Galway minors put Sligo to the sword

Galway 1-13

Sligo 1-7

GALWAY coasted to a six-points victory away to Sligo to earn a place in the Connacht minor football championship semi-final against Mayo this coming Saturday.

A Sligo penalty, converted on the stroke of full-time, put a smidgeon more of a gloss on the scoreboard for the home team who were outplayed for large periods at Markievicz Park last Saturday evening.

It was a spot-kick at the other end that had the biggest impact in terms of the result. That decisive score – a first-half penalty that was in the ‘soft’ category – was the turning point which swung this quarter-final in Galway’s favour but they were full value for the win even if there is major scope for improvement.

Up to the penalty, awarded in the 28th minute of the first-half, Galway were making hard work of it. True, they were six points to three up but Sligo were playing against a fairly strong wind and there was a lack of urgency about Galway’s overall play: They were getting bogged down, taking the wrong options, dropping shots short and sending kickable points wide.

Once full-forward Peter Cooke slotted home the penalty – a sweetly struck shot to the bottom, right-hand side of goalkeeper Daniel Cafferkey – Galway were firmly in the driving seat.

Two further points before the break – one monster long-range effort from Michael Daly and a point from centre-back Colin Brady – effectively sealed the deal. At 1-8 to 0-3 in arrears, theoretically Sligo could have comeback but that was as likely as Longford winning the All-Ireland senior title.

The closest they came to Galway in the second half was six points. John Donnellan’s side delivered the final nail in Sligo’s coffin raising three white flags on the trot in three minutes late-on from two lively substitutes Mark Rohan and Shane Connaughton as well as from corner forward Eoin Finnerty.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.