Sligo advanced to the semi-finals of the Tailteann Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Leitrim at Carrick-on-Shannnon.
Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney was the hero, saving two spot-kicks after a game that ebbed and flowed.
The Yeats County looked to be heading for victory in normal time but a miraculous Leitrim comeback, where the home side hit four unanswered points in injury-time, saw the sides head for extra-time.
Again it was Leitrim who finished strong, with Keith Beirne's final score forcing penalties.
It was a great start for Sligo in the shootout, with goalkeeper Devaney pushing the opening penalty, from Ryan O'Rourke, onto the post.
The next seven kicks were all successful and Emlyn Mulligan knew he had to convert to keep the tie alive, but Devaney guessed correctly to save the tame effort to progress through to the semi-finals.
Leitrim enjoyed a dream start in the opening eight minutes when Keith Byrne, who put over the game's opening point on two minutes and then shortly afterwards put the ball to the Sligo net following a goalmouth scramble.
Evan Sweeney fired over a point for the home side some six minutes later. After that for the next 25 minutes Sligo workmanlike wiped out Leitrim's early advantage and grabbed a two-point lead as well after the Yeats men held Andy Moran side scoreless for a full twenty-five minutes.
In this spell Patrick O'Connor notched 0-04 for Sligo, while Alan O'Reilly and Sean Carrabine chipped in with 0-02 each. Leitrim closed the gap to the minimum before the break after Jack Heslin and Riordan O'Rourke hit a point each. But an Alan Reilly point before the break put Sligo ahead by 0-09 to 1-04 at the interval.
After the restart Sligo went further ahead with points Sean Carrabine abs Alan Reilly. In repose Keith Beirne opened Leitrim second half account with a 39th minute point. Leitrim got level terms four minutes later thanks to a well taken goal by sub Ryan O'Rourke while Evan Sweeney and Keith Beirne from a mark edged them ahead with a point over the next five minutes.
Sligo Alan Reilly narrowed the gap to the minimum when shot over on the 47th minute mark Leitrim's Keith Beirne hit back with point shortly afterwards. In response Sligo surged and grabbed grabbed a 0 – 4 lead by the 65th minute after sub Mark Walsh shot to the Leitrim net while Patrick O'Connor and Sean Carabine hit over points apiece.
Leitrim's Keith Beirne and Sligo's Peter Laffey traded points at opposite ends by the 67th minute. Leitrim rallied make it even Stephen at the end of full time with points each from sub Dean McGovern, Ryan O'Rourke, Jordan Reynolds and Keith Beirne on a Sligo 1-16 Leitrim 2-11 score line.
At the start of the first period of extra-time Leitrim had a Shane Moran goal disallowed when it was ruled that Moran was deemed to be in the square'when palmed a pass from Pearce Dolan to the Sligo net.
Patrick O'Connor put Sligo ahead with a 73rd minute point but Mark Plunkett levelled five minutes later with a similar Leitrim score to level pegging when Maurice sounded his whistle to signal the end of the first period of extra-time.
After the restart Nathan Rooney egged Sligo in front when he fired over. But Leitrim sub Emlyn Mulligan made even Stephen once more in the 83rd minute. But Alan Reilly got Sligo noses in front again when he shot over in the next minute.
However Leitrim's Keith Beirne responded with an 87th minute point for Leitrim to this exciting Tailteann Cup quarter-final to the dreaded penalty shootout.
Leitrim: Brendan Flynn; Paddy Maguire, Mark Diffley, Conor Reynolds; Jack Heslin (0-01) , David Bruen, James Rooney; Pearce Dolan, Donal Wrynn; Cillian McGloin, Keith Beirne (1-06, 1m), Shane Moran; Domhnaill Flynn, Evan Sweeney (0-02); Riordan O'Rourke (0-01) .
Subs: J Reynolds (0-01) for McGloin (33);Ryan O'Rourke (1-02) for Riordan O Rourke (42); M Plunkett for Heslin (51); D Rooney for Sweeney (58); D McGovern (0-01) for Flynn (65); S Quinn for J Rooney (75); D Flynn for Bruen (79); T Prior for Moran (79).
Penalties – K Beirne, J Heslin, S Quinn 1 – 0 (each).
Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Nathan Mullan, Evan Lyons, Paul McNamara; Luke Towey, Darragh Cummins (0-01), Paul Kilcoyne; Peter Laffey (0-01), Seán Carrabine (0-05, 5f); Keelan Cawley, Patrick O'Connor (0-05 m f, Mickey Gordon; Alan Reilly (0-06), Pat Hughes, Pat Spillane.
Subs: Donal Conlan for Hughes (56); Mark Walsh (1-00) for Towey (58); Conan Marren for Spillane (62); Nathan Rooney 0 – 1 for Carrabine (67); Brendan Egan for O'Connor (67); David Phillips for Gordon (73).
Penalties – N Rooney, A Reilly, D Conlan, B Egan 1 – 0 (each)
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).
