Connacht SFC quarter-final: Sligo 1-20 (1-3-14) Leitrim 3-15 (3-1-13)
Brilliant Leitrim beat Sligo for the first time in the Connacht Senior Football Championship since 2011 in defiantly squeezing over the line by a one-point margin in blustery conditions at Markievicz Park.
Outstanding midfielder Barry McNulty, Keith Keegan and captain Ryan O’Rourke each netted for Steven Poacher’s side, who built up a 10-point lead by 47 minutes, 3-11 to 0-10, on their way to setting up a provincial semi-final clash with Galway.
Sligo made an admirable comeback, with Pat Spillane’s goal proving a catalyst, managing to bring the deficit down to a point in the closing stages.
The home side made an excellent start and were four points clear by the 14th minute. But they would only score once more during the first-half as wind-assisted Leitrim gained a foothold to push themselves out to a six-points for the interval, 2-7 to 0-7.
RM Block
Barry McNulty’s 16th-minute goal from a smart transition was central to Leitrim taking charge, backed up by Keith Keegan’s green flag just over 10 minutes later.
Sligo showed improvement at the start of the second-half, but a third goal for Leitrim – Ryan O’Rourke on target after Oisin McLoughlin’s effort was saved by Aidan Devaney – looked to have put the visitors out of reach.
But substitute Spillane’s goal sparked a revival and Sligo made big inroads on the scoreboard through two-pointers from Luke Towey and top-scorer Lee Deignan. Cian Lally’s close-range score was actually a goal drive that was tipped over by Leitrim goalkeeper Killian Gaffey.
Although outscored in the last 23 minutes, 1-10 to 0-4, Leitrim held on grimly and were fortunate that Sligo opted not to take on a potential winner from a free in the dying seconds.
SLIGO: A Devaney; T Ross, C Sheridan, L Casserly; C Mulligan, J Lavin (0-0-1), P Kilcoyne; D Cummins, L Towey (0-1-1); L Deignan (0-1-5, 1f), A McLoughlin (0-1-3f), C Lally (0-0-1); J Flynn, N Murphy (0-0-2, 1f), S Deignan. Subs: P Spillane (1-0-0) for Flynn, K Cawley for S Deignan (both h-t), D O’Boyle for Kilcoyne (47 mins), G Gorman for Murphy (49), D Quinn (0-0-1) for Sheridan (61).
LEITRIM: K Gaffey; C McGloin, C Reynolds, S Harkin (0-0-2); E McLoughlin, M Diffley, K Keegan (1-0-0); C Quinn, B McNulty (1-1-4, 1f); F McLoughlin (0-0-1), R O’Rourke, T Prior (0-0-2); R O’Rourke (1-0-0), G Reynolds, O McLoughlin (0-0-3). Subs: B Guckian for F McLoughlin, E McNamara for E McLoughlin (both 55 mins), P Honeyman (0-0-1) for O McLoughlin (58), J Kelly for Prior, M McKiernan for Reynolds (both 62).
Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
