Sligo stun Galway with Walsh the hero as Mayo ease past Leitrim
CRUISE CONTROL: Peadar Gardiner saw his Mayo tyros ease past Leitrim.
Reigning All Ireland U17 football champions Galway are hanging on by a thread in this year’s Connacht U20 championship following a determined showing by Sligo in Markievicz Park on Wednesday. Wing back Darragh Walsh scored the winning score for the home side late on in the game that was nip and tuck throughout.
At the interval Sligo held the narrowest 1-5 to 1-4 advantage as the brilliant Ronan Niland for Sligo and Ryan O’Donnell for Galway bagged a goal each in the 16th minute. Eanna Monaghan, Niland, Eamonn Monaghan and Dillon Walsh were amongst the point scorers.
In the second half Sean Dunne equalised early on as Sligo midfielder Michael Sheridan kept the hosts active with two great scores either side of a Colm Costello effort for Galway. Sean O’ Connor appeared to give hope to Galway with a great solo goal but, within a minute, errors in the Galway rearguard allowed Dara Moyston to tip home Sligo’s second goal. Cian Rafferty and Ross Coen levelled the game for Galway, who then failed to score for the remaining 16 minutes allowing a Sligo revival completed successfully by Walsh's never-to-be-forgotten winner.
Meanwhile, in sun-drenched Hastings Insurance McHale Park it was business as usual for Peadar Gardiner’s side as Leitrim remain bottom of the table following an emphatic 5-16 to 0-8 win for the home side.
At the break Mayo held an insurmountable 2-9 to 0-4 lead as Oisin Cronin and wing back Colm McHale bagged the goals. Jack Kelly (3) kept Leitrim active on the scoreboard.
There was no fightback of any magnitude for Leitrim in the second half however as Mayo added three more goals with ease as both sides missed a multitude of wides. Darragh Beirne (1-2), Tom Lyons (1-4), and Oisin Cronin with another (1-1) rounded off a day of target practice for Mayo.
Next up next week is the winner-take-all tie of Galway v Roscommon in Tuam Stadium as Sligo will hope to keep the winning momentum going to secure third spot.
