Sligo hope to make up for last year

SLIGO’S sharp lesson in the sad school of experience could be a strong motivating factor as they face red-hot favourites Galway in the Connacht semi-final at home in Markievicz Park on Saturday (3.30pm).

A few early points masked a subsequent pretty painful encounter as they went down by 2-20 to 0-12 in last year’s Connacht final in MacHale Park, Castlebar.

And while the score-line looks pretty depressing-there is a feeling in the squad and the county that they just did not do themselves justice.

Well, irrespective of the result, Sligo have a great chance to do just that before their home crowd against a side who narrowly lost to Kerry in the All-Ireland final of 2022.

So that is the kind of quality that Tony McEntee’s men will be facing on Saturday afternoon.

And Sligo selector Noel McGuire is very well aware of the enormity of the task confronting his charges.

The Easkey man told The Sligo Champion: “Galway are a Division One team, two Divisions above us so it Is a big ask under any circumstances.

“But we are delighted that the game is at home in Markievicz Park and we will find out if we have closed the gap on them and obviously there was a big gap between us in the Connacht final last year.

“We feel that we have closed the gap, but we won’t know for sure until Saturday,” the 2007 Connacht winning captain said.

Recalling that heavy Connacht final defeat last year, McGuire said Sligo had a good start.

“Yes we went up by a few points-but once Galway got into their stride there was just no stopping them and we just did not live with them and they pushed on and were convincing winners on the day.”

But he added that “a lot of our guys will look back at that game and feel that they did not play individually or collectively to the standards that they were capable of.

“Well, they have a chance to put that right on Saturday.

“Any time you go out and you feel that you don’t play to the level that you are capable of, there is always a bit of regret there.

“There is probably a bit of that in our lads and if it is something that we can use as motivation then absolutely, but we still know that we are really up against it on Saturday.”

When asked what lessons Sligo had learned from last year’s heavy defeat to Galway, he said: “You are playing against a Division One team, and they bring that element of physicality and that real ruthlessness and if you cough up possession or turnovers to them, they will swiftly punish you.

“You have to be ready for every challenge you go into and there is no such thing as an easy ball-we have to be ready for that and bring our very best game and if we do, we think we have a chance.

He added: “It will be a huge ask but we are well set up, well prepared and are looking forward to the challenge.”

Sligo are coming off the back of a resounding win over Leitrim which should stand to them on Saturday.

“We started off sluggishly in difficult, heavy conditions and we controlled the game fairly well, and missed a few chances but overall, it was a good performance.

“Any day you win by eight or ninepoints away from home, it does give confidence going in against Galway.”

And Sligo have a fair bit of scoring power in Niall Murphy, Seán Carrabine and Paddy O’Connor-but they also have scores coming from different areas, most notably defence with Nathan Mullen and

Darragh Cummins all chipping in with points.

“We have good options with scores not only coming from our front six but also from deep as well.

“We feel we have threats from various areas, and hopefully those lads will put their mark on the scoreboard as well.”

But Sligo have a bit of an edge in the emergence of talented U20 players who know only the taste of victory.

“The U-20 group from the last two years are coming through and making a real impact.

“Canice Mulligan has established himself in and around midfield in the last two or three games and he has managed to get a score or two as well.

“Jack Lavin is coming back from injury, Lee Deignan and Daire O’Boyle are all quality players.

“These guys have got game time, and our panel is much the better for it and they are pushing on everyone else, and it is great that they are at this stage now and let’s hope the next bunch come through in a similar vein.”

And, one thing these lads have in common is that they are all winners.

“That is a very important thing for these lads as some of them have achieved back- to- back Connacht titles and some others have three provincial medals if you include the minors.

“That would be unheard of in Sligo previously and I don’t think there is any real fear in them.

“They are finding their feet at senior level and that is bound to pay dividends for Sligo in years to come and hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.”

When asked where the main threats would come from Galway, McGuire said:“Well, Shane Walsh missed the NFL, but it is strongly rumoured that he will be back for the weekend and a player of his talent is one of the top players in the country.

“But they have threats everywhere when you think of the likes of Paul Conroy, Johnny Heaney, Cillian McDaid and Sean Kelly and the list goes on.

“Paul Conroy is a veteran now and I played against him and Pauric Joyce.

“They have a lot of talent and then you have Damien Comer lurking in the long grass.

“No matter who starts they are all of top quality and the challenge is to match them.”

Sligo have two long term injuries with Pat Spillane out with a groin injury and Luke Towey is also out.

The game is on Saturday in a season that is totally condensed with the result that the Amagh V Fermanagh and Dublin V Meath matches did not have the feeling of a championship match at all.

And McGuire said that the GAA should consider putting back these games by a few weeks.

Sligo host Galway on Saturday in Markievicz Park at 3:30pm.