Sligo U-20s set out for a third title
SLIGO GAA heads into a new frontier in this year’s Connacht GAA U-20 Football Championship.
As winners of back-to-back titles for the first time in this grade, with Sligo actually only seizing their first U-20 championship two years ago when Dessie Sloyan was at the helm, the county are going for an unprecedented three-in-a-row.
The competition started last night, Wednesday, but Sligo had a ‘bye’ in round one and don’t play until Wednesday next, March 27, when they face Roscommon at Markievicz Park (5.30pm).
Sligo are also at home for their round four clash with Leitrim (Wednesday, April 10) but they are away to Galway (Wednesday, April 3) and Mayo (Wednesday, April 17).
Managed by
Curry’s Paul
Henry, the recently announced
Sligo panel, which comprises 40 players, has
21 players from the 43-strong squad that reached the All-Ireland final last year. That campaign, which included a last-gasp defeat of Galway in the provincial decider and then an equally memorable win over Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final, was Henry’s first in charge. Six players are in the U-20 panel for a third campaign – Dylan McLoughlin (Curry), James Donlon (DrumcliffeRosses Point), Kyle Davey (St Michael’s), Ross Chambers (Drumcliffe-Rosses Point),
Luke Marren (Bunninadden) and Conor Johnston (Coolaney-Mullinabreena).
In 2021 Sligo made a breakthrough in the Connacht
GAA Minor (U-17) Football Championship, reclaiming the Kilcoyne Cup for the first time since 1968. From that squad of 33 players, then managed by Paul Henry, there are 19 players in the present U-20 set-up.
The format has changed for this year’s U-20 competition. No longer knockout, it is round-robin so each of the five participating counties will play four games. The team that tops the standings qualifies for the final and those placed second and third contest a semi-final on April 24. This week’s opening round saw Roscommon take on Mayo at Dr Hyde Park and last year’s runners-up Galway faced Leitrim at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe.