Connacht Minor Football Championship Minors have to settle for a share
Connacht GAA MFC Round-Robin Phase – R1 Galway 0-11 Sligo 2-5
SLIGO’S U-17 Gaelic footballers looked to have done just enough to carve out a useful win at
Tuam Stadium – forever a formidable venue for Sligo teams – but they were caught by the hosts who grabbed a share of the spoils in last Friday evening’s Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship round one fixture.
Well-taken goals from inside forwards Marc Clifford and Adam Feeney, with each three-pointer set up by the superb midfielder Conor McDonagh, ensured Sligo had a major impact in this contest.
Free-taker Niall Duffy, capable with efforts off the ground or from the hands, contributed five points. Factor in, also, Sligo’s robust defending and industry that restricted Galway to just 11 scores (eight of these from play). There was also fine work from defenders James Lavin, who captained the side, Alexander Lillie and Patrick Brady.
A win in difficult conditions would have been a big statement from Stephen
The number of scores from play that Sligo registered against Galway at Tuam Stadium.
RESULTS
Played on Friday, April 12
FIXTURES
Friday, April 19
Henry’s side but Galway had the classy Killian Joyce and the centre-forward’s half a dozen points included a sublime equalising point in the fourth minute of additional time.
A worry for Sligo, however, is that their only scores from play were those goals and that they only had three scorers.
In what was a low-scoring opening period, Sligo didn’t score until Niall Duffy’s brilliant pointed free in the 16th minute – a ground kick – which halved breeze-assisted Galway’s early two-point lead. Niall Duffy’s second point, this time from the hands, levelled matters by the 24th minute. Cian Nicholson, Sligo’s other midfielder, was also making inroads.
Sligo netted their opening goal after 26 minutes. Conor McDonagh’s long delivery found Marc Clifford, who took one solo and then slipped a low shot into Galway’s net.
The visitors took a two-point lead into the break, 1-2 to 0-3, and began the second-half with a block by Alexander
Lillie that stopped a Galway attack and then an interception from full-back Noah Phillips.
A 34th minute black card for wingback Patrick Brady threatened to upset Sligo but they kept their shape, worked even harder and then went further in front when Adam Feeney goaled after 38 minutes.
Conor McDonagh was again the provider – his free reached the corner-forward who was cool with his finish and Sligo were four points up, 2-3 to 0-5.
Galway couldn’t be kept at arm’s length for the entire game and Sligo’s lead was down to a point, 2-4 to 0-9, with 10 minutes of normal time to go.
Sligo could have been in a more favourable position had Danny Woodrow’s goal shot gone in after 48 minutes but Jamie King, the Galway