Duffy shines as teens edge close encounter at sunny Markievicz
Connacht GAA MFC Round-Robin Phase – R2 Sligo 0-9 Leitrim 0-8
A WEEK on from being denied a onepoint win in Galway due to the home side’s stoppage time equaliser, Sligo snatched a late victory of their own when overturning Leitrim by a point, 0-9 to 0-8, in last Friday’s Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship round two fixture at Markievicz Park.
Niall Duffy, Sligo’s most influential player, notched the decisive score from a converted free in the third minute of time added on to give the hosts their first win of the campaign.
This tit for tat contest, played in ideal conditions, became a shoot-out between the game’s centre-forwards – Sligo’s Niall Duffy, who kicked six of his side’s nine points, and Leitrim ace Jack Kelly, who contributed 0-5 of Leitrim’s 0-8.
Leitrim finished with 14 players in the closing stages because Jack Moolick, who had been previously yellow-carded, was shown a black card.
It was level at halftime, 0-3 apiece, but Sligo will be disappointed that they didn’t turn possession into scores during a breeze-assisted opening period when they hit eight wides.
But Niall Duffy was accurate when needed, with Sligo’s other scores coming from Matthew Walsh, Marc Clifford and substitute Aaron Healy. Sligo did well to dig out this result, having been 0-8 to 0-7 down after 54 minutes and playing into the breeze, and strong defensive work from Dante Currid, one of three substitutes used, thwarted Jack Kelly’s goal chance. Sligo manager Stephen Henry, who has guided the team to a useful draw in Galway and now this win, was delighted with last Friday’s outcome, with games to come against Roscommon (away, May 3)
The number of points scored by Niall Duffy for Sligo in two rounds of the Connacht MFC. and Mayo (home, May 10).
Henry said: “This was a cracking game between two good sides – thankfully we came out the right side of it. To come back from a point down in that time frame was really good. I’m really happy with it.”
Tourlestrane’s Henry was pleased with the impact of the substitutes, Conor Langan, who won the free that Niall Duffy converted for the winner, and Aaron Healy, who pointed a longrange free.
Matchwinner Niall Duffy has now scored 11 points in two appearances. His manager hailed the potential of the Enniscrone-Kilglass teenager.
“Niall has those kind of scores in his locker – he does a lot of work on his free-taking along with the other lads. The evidence was there again.”
The fact that Sligo weren’t ahead at half-time despite having created a heap of chances wasn’t a worry for Henry.
“We were probably more concerned that the lads weren’t hitting the performance levels that they know and we know they are capable of. They just weren’t at the pitch of it for the first-half – but that was a good Leitrim team.
Sligo have a ‘bye’ in this week’s third and aren’t in action again until Friday week, May 3, when they are away to Roscommon in round four (Dr Hyde Park, 7pm).
Roscommon, who lost to Mayo (2-13 to 2-7) and then overcame Galway (1-10 to 1-7), are up against Leitrim in round three tomorrow, Friday, evening at Ballinamore.
RESULTS
Played on Friday, April 12
Played on Friday, April 19
FIXTURES
Friday, April 26
Niall Duffy
Gareth Cummins, Conor Murray, Noah Phillips, Shane Murphy, James
Lavin (c), Alexander Lillie, Patrick Brady, Cian Nicholson, Conor McDonagh, Danny Woodrow, Niall Duffy (0-6, 1 ‘mark’, 4f), Matthew Walsh (0-1), Cathal Gilligan, Marc Clifford (0-1), Adam Feeney
Subs used: Dante Currid, Conor Langan, Aaron Healy (0-1, 1f)
Subs not used: Farrell Moran (gk), Tadhg Murphy, Conor Walsh, Ben Cawley, Adam Taheny, Logan Markey
Leitrim: Sean Carolan-Morris, Niall Torsney, Oran Foley (joint-captain), Luke Fitzsimons, Senan Bohan, Luke BraamFarrell (joint-captain), Bailey McBride, Cormac Moran, Gearoid Curley, Karl Gethins, Jack Kelly (0-5, 1 ‘mark’, 3f), Gavin Gallagher, Conor Reynolds, Jack Moolick, Daire McCabe (0-3, 2f)
Subs used: Ruairi O’Rourke, Kyle Russell Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo)