Sligo’s semi-final aspirations hanging by a thread
Sligo’s hopes of making the semi-finals of this year’s Connacht minor championship received a blow when they came up short against Roscommon last Friday evening. Sligo will have to get a result against Mayo this Friday to secure their place.
Both teams started nervously but it was Sligo who opened the scoring on six minutes when Cathal Gilligan did very well to get past his man before pointing. Roscommon drew level on 15 minutes with a point from Dara Curran. Sligo were having plenty of procession but weren’t reflecting that dominance on the scoreboard.
They were made to pay when Roscommon hit 1-2 without reply, the goal coming on 19 minutes as Sean McDonnell’s high ball was flicked forward by Alan Conroy to Dean Casey who finished to the net.
Casey added a free for his side as they led by six points before Sligo responded with two frees, both coming from Niall Duffy. However, Roscommon had the final say of the half with a stoppage-time point from Stephen Tighe leaving them 1-5 to 0-3 ahead at the break.
Sligo were dealt another blow after the restart when Sean McDonnell found back of the net for his side after Dara Curran set up the goal.
Colin Murray’s point extended the gap to nine points before Niall Duffy’s third point got the Sligo side of the scoreboard moving again, on 39 minutes.
Roscommon replied with a free from Curran on 41 minutes and they looked comfortable with their 2-7 to 0-4 lead.
Sligo added two more points from Duffy, one of which was from play, but they still trailed by seven points with six minutes to play. The Yeats County tried hard to cut into that lead but Roscommon always looked in control and ran out as comfortable winners to book a place in the semi-finals.
