Sligo show intent

Tony McEntee’s side cruise past Leitrim into semi-finals

SLIGO Senior footballers are into the semi-finals of the Conancht championship after a commanding nine-point victory over neighbours Leitrim in Avant Money Páirc Seán MacDiarmada on Sunday.

Tony McEntee’s men were too strong for Andy Moran’s charges, who were without a number of players through U20 duties, injuries and sickness.

Next up for the Yeats county is a repeat of last year’s Connacht final with Galway, who came away from Ruislip with a 29-point win over London.

It is yet to be confirmed where that game on Saturday week will be played.

It’s a big week from an intercounty perspective with the Sligo U20 footballers in action this evening (Wednesday, 6.30) in Markievicz Park in a must-win game if they are to keep in the race for three Connacht championships in a row. Paul Henry’s side drew with Roscommon in the opening game and were defeated by Galway. The county’s Senior hurlers are also in action this Saturday when Stephen Shiel’s side welcome Kildare to Markievicz Park in their opening game in the Christy Ring. That game has a throw-in time of 1pm with recent league finalists Sligo hoping to start their campaign brightly. Friday also sees the county’s minors start their Connacht championship.

They travel to Tuam to take on Galway in the first round of the Connacht championship (6.30).

The side is managed this year by Tourlestrane man Stephen Henry who has been with the squad for over two years now overseeing their participation last year in the Fr Manning Cup.

James Lavin from Ballymote has been named as Captain with support from a leadership group of Aaron Healy and Noah Philips (both Eastern Harps), Conor McDonagh (Tubbercurry), Cian Nicholson (St Molaise Gaels) and Danny Woodrow (St Patrick’s). The championship will run again, for the third successive year, on a round robin basis all on Friday evenings over the coming five weeks.