First Sligo Super Cup a huge success at the Showgrounds
Pics: THE inaugural Sligo Super Cup proved a huge success at the weekend with the Dublin District Schoolboys League becoming the first ever winners of the tournament.
There was a strong showing from local representatives Sligo/ Leitrim under 12s who put on solid displays against the might of Glasgow Celtic, Dublin District Schoolboys League ( DDSL) and top Northern Irish side Linfield.
Alan Farry’s boys returned on Sunday morning to record a dominative 3- 0 win over a good Mayo League eleven.
The pilot tournament took place at the Sligo Showgrounds with games split between the main pitch and the Sean Fallon Centre astro turf with the tournament showing off the wonderful facilities Sligo had to offer.
Fifty volunteers spent their bank holiday weekend making sure the tournament was a huge success and was professionally ran.
The Sligo/ Leitrim representative squad of 16 players had a difficult group, taking on the esteemed academy of Celtic in their first game, managed by John McStay son of former rovers manager Willie McStay who officially opened the tournament.
If Celtic thought they were to easily steamroll their opponents they were wrong as, a performance which Sligo/ Leitrim manager Alan Farry described as “full of heart, endeavour and hard work” almost earned a draw for the home team.
After a nip and tuck first half the Scots found the breakthrough with ten minutes to go but Gerard Murtagh’s sublime run beating four men couldn’t get the ultimate reward as his effort went agonisingly wide of the post.
Celtic hung on for a 1- 0 win but the Sligo/ Leitrim boys could be very proud of their efforts in front of a packed main stand at the Showgrounds.
It didn’t get any easier on Saturday morning as Sligo/ Leitrim played the eventual winners DDSL and came out on the wrong end of a 3- 0 scoreline, all goals coming in the second half.
It was a powerful and dominant display by the Leinster side from which the Sligo/ Leitrim boys will have learned a lot. “Unfortunately another loss to Linfield in the third group game showed how cruel football could be as the home team had nothing to show for their efforts and the style of football they tried to play”, Farry said.
In their final play- off game on Sunday afternoon Sligo/ Leitrim defeated Mayo 3- 0 with goals from Michael Clifford and the captain Niall Holahan. “This marked the end of an extremely enjoyable weekend for the team who have had the experience of a lifetime”, Farry exclaimed. “It was a weekend full of highs and lows but something they will never forget.”
The DDSL went on to defeat Club NI in a cracking final, bringing the curtain down on a fantastic tournament.
An interested spectator was former Sligo Rovers player Johnny Cook, now a scout at Manchester United. Cook was presented with a book chronicling the history of Rovers by the Heritage Group at the Glasshouse on Saturday evening. Willie McStay, who was the guest of the Celtic Supporters Club at a question and answers night at the hotel was also presented with a copy. Joining them were fellow former players Tony Fagan, David Pugh and Tony Stenson.