on five minutes when Daire McCabe converted a self-won free.
Sligo were very wasteful throughout the course of the first-half and had lot efforts tailing the wrong side of the post. By half-time they had accumulated eight wides.
The hosts did draw level with their first point of the match on 14 minutes when Matthew Walsh struck over from distance, but Leitrim retook the lead on 19 minutes when Jack Kelly pointed a mark after claiming a ball in by Gearoid Curley. Sligo replied a minute later when Conor McDonagh caught a great ball from the kickout and he found Marc Clifford who bisected the posts to leave the sides level.
But all that each side could add between there and the interval was a pointed free apiece, which left the scoreboard reading 0-3 apiece at half-time.
Like they did in the first-half, Leitrim opened the scoring in the second as well, again through a self-won free, except this time it came from the boot of Jack Kelly. The sides were level again on 36 minutes when Niall Duffy opened his account from a free after Clifford was fouled.
McCabe added another free for the visitors but Duffy replied, this time from a mark, to leave the sides level once again entering the final quarter hour.
The tit for tat nature of the exchanges continued, with the teams level on two more occasions before retook the lead on 54 minutes. Sligo, however, were to finish strong, with an excellent free from Aaron Healy who pointed off the ground from distance to leave the sides level.
It was Niall Duffy who proved to be the hero as he pointed after a Leitrim foul on Conor Langan.
