Recent memorable clashes
eventually drawing with Offaly).
Sligo, though, won four games at a higher level, along with one draw, and were in the frame for promotion. Indeed, one of Sligo’s finest results in Division Three this year was a 1-14 to 0-11 home demolition of a Westmeath side that not only got promoted, they won the Division Three title on Saturday last with a three-point defeat of Down. This was a Down team that went into the decider unbeaten after seven games (six wins, one draw).
SLIGO FANS need only look to the two most recent meetings with Leitrim to realise what sort of exciting clashes can be served up at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.
Last year Sligo travelled to the Carrick-on-Shannon venue and just about managed to win by a point, 1-15 to 2-11, in an Allianz Football League Division Four fixture played on March 26, 2023.
Sligo, who only needed to avoid defeat in order to secure promotion along with Wicklow, won thanks to late points from Finnian Cawley and Sean Carrabine.
The winners were eight points up after 48 minutes, 1-11 to 0-6, but were
Sligo manager Tony McEntee will hope that Patrick O’Connor and Brian Cox are available for selection and they should be, but Luke Towey and Pat Spillane, who are both recovering from injury, are set to miss Sunday’s game.
One of the major finds for Sligo from this year’s Allianz Football League has been St Molaise Gaels playmaker Alan McLoughlin, with Cian Lally, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins and Eddie McGuinness doing well in various games. Ultimately, how Sligo prosper will later stung by two Leitrim goals.
Two years ago these provincial neighbours met in a Tailteann Cup quarter-final at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada. This pulsating clash, played on Sunday, June 5, 2022, went to extra-time and then penalties as Sligo won 4-3 on spot-kicks.
Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney made two brilliant saves to thwart the penalties from Ryan O’Rourke and Emlyn Mulligan – Sligo’s spot-kick heroes were Nathan Rooney, Alan Reilly, Donal Conlon and Brian Egan.
Sligo, who were without Niall Murphy for this game, were almost undone by the excellence of Leitrim talisman Keith Beirne, who brought
depend on how much influence Niall Murphy and Sean Carrabine can have on proceedings. Conan Marren and Alan Reilly have left the Sligo panel in recent weeks and it is understood that Joseph Keaney, a key member of the Sligo U-20 team that made a provincial breakthrough in 2022, has also left the senior squad. Reilly, incidentally, scored 0-6 against Leitrim in a Tailteann Cup quarter-final in 2022.
Meanwhile, there are two other Connacht quarter-finals taking place this weekend. On Saturday Galway are away to London – the winners will face Sligo – and Mayo are in New York for a
Sunday game. the home side level at the end of normal time and extra-time.
Meanwhile, prior to the Tailteann Cup meeting of two years ago, Sligo’s previous championship encounter with Leitrim was in 2016 – a Qualifiers clash that Sligo won, 2-15 to 1-10.
Leitrim recorded two famous Connacht Senior Football Championship quarter-final wins over Sligo – a three-point victory in 2011, 1-10 to 0-10, and a four-point triumph in 2005, 1-11 to 0-9.
In between those reversals Sligo recorded a Qualifiers win over Leitrim in 2006 (1-7 to 0-9) as well as a Connacht semi-final victory by nine points, 2-13 to 2-4, in 2002.